Hi! My name is Aleksandra, I am 3rd-year student in Modern Languages&Business and Management and I would like to share my certainly unusual experience of looking for an internship during the global pandemic of COVID-19.
I am sure you’ve heard that Erasmus year is gonna be the best year of your life. So did I. I started looking for an internship in October 2019, making sure I have a lot of time to find myself a great placement! All was going according to the plan, I was quite successful with lots of time in my hands. Then it was late March and COVID happened. Suddenly my university closed and like everyone, I felt very lost and I didn’t know what do to – what happens with my Erasmus now? Should I continue with applications or maybe start thinking about plan B? When I heard that some Unis decided to cancel Erasmus for this year, I started fearing about my future.
As I tend to be stubborn, I decided to continue with applications, and to my surprise, in late April I secured a spot for my placement in Madrid starting in June. I was told that even if the pandemic is not over I can work from home. In the middle of the global pandemic!!! I was over the moon. Bought my flights in May, and started looking for accommodation. And then 1,5 week before departure I got an email that they are shutting down the company and releasing their employees, so my internship is cancelled.
I read somewhere that even in the midst of most challenging circumstances you always have the choice to choose your attitude. I chose to believe that there is something better waiting for me. So…I decided to apply to one more company and if it doesn’t work I will be patient (for once) and wait until everything is over. And that’s how I ended up in Erasplus
I was the only person to go on my Erasmus in July 2020 from my University, and believe me it was hard to get their permission! I didn’t know what to expect of Spain as one of the centres of a global pandemic – will it feel weird? My answer is: As long as you can get used to wearing masks and heatwaves at all times, its perfectly normal! Personally, still working on the heat thing. 
I know that there are many of you, students and recent graduates feeling anxious about the future, not sure how to act – and I can assure you I’ve been there. I would like to encourage you to be creative and find a way to follow your dreams. Because if not now, when?