Nathan Cozar – Institute of Business Studies, Bordeaux

I had the unbelievable chance to spend the 2015-16 year studying in Sheffield Business School thanks to an exchange with my home university, in Bordeaux, France. During the first days we had an orientation week, different types of presentations, events and fairs, put in place to help the newcomers find their place here in the heart of the university. I’ve been truly astonished when I discovered how much help the international students could get from the University.  I will always remember a Powerpoint slide with the main slang words used in South Yorkshire, during a presentation from Andrew Bromley.

The six modules that I’ve chosen are the following: Business ethics, Marketing communications, Competitive marketing strategies, E-business management, Leadership and organisations, and finally Entrepreneurship and Innovation in practice. All of them were very instructive, and helped me think critically and find resources for essays and from the library. It was composed of lectures, seminar, assignments, tests and exams but the most important in those modules for me, were the relation I’ve built with all the teachers. Also, I engaged with the enterprise team which arranged meetings with business advisors, so I got to meet a few of them who inspired me thoughtfully, and helped me in building my professional projects for the future.

Whereas I did learn a lot, this whole experience was not only about school, assignments and professional projects. The other part of this experience was my personal experience during which I saw the world through the eyes of the numerous friends that I met there, because in one year I made friends coming from so many countries, continents, and cultures. From European countries like Germany, Oman, America, Spain, India, Netherlands, China, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, and so on. I felt that having as many different geographical origins as we have people in a room was such a valuable thing.

Like every good thing, my Erasmus experience in Sheffield Hallam University came to an end way too quickly, and I haven’t seen it go by. Not only I’ve had the best fun, but overall, it was the most valuable experience of my life so far in terms of independence and academic skills. Thank you!

Diane Rébillon – Institute of Business Studies, Bordeaux

In few weeks I will finish my Erasmus program. During this year I studied different modules mainly focused on marketing, management and international openness.

Now, with a little hindsight, I can say that this experience was valuable and enriching both on a human scale and regarding my professional project. The elements which impressed me this year are:

• The kindness and availability of English people, always ready to be of service, always interested and interesting
• The English culture which is, by nature, a culture of sharing and friendliness
• The educational system based on attentiveness and respect. There are no stupid questions and every comments are good to take
• The architecture which is a mix of modern and classic worthy of the Harry Potter movies

I have discovered and lived surrounded by students from everywhere for a year which is, in my opinion, the best possible experience. The different activities organized by the university (Introduction week, trip around United Kingdom…) have been made to accommodate international students. Fulfilled is probably the most appropriate term that I am looking for to explain how glad I am.

Gabriella Scerri – Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta

I have just completed my Erasmus mobility programme for 1 semester at Sheffield Hallam University. My semester started from the 14^th of September till the 15^th of January in which I had to complete four subjects including; Business Events Operations, Leisure and Risk, Tourism and Society, Intercultural Professional Development. All four subjects were very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed every lecture.

I was living with a host family which I found on the University website as part of their accommodation service. The house I lived in was just a thirty minute walk from the city centre where the university was located.

Upon arrival at Sheffield Hallam University Erasmus students as well were welcomed by an orientation week which involved many activities such as:

• Getting around the city
• British Cultural Awareness
• Meeting our subject coordinators
• Meeting other students
• Brief explanation on criteria of study
• Tours around the library and university
• Games and activities
• Ice breaking sessions
• Different fairs such as the society fair and freebie fair

The first week was full of activities which helped me meet different people and make new friends. Some of the friends I made came from different countries such as America, Portugal, Germany and Finland. We were all English speaking Erasmus students which made our integration process easier.

As lectures started the next week I was aware that we had different types of teaching hours for each subject. These were called lectures and seminars. The difference between the two is that during a seminar the global class will be split into small groups of not more than 20. During seminar hours discussions and hands-on activities relating to the subject were made. During a lecture the respective lecturer presents his lesson in a formal presentation using PowerPoint, flip charts, projectors and even YouTube to facilitate teaching. Each lecture/seminar was also recorded on our student hub which was accessed using our student number and personal password. This student hub was called “SHUSPACE” were each student could access their personal student record, grades and results, timetables, examination timetables and any other information put by our lecturers such as lecture slides and important data. Through SHUSPACE I could also access my library account which showed me the amount of books I had borrowed and their due date.

Sheffield Hallam University is a very efficient place for students to facilitate their learning through the use of adequate technology. I enjoyed the way the University never made me feel like I am only a number. They were always ready to help as well as provide facilities to students such as; laptop loans, video and SLR cameras on loan, accommodation, assistance in any subject etc. I never encountered a problem which I was not able to solve with Sheffield Hallam.

Overall I had a wonderful experience and I would go back any time. It was a great opportunity to learn and become more independent.