Erasmus en Plymouth (U.K.) - N. Lorenz

First of all I may introduce myself before diving in my experience during my Erasmus + and traineeship placement. I am Nuria Lorenz, student of a higher technician in laboratory analysis and quality control and this past year I have been favoured with an Erasmus + fund which was used by me to complete a 3 month mandatory traineeship in a company. This traineeship was necessary in order to complete my studies and I decided that I would do it abroad, specifically in Plymouth, England.

This Erasmus + experience has been over all incredible, both personal and professional wise.

In the professional way; I have learned what it is like to have a job routine, a timetable to follow and how to work both alone and while being part of a team. I have also learned the importance and relevance of standards in an industrial setting.

From almost day one I had the responsibility of doing all of the assays that used the detection of light (chemiluminescence), in those assays I learnt many techniques that were new to me as well as applying the knowledge and experience I had from my 2 years in the course.

Those assays were done to horse blood samples which came from a quite famous horse-racing stable near Plymouth. In addition to doing the assays I also organised the data given by the equipment, worked-out and understood the results and kept everything up to date week by week with every horse that was being tested.

Personal wise; this opportunity has helped me grow up, open up myself to new and foreign people, both Spanish and English, learn a new culture, because while I was doing my traineeship I lived with a English family, and increase even more my desire of doing part of my work life abroad, whether it’d be in the UK or in any other country.

So overall, if anyone would ask me if I would recommend this experience…ABSOLUTELY!! It only happens once and they should take that opportunity and make the most of it.