‘Opportunities emerge when you step forward’ Lucas’s Erasmus+ experience in France

With Jean Charroin, Dean and CEO of ESSCA

Lucas Spicer undertook an Erasmus+ study abroad in France as part of his undergraduate degree at Dublin City University. 

During my third year studying International Business at Dublin City University, I undertook an Erasmus+ mobility to ESSCA School of Management in France.  

While France felt like a natural choice, the real motivation behind my decision was broader: I wanted to experience how business, leadership, and academic culture operate within a different European environment. Erasmus+ offered that opportunity in full.

 

How did you prepare for your trip?
From the beginning, I approached the year not simply as a study exchange but as an immersion into a new ecosystem. Preparation involved navigating accommodation contracts, administrative requirements, and budgeting independently, but more importantly, setting personal goals. I wanted to integrate locally, build meaningful networks, and take initiative rather than simply participate. 

Describe a typical day on your Erasmus+ – how did it differ from being at home?
Academically, my days were spent in a fully French classroom environment, mainly studying alongside French students. This provided genuine immersion into local academic culture and ways of thinking. Expectations, teaching styles, and classroom dynamics differed subtly from Ireland, requiring adaptability and openness. 

Beyond lectures, Erasmus+ life expanded significantly. Making friends meant stepping forward, attending student events, joining initiatives, and being intentional about connection. There is something uniquely formative about building a support system from scratch in a new country. It accelerates confidence. 

Trip to Normandy beach with friends

What were the highlights of your Erasmus+? 
One of the defining aspects of my Erasmus+ experience was how it extended beyond the traditional student life. During my time in France, I continued developing a leadership interview initiative I had launched in Ireland, connecting students with senior figures in business and policy. Being abroad allowed me to engage with leaders in a new context, including interviewing the mayor of Angers, a former French minister for ecology, as well as other senior figures who shared insights with student audiences. 

With Christophe Béchu, mayor of Angers, and former French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion

I also became involved in student research activities, which deepened my appreciation for collaborative academic work and broadened my European perspective.

Of course, Erasmus+ was not only professional or academic. Travelling across Europe, discovering regional cultures, and sharing experiences with students from across the continent added another dimension too.

Angers SCO football game

The soundtrack of your stay? 
A mix of French classics and international music played at student gatherings – which still brings back the feeling of independence and possibility that defined that period.

Halloween Party

Is there anything you wish you had known in advance of your Erasmus+?
Even being familiar with France, adapting to a new academic and social environment required resilience. Managing finances, navigating housing systems, and building networks independently, strengthened my confidence. One lesson stands out clearly: opportunities rarely present themselves perfectly, they emerge when you step forward.

Has Erasmus+ changed you?
Erasmus+ changed how I see Europe. It reinforced my interest in bridging business and policy across borders and demonstrated how interconnected opportunities become when you actively engage with your environment.

How would you sum up your Erasmus+ in a few words?
Catalytic, formative, and expansive. 

Erasmus+ was not simply a year abroad; it was a turning point that accelerated my personal growth and professional ambitions.

Gala at ESSCA

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All photos are reproduced here with permission from Lucas.

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