Interview
Name: Judith Santano Merchán
Date of birth: July 14th 1986
Place of birth: Cáceres, Spain
Home university: Universidad Pontificia De Salamanca
Study: Journalism third year out of five
Why did you choose Antwerp?
This was my only change to take the course in English. I didn’t know a lot of this town. My little knowledge of this place came from my history books.
I found out- just a couple of months before my arrival here- that Antwerp had a harbour.
How is Antwerp different than your home city?
Well, I formally lived in a village… so you can see a huge difference. And Salamanca is not that big town either. I really like this place, a lot of cultural diversity which you cannot experience in Salamanca. And, in general, people are very nice to you here, or at least with me.
About Plantijn
The first time I saw the building I got very surprised with all of this hi-tech everywhere, you even have an inner courtyard!
About the course on “communication management”, I find it pretty interesting, although lectures could be better… I do not mean they are bad or that they miss stuff, maybe it’s a matter of not sufficient communication skills. This is, they know a lot but sometimes they do not know how to transmit it, how to make the subject interesting. But anyway, it’s more or less the same in my home university: the best teacher’s lack of “communication” know-how/skills. I have a remark! I still don’t understand the point of the badge to enter into the EMI. Sometimes I forget to bring it with me, thus if I arrive late or not showed up at all for multimedia…. It wasn’t because I skipped the lesson.
How do you like the Erasmus experience?
I’m really having a great time here in Antwerp. I guess it will be extremely tough when I have to return to Spain. You know I will start from the very beginning there because some of my friends are on Erasmus for the whole year, and me only until January! And of course, the nice people I met here…. I cannot even think about leaving them. I wish I could bring all of them to Spain!
I think of the time I’ve spent here so far I cannot spot any bad experience what so ever. Perhaps some troubles with the electricity company but no fights nor cultural shocks.
Anytime I recall my Erasmus student in the future, I won’t find anything else but great words to describe my time here. I even adapted myself to the Belgian party way; I would have never imagined myself drinking beer!
Actually I don’t really like it, I just drink it!!
The main point of this is to find great people to share a drink with… and I was very lucky to have met some lovely people over here.
Quotes
I have an issue!
Let’s make a proposal
I don’t like beer I just drink it!