One of the defining features of an Erasmus Mundus mobility programme is the opportunity for students to study at several universities across different countries. This experience is both enriching and demanding. For many students, the excitement of settling into a new academic and cultural environment is quickly followed by the reality of constant transition and adjustment. Just as a sense of routine and belonging begins to form, the semester ends and another move awaits.
To acknowledge this moment of transition, the FLOURISH Connect Network hosted an in-person Step-Back Session for the 3rd Cohort, offering students time to pause and close the first mobility with intention.
The two-hour workshop was conducted on the 23rd of January 2026, attended by 15 students, and facilitated by alumni-volunteers from the FLOURISH Connect Network. Organised in response to the fast-paced nature of mobility programmes, the session featured a range of socio-emotional learning activities designed to create space for students to process their experiences before moving to the next semester of their mobility.
The workshop opened with the Resilience Tree activity, which invited students to reflect on their first semester through a visual and metaphorical lens. Students identified the roots that kept them grounded, such as personal strengths and resources. The trunk and branches represented the people who supported them throughout the semester, while the leaves captured significant experiences and moments of learning. Fruits highlighted moments of joy and growth, while challenges were acknowledged through insects. Together, these elements illustrated resilience as something shaped by the dynamic interaction between personal and contextual resources as well as risks and challenges.
Balancing reflection with lightness, the session also included a trivia game about Malta, offering a moment of shared laughter while celebrating the host country that shaped the cohort’s first semester. This activity strengthened students’ connection to the place, an important yet often fleeting aspect of mobility experiences.
Collective reflection continued through the Community Canvas Activity, where students shared favourite memories, words of pride for their cohort, and expressions of gratitude for Malta. As participants took part in a gallery walk, individual reflections came together to form a shared narrative of belonging and appreciation.
The session concluded with a letter-writing activity, inviting students to write messages to their future selves. These letters will be kept for now by the organisers and find its way back to the students at the end of the programme.
The Step-Back Session highlighted the importance of intentional pauses within experiences that are marked by constant changes and movement. By closing the semester with reflection, students were supported in carrying forward a stronger sense of self and community into the next stage of their mobility experience. The presence of alumni volunteers further enriched the space, bridging different cohorts and reinforcing the FLOURISH Connect Network as a growing community where learning and support continues beyond semesters and cohorts.
