Nikolina

How did you find your internship? How did you apply for it? How did you prepare for your stay abroad?

I found this internship opening through erasmus intern website and I applied as stated in the open call by writing an email directly to the PI of the group. I didn’t prepare myself much for this stay abroad, I only read some papers the group previously published.

What practical arrangements have you made before the exchange?

My supervisor booked a room for me in the student dormitory, so I didn’t have to worry about the accomodation. I only booked my plane and train tickets. Other than that, I made sure my european insurance card and travel documents are up to date.

How were you greeted, trained and welcomed by the company?

Upon my arrival to the train station of Banyuls, I was greeted by another student from the research group who lead me to the student accomodation and made sure I am safe and settled. On my first working day I was given a grand tour of the institute by my supervisor. I was introduced to all of the research groups working there, I got to see almost all of the labs and most important parts of the facilities, as well as the animal facility. I was appointed my own bench in the lab, I got a lab coat, lab journal, stationery etc. Within next few weeks I also got safety training. For each method I did in the lab I got extensive training by my supervisor as well as continuous support from her and other team members. In conclusion, I would say the welcome was warm and training process smooth.

About finding a room/apartment and accommodation

Student dormitory is placed right next to the insitute, and both are in the first row to the sea. Rooms are meant for single students and feature a standard size bed, large desk, nightstand and a few shelves. Each room has its own bathroom with a shower, a toilet, a sink and a heater. I would say the rooms are quite spacious. There is a canteen in the dormitory which serves breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 (bread, jam, butter, pastries, milk, plant milks, cereals, coffee, juice, water, tea), lunch from 12:00 to 12:45 (buffett with starters, three main dishes to chose from each day with high variation, cheese/yoghurt, and pastry/cake/fruit), and dinner from 19:00 to 19:45 (similar to lunch but smaller main dish). The breakfast is free, while lunch and dinner cost 3,30€ each. The canteen is closed on weekends and holidays but there is also fully equiped student kitchen where students can prepare food and store it in fridges/freezer.

What financial precautions did you take? What was the average cost of living?

France is a bit more expensive than Austria, but not significantly so. Also in France it is mandatory by law to pay students during internships longer than two months. The Erasmus allowance of ca. 550€ and salary of ca. 660€ monthly are jointly more than enough to cover all your expenses and indulgances. Protips: a ride with regional bus (up to 2h, both directions) costs 1€, all public transport in Occitanie is covered by FairtiQ app, first weekend of the month train rides cost 1€ each, from mid July to mid August train rides were 1€ each for everyone under 26 years old, generally in France most museums and attractions are either free or severely discounted for people under 26 years old.

How would you describe the country, culture and leisure activities you experienced during your stay abroad?

France always delights me. The culture of the administrative department in which I stayed (Pyrenees-Orientales) however is very specific. As soon as I arrived I was surprised the town looked more like some Spanish or Italian town, and as it turns out, in the whole department Catalan culture is very strong, as until 1659 the area was under Spanish rule. They are still proud of their Catalan culture and you see it on every corner. There are a lot of leisure activities on offer. Even though the town is small those who can search for fun will never be bored. It is also very easy to make day trips by train to other towns and cities of the region cities like Narbonne, Beziers, Carcassone, Montpellier are within 2 hour range, and if you opt for a weekend trip major cities like Toulouse or Barcelona are also feasible.

How would you describe the internship?

The internship was awesome. I think interpersonal relations make or break every internship/job, and here people are really warm, interested, and helpful. The labs are well equipped and financed. I really learned a lot both theoretically and practically. The animal facility hosts a dozen species for research purposes, and institute is very strong in microscopy (brightfield, fluorescent, confocal, electron, live imaging…). Possibilities here are definitely suitable for ecotox and term students of FH, but also for programmers and other specialists I even met one intern who studies graphic design, science needs everyone and this place is very inclusive 🙂

What new skills and qualities have you acquired?

I learned how to work with jellyfish, how to operate confocal microscope and analyse data acquired, and how to conduct in situ hybridizations, none of which I ever did before. From theoretical standpoint, through seminars and my own reading on the topic, I learned a lot on the biology of invertebrates.

How have your values and attitudes changed as a result of your stay abroad?

I wouldn’t say my character or values changed much during the stay (it wasn’t my first time meeting foreigners or staying in the foreign country), but my perception of my own research field changed a lot. I was introduced to a completely novel (to me) way of thinking about certain scientific problems, approaching them from different angle and with different perspective than what I so far encountered. And considering the free time, I was very pleased to get to know this region and its rich culture and history, I was unaware of either before.

Looking back, what was the greatest challenge in preparing for or during your stay abroad?

I didn’t encounter any major challenges. The Erasmus application process from FH side is extremely smooth and well organized, my supervisor at internship took care of a lot of other things for me, and people were always open to discussions and were very helpful with everything. I had some hardships with new protocol in the lab, but that is completely normal in science.

What was your most positive experience during your stay abroad?

It is hard to single out one thing. I enjoyed learning new thing both inside and outside of the lab, traveling through the region, trying out new food, and even listening to French language every day hahaha