I didn’t go to the European Youth Portal expecting much. Honestly, my first thought was: “Okay, another official EU page, probably full of complicated text and forms I’ll never understand.” But curiosity (and boredom) won, so I clicked. And after spending about an hour scrolling through it, here’s the honest version of what I found – the good, the useful, and the “could-be-better.”

The first thing I noticed was that the site is pretty clean and simple to navigate. Nothing fancy, but definitely clearer than a lot of official websites. I found myself moving through sections without that feeling of getting lost in a government maze. So that was a good start.

The “going abroad” part was definitely the most interesting for me. It lists volunteering opportunities, exchanges, internships — all the things young people usually spend hours Googling separately. Seeing everything in one place made the whole idea of going abroad feel less intimidating. Still, some descriptions felt a bit general, and I caught myself wishing for more concrete examples or personal stories right there on the page. You can eventually find those if you dig enough, but it’s not always obvious where.

What I appreciated, though, was the section on participation – things like how to take part in EU youth consultations or get involved in discussions that actually reach policymakers. It was less glamorous than the travel opportunities, but more eye-opening than I expected. I always assumed those channels were kind of symbolic, but the portal explains pretty clearly how the process works. I wouldn’t say the site makes politics suddenly exciting, but it does make it feel more accessible.

Not everything is perfect. Some parts of the site feel a bit text-heavy, and every now and then you hit a paragraph that sounds like it was written for a report, not for a 20-something trying to figure out their next step. But even then, the core information is there – useful, practical, and not too hard to understand once you get past the formal phrasing.

By the time I was done exploring, I had bookmarked a couple of pages – not because I was blown away, but because the information was genuinely helpful. I also sent one link to a friend who’s been talking about volunteering abroad for months. And I guess that’s the point: the portal probably won’t change your life on the spot, but it will give you a good starting point if you’re trying to find opportunities or simply want to stay informed about what young people can do within the EU.

So if you have a bit of time, it’s worth checking out. Not because it’s perfect – it isn’t – but because it gathers important stuff in one place, and sometimes that’s exactly what young people need. One place to start.

If nothing else, you might discover something you didn’t know existed. That’s what happened to me.