Fadi Obeid

There is no doubt that Covid-19 has affected the whole world tremendously in the past year, so being accepted for an exchange programme in Portugal during this period was a bit challenging. Even so, all that anxiety and nervousness suddenly went away as soon as I set foot in Portugal...

...The people, the roads, the cobblestone sidewalks, the architecture, the scenery and much more, simply make you fall in love with this country. Nevertheless, as soon as you start your Erasmus experience you will just get attached more and more to this lifestyle.

I was accepted in Universidade Nova de Lisboa, so I had the chance to live in Lisboa, the capital city of Portugal. Although I did not get the chance to visit the campus a lot, it was a great pleasure for me to be introduced to their Engineering program and benefit as much as possible from it.

The highlight of my Erasmus experience, with all the challenges facing it due to Covid, has to be the people. Making friends and family from all over the world is the best thing the Erasmus experience can offer. As a little kid coming from a small city in Lebanon, I never thought that one day people from all around the globe will surround me; and that by itself was amazing.

My advice to all BAU students planning to do an exchange program is that independency is beautiful, but it is a big responsibility; nevertheless, always remember that "Life is too short, make the most of it” and don't forget to PARTY PARTY PARTY!

Finally, a big thank you to BAU and their international relations office for being there for me throughout this journey.