Nadim Hafez - Mon année de césure : 6 mois de stage chez RDC Environnement à Bruxelles et 5 mois de projet personnel (voyage en Europe et des cours en ligne)

My Gap Year Experience

Type of Mobility

As an M2 economics student, I split my gap year between an internship for 6 months at an environmental consulting company in Brussels and a personal project for 5 months where I took Python courses and worked on manipulating time series data using R.

Project and Context

The purpose of my gap year was to gain more professional experience in various fields such as environmental economics, competition economics, monetary policy, and consulting. By exploring these areas, I aimed to better understand my career interests and develop new skills.

Integrating into local life in Brussels was relatively easy for me since I spoke both French and English. The work environment was welcoming, with my coworkers being very nice and inclusive. It was not my first professional experience, so adapting to corporate life was not challenging. However, it took some time to adjust to their specific habits and environment and especially the weather since it is the complete opposite compared to Toulouse!

Although my main activities were outside a traditional campus setting, I benefited from online resources and networking opportunities within the professional community and through my personal project courses.

Knowing French was definitely an advantage in Brussels, but English was also widely spoken and sufficient for both professional and daily interactions. My language skills, particularly in professional French, improved during this time.

My tutor, who was also my supervisor, was extremely supportive. He guided me throughout the internship, providing mentorship and valuable insights. His effective supervision significantly contributed to my learning experience.

During my personal project, I took online courses in Python and time series analysis using R. These courses had a flexible schedule, allowing me to balance my learning with other activities such as travelling and work-outs. The workload was manageable, and the content was highly relevant to my professional development goals.

Challenges and Solutions

My monthly salary did not cover all my living expenses in Brussels, as companies are not legally required to pay interns. Despite this, I managed my budget effectively ands sought affordable housing options to make ends meet.

Concluding remarks 

I achieved some of my goals during this gap year. I ruled out certain professional fields I was interested in by doing an internship at the Egyptian Competition Authority before leaving for Brussels. I also developed programming skills through my Python course. I totally recommend a gap year for students who are unsure of their career path. It's an excellent opportunity to enjoy the luxury of time, explore new places, and meet new people.