How to spot an Erasmus student

Dear Erasmus friends, this article is all light-hearted banter (a useful word to add to your vocabulary) and by no means do you look comical. You’re merely obviously not British. I apologise for all the stereotypes.

1. During the cold months before Christmas, Erasmus people (mostly from warmer climates) would have been seen shivering from the cold. Coming back to the Bubble, they’ll now be armed with woolly hats, scarves and gloves. But the uniform of choice for Erasmus is most definitely the puffer jacket. Or more commonly described as the Michelin man coat. More practical than fashion forward, it seems the perfect attire for Erasmus to brave the British climate. So now when you see droves of Michelin men on campus, you know who they are.

2. Following on from point number 1, it is even easier to pick out our lovely Erasmus during nights out. Being British, it is obligatory to wear only one type of coat – the alcohol jacket. The queuing to drop off and to later pick up your coat is deemed a waste of time. Moreover, paying a pound (or more!) for your coat to be put on a hanger is scandalous. That’s one less pound to spend on drinks. Erasmus are oblivious to this rule and will gladly pay whatever is necessary to keep their (puffer) jacket safe for a few hours, whilst looking on in disbelief at everyone else.

3. An easy 3rd observation is the following: Erasmus will either reside on campus or in Coventry. Spotting an Erasmus on the U1 is like seeing a penguin in the jungle. If you do see someone looking very lost, they may well be an Erasmus student so helpfully guide them towards the 12 to Coventry. However, they may be venturing into Leamington to go to the infamous Smack so you should warn them about it as well as give them directions.

4. Lastly, this is not a stereotype, but actual proof – many (but not all) Erasmus are always late. A coffee with my Italian friends at 1pm will in fact be at 1:30pm. This is through no fault of their own, it’s embedded in their culture – one must be late at all times. So when you see a poor English student waiting on their own outside Curiositea, you know that their Erasmus friend will no doubt arrive sometime in the near future.

Without meaning to do so, Erasmus have a certain je ne sais quoi about them which automatically makes them really cool. They are at Warwick for a reason – they are genuinely interested in British culture. So now that you know how to pick them out from a crowd, befriend them and maybe tell them to ditch the puffer jacket.