Living in Bermuda, I was lucky enough to take part in an Erasmus course in Brussels. In this article, I describe my experience.

Twenty-five Bermudian students on an Erasmus trip

My name is Ralston Wright and I'm from Bermuda. I was chosen as one of twenty-five students from Bermuda College to travel to Europe as part of the Erasmus programme.

The Erasmus programmes is a European international placement opportunity that allows students to work abroad in a European country for three weeks in their field of study. For the Bermuda cohort, twenty-five students were placed in three countries to work as interns under the Erasmus programme. The three countries proposed were Belgium, Cyprus and Italy.

En ce qui concerne mes intérêts, j’ai été sélectionné pour travailler en Belgique avec huit autres étudiants bermudiens. J’ai été très reconnaissant de cette opportunité, d’autant plus que ma cohorte était le premier groupe d’étudiants bermudiens à participer à ce programme.

I chose the Erasmus programme because it offered me international work experience and the chance to explore a different country. At the end of my Erasmus stay, I'll have work experience on my CV, which will help me to make a name for myself in Bermuda's competitive job market.

I think this experience will help me a lot to gain an edge on the job market, given that I'm a mature student and have little work experience in my field of interest.

My work placement experience at Formation 3.0 asbl

Je travaille actuellement en Belgique en tant qu’interne pour l’asbl Formation 3.0.

Formation 3.0 is a non-profit association (asbl) founded on 20 June 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. Nik Suziana Binti Nik Salleh (President) and Marco Bertolini (Senior Consultant). They and Azeez Hassan Formation 3.0 is a non-profit association (asbl) founded on 20 June 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. Nik Suziana Binti Nik Salleh (President) and Marco Bertolini (Senior Consultant). They and

Mr Marco and Ms Suziana have enabled me to be creative in my work and not remain trapped in a bubble of mundane work. Formation 3.0 does a lot of publicity work to make students aware of the different types of methods and ideas that can help develop relevant knowledge and skills. During my three weeks working for Formation 3.0, I worked on different features to install on the Formation 3.0 website and then had to create marketing material to inform the public about these new features. One example of our work is the translation into English, by Azeez and myself, of three articles from the Formation 3.0 website using the artificial intelligence software DeepL.

Working for Formation 3.0 has enabled me to improve my skills in using different types of AI software. Before I went to Belgium, I wasn't very enthusiastic about using AI and I was apprehensive about using it because I didn't see the point. However, after using different types of AI systems, I noticed that most of them were very easy to use and cut down on tedious tasks. Some of the AI systems I've used in Training 3.0 include DeepL, ChatGPT, Genially, Flex clip and Canva.

Daily life during my Erasmus stay in Brussels

I'll be back 100%! My experience in Belgium was extraordinary. From the climate to the food, the entertainment and the easy transport system, Belgium has been great. Belgium is a very diverse country, just like Bermuda, so I was ready to meet people from different backgrounds. However, the people in Brussels, Belgium, are very individualistic, but most of the time very respectful when you interact with them.

During my second week, my Bermudian mate and I were invited to play football with some local players who did very well. As a group, we were also lucky enough to attend a football match, Brussels v Wales. It was the highlight of my stay! Belgium's diversity is also reflected in its choice of dishes. The food was delicious, the best I've had in Europe so far.

The transport system in Brussels was very easy. I had no trouble learning how to get around the city. As long as you know how to read a map, it's hard to get lost. The best ways to get around Brussels are by train, bike, bus and metro. During my stay, I used all the means of transport mentioned to get around Brussels. Because of the city's congestion, it is not advisable to use a car to get around the city, as there are not enough parking spaces.

The Erasmus team encouraged us to explore Belgium and enjoy the nightlife. There are many clubs all over the city, some playing pop music and Afro rhythms. The interesting thing about Brussels is that the nightlife doesn't start until 1am and finishes around 5am.

I also went to Auto World, the national motor museum, and saw the classic car exhibition, which was really fascinating.

Overall, my work placement in Belgium was unforgettable. I learned a lot about myself, the world around me and how to adapt to new environments. Brussels has become a bit like a second home now that I've lived, worked and experienced it as a local. I intend to come back and explore it even more.

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