As a curious and irrepressible person, I have always been dreaming about participating in academic exchange programs. The opportunities that exchange programs give attracted me a lot. Erasmus+ is not the first exchange program that made me interested. As a pupil, I took part in another exchange program called FLEX, which is the abbreviation for the Future Leaders EXchange program. That is a program that gives a chance to go to the USA to study in a school for one year and live in a host family. I was in the tenth grade when I took part in it, so it was the last year when I could participate that is why I was so hoping and delighted with that idea. My family supported me a lot those days, they believed that I will win the contest and I believed in it as well. Then I got the result that I had not even passed the first qualifying stage. I think I do not need to describe the whole range of emotions I experienced. I was desperate and frustrated because I thought that I am not capable of participating in such programs and contests anymore. How could I continue moving that way if I had tried and failed? Most of all I did not want to face failure again...

The years were passing by and I was studying a lot, improving my English, getting information about different exchange programs, and participating in conferences devoted to such programs.

When I saw the announcement about student exchange between the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University and the Sapienza University of Rome for the first time I had some doubts, to be honest. Of course, physically I rushed off to collect all necessary documents to be able to participate in it, but mentally I wanted to step back. I thought that maybe I did not need to spend time and put these efforts one more time because what if everything is in vain again. Could I predict the future? No, I could not. That is the reason why I did not have to give up before trying...

The only idea I had those days is that I have to do everything I can, everything that is under my control. And I did.

Now I do not regret it.

People often doubt their success if they had some difficulties or failures in the past, but giving up is not a solution. By giving up we deprive ourselves of the possible opportunities. We should move towards our dreams because dreams come true, but only if we work hard and do our best. We should believe in our capabilities and talents. We should believe in our success because only this way we will succeed.
Mariia Alpatova