Falling Oranges and Found Opportunities: How a Bureaucratic Mistake Sent Me Abroad

In 2005, I participated in an Erasmus exchange program, even though, technically, I wasn’t eligible. I was a third-country citizen, and Erasmus was designed as an EU-only program. They say: ‘Sometimes when you shake the apple tree, oranges fall out instead’. Well, in my case, oranges did fall out — let me explain…

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The Dorm That Started It All

My dorm was like the United Nations but with more pasta and pizza and without politics or diplomacy. I met people from every corner of the globe, most of whom were part of the Erasmus program. Naturally, I wanted to join in. Madrid was my dream destination, but I ended up in Cologne. Despite my initial disappointment, I was eager for the experience, especially since my friend Lorenzo was also going. More than just a familiar face in a foreign land, Lorenzo was a walking encyclopedia. His meticulous planning and deep understanding of the bureaucratic maze we were about to navigate were not just helpful — they were essential. I deeply admired his maturity and wisdom.

Cologne & Academic Gymnastics

Soon after our arrival, we encountered a glitch: the host institution, Fachhochschule Köln (FH), couldn’t provide enough credits to satisfy the requirements of our home university. Lorenzo made the wise and carefully considered decision to leave. Every time I think about it, my admiration for him grows. I chose to stay, taking a gamble on the unknown. Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.

At the Fachhochschule, I insisted on earning some credits from the University of Cologne (Uni Köln). They told me that I would have to approach the faculty myself to make this happen, so I did. In the end, I managed to enroll in International Economics and Business Management, which were validated by FH, and I also managed to get a spot in an Econometrics course at Uni Köln. These were all master-level courses, and I was only entering the third year of my bachelor’s studies. Unlike two years earlier, when I had (to learn) to study in Italian, studying in English was effortless. Having some background in the subjects made the language transition smooth and I hardly noticed I was using a different language.

The Business Management course had more text than I usually prefer, but I still performed well on the final exam.

For the International Economics class, I had all the prerequisites. I became that person, the annoying one, the one who not only answered questions but also asked them. So much so that the course often felt like a dialogue between the instructor and me. I was driven by a genuine desire to understand more, but I realized that my interjections might have been more than a bit too much for some of my classmates.

Econometrics was the only course for which I lacked the prerequisites. To fill in the gaps, I taught myself linear algebra and advanced statistics. Before the exam, Antonella, a master’s student from Bocconi, invited me to her place to help me understand the intuition behind the math. Not only did I understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what,’ but I also learned how to cook risotto allo zaferano. Surprisingly, Econometrics turned out to be my best grade, and it was converted to distinction when I returned to Rome. Overcoming such a challenge felt amazing.

Back to Rome

My return to Rome was enjoyable in every sense of the word. Germany had broadened my horizons and given me a new perspective. I had visited new places and met interesting people. At the university, when I finally enrolled in courses like multivariate statistics and linear algebra, I excelled. To many of my peers, my performance seemed effortless — and it was. But that effortlessness was rooted in a strong academic background; I had already seen a big chunk of the material.

I inspired others to apply for the program, both in the dorm and among my classmates, including a good friend, Arbi, who is also Albanian. And he did.

The aftermath

At the final stage of the process, the Erasmus office informed Arbi that he couldn’t go. ‘How so?’ he asked. ‘Well, you’re a third-country national,’ was the reply. However, a third-country national — me — had already completed an Erasmus exchange. The Erasmus office later discovered that my participation had been due to an administrative mistake.

While not reading the terms and conditions this time worked in my favor, I had learned in my law courses that ‘Ignorantia legis non excusat’ — ignorance of the law does not excuse. I was concerned that all my hard work would go unrecognized and that my pending scholarship might be revoked. The administrative oversight that had been my golden ticket was suddenly under scrutiny.

Eventually, everything worked out well. Arbi successfully arranged an exchange period in Lausanne, and I received my scholarship along with the conversion of my exams.

The Final Takeaway

Recently, a chat with Arbi helped me reflect further on that ‘unauthorized’ semester abroad. I realized it was a defining chapter in my life, not just academically. It was a lesson in embracing the unexpected, in the value of community, and in the transformative power of generosity. I was indeed transformed, for the better.

Lessons Learned?

That experience taught me many lessons, although many of them I had not really internalized until recently.

• Open borders and the ability to travel are privileges. Meeting new people and cultures expands our horizons. It teaches us that there are many other ways to do things, sometimes even better ways.
• Inspiration for change comes from many sources; for me, it was other Erasmus students, and for others, it was my exchange. Listen to it and follow your intuition.
• Sometimes it’s okay not to have a vision and it’s okay to take things one step at a time without knowing where it will lead. With my German experience, I didn’t know what I was doing. But, as you start to walk on the way, the way appears.
• Ask. The worst we can get is a no. Let others say no to you. Don’t limit your possibilities because you think you’re not there yet. Had I not asked Uni Köln to take courses there or take the challenge to take advanced courses, I wouldn’t have learned how much people are willing to help.
• Prerequisites matter. As an instructor, I insist on prerequisites. Sure you can jump steps, but sometimes the shortcuts come to bite you back. A tree is healthy if the roots are fortified.
• That overachiever among your peers? Let them be. Whether they seek knowledge or validation, it is not about you — it’s about them. I know because I was that kid 🙂.
• Don’t get intimidated by the knowledge or “smartness” of your peers. (I mean do get impressed and inspired, but not intimidated.) When someone is “so smart” in one area, it’s often because they have learned these things while you were learning other things. Learn from them, you have something to teach in return.
• It’s not a zero-sum game. In the competitive world in which we live, it’s easy to view your peers as rivals — people you’re measured against, rather than individuals you can learn from. Lorenzo and Antonella contributed to slowly shattering that image. Lorenzo’s effort for both of us, way before our move to arrange courses and apartments (including the hostel we initially stayed at) and Antonella’s invitation to review the material together were more than kind gestures.
• Behind every person, every success story, there is a big network of people who have helped that story to materialize. We all have something valuable to offer: knowledge, perspective, and even the simple willingness to spend time helping someone else. No matter how smart or resourceful we are, there are times when we can’t go it alone. Oftentimes, the bravest thing we can do is to ask for help, and the most transformative thing we can do is to offer it.
• When the universe delivers oranges instead of the apples you asked for, try to enjoy them. Sometimes, you might get the apples too. Several years later, I finally got mine. Instead of spending just a semester in Madrid as I had originally hoped, I ended up staying for two full years. I was a visiting Ph.D. student at Cemfi, one of Spain’s top institutions. That experience became a cornerstone of my academic trajectory.

P.S. Lorenzo, too, got to live both in Spain and Germany, for way longer than a semester.