When I went on Erasmus, I didn’t expect it to change my perception of the university. All the differences seemed situational, such as a different study rhythm and semester demands. It was only after I returned that I began to notice something more fundamental, namely that my academic expectations had become more specific.
During the autumn semester I spent in Paris, my courses followed a fairly simple structure: lectures, tests, and exams. Accordingly, most subjects were graded using the average/total grade for midterms and exams, or only for exams. I had almost no continuous assessment, and most of the time, I had to master the material on my own.
Upon returning to Tartu, my views on certain aspects of the academic space changed significantly.
Two Academic Systems, Two Approaches to Learning
Experience of working with two academic systems played an important role in this shift. In one model, learning takes place largely independently, outside the course itself, and responsibility is centred around the final assessment. Another focused on a course through regular assignments, interactions, and shared checkpoints. I began analysing how differently they shaped student engagement and have come to the conclusion that it’s much easier to allocate the time that’s worth spending on the material when there are regular benchmarks.
Rethinking Course Requirements
The first noticeable change was my interpretation of the course requirements themselves. They are no longer just a list of obligations to me, but rather signals for how the course should function. Now, clearly stated requirements are a sign of engagement, even though they were once perceived as pressure. When expectations are visible, learning feels more present and less abstract, and I clearly understand what is expected of me and the mandatory actions needed to achieve the desired result.
Workload Beyond Volume
The exchange experience also gave me another insight – workload is not measured solely by volume. The lack of regular assignments doesn’t necessarily mean less work; in many cases, it requires even more! When assignments are clearly defined, they provide direction and help structure the learning process. Without them, students must constantly decide where to focus their attention and how to organise their thinking. For me, the most time-consuming part of independent learning is always choosing the area to focus on and allocating attention to each topic. This invisible effort can make the learning load more demanding, even though it may seem easier at first glance.
Assessment as Part of Course Design
This experience has also changed my understanding of assessment. I no longer view assessment as a separate or final stage of learning. Instead, assessment has become part of course design, a mechanism that reflects the course’s values and how it expects students to engage with the material. Whether assessment is spread out over the semester or concentrated at a single point in time has a significant impact on how my learning unfolds.
Autonomy or Detachment?
When you’re learning on your own, the difference between autonomy and detachment can be subtle. Independent learning can take many different forms, depending on how the course is structured. When structure is minimal, autonomy can easily turn into isolation from the course itself; conversely, with clear and consistent expectations, independence is more likely to support learning.
Looking back, Erasmus hasn’t changed what I study or how capable I am as a student. What has changed is how I recognise academic expectations. They have become easier to define, easier to analyse, and harder to take for granted. Instead of asking whether a course seems easy or demanding, I now pay more attention to how it is designed to engage students in the learning process.
All images are the author’s own unless otherwise specified.
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