All You Ought to Know About Studying Abroad

Our today’s world is increasingly becoming more and more competitive. To cope with the present dynamics of this competitive world, a quality education is much more necessary. For students in developing world, studying abroad is an opportunity, which allows them to gain quality education and to earn degree from prestigious universities. Furthermore, students also learn about different culture, language, history and adaptive skills. These hard earned skills and degrees enable them to compete in their own market and help their countries in upgrading their knowledge base. Also, these courses are an important tool to increase people-to-people exchange and develop diplomatic relations at macro-level.

Thus, it is important to understand every aspect of studying abroad. Typically, a student can go abroad for any level of education – primary, secondary and higher education. But as in the majority of cases students take decision to go for undergrad and postgrad courses, we will focus on information regarding these courses.

Requirements for studying abroad

Students who are planning to go abroad for studying should carefully check requirements. Note that there are two types of requirements: general requirements and then there are requirements which are related to the particular course a student is planning to pursue.

1.      Scores from Professional courses
Depending upon the education level being pursued, students will have to submit scores from professional courses. For undergraduate programs, students are normally asked to submit SAT score, while for post-graduate programs students are asked to submit GRE (for sciences and humanities) or GMAT (for management studies) score.

Along with the above general aptitude tests, language fluency tests are also required. There are mainly two tests in this category – IELTS (accepted widely in the UK and Europe) or TOEFL (accepted widely in the US). Note that language fluency tests are considered more important as a good score means easier adaptation for a student in a foreign environment.

Additionally, for certain higher courses (mainly in life sciences), universities ask for subject GRE scores as this helps panel members in benchmarking student’s knowledge level with American students.

2.      Scholarships and Funding
Studying abroad is most likely a costly affair. A typical student has to take care of tuition fees, accommodation cost, sustenance cost, and travel cost. Aspiring students can apply for scholarships sponsored by universities or private funders. These scholarships are very competitive. If you are planning to study in Europe, there’s a great opportunity to compete for a scholarship offered by the European Erasmus Programme in which more than 200.000 students are taking part annually. For more information we recommend to read this article elaborating on the Erasmus Programme. Remember that your performance in your school is not the only factor to determine for scholarship. Panel members look for students who have been performing well consistently, have good scores in above-mentioned tests and have a goal in life.

3.      Faculty
It is very important to gather as much information about faculties as possible. Go to online forums to find out whether the concerned faculty teaches well or not.

4.      Travel preparation
While preparing for your trip, make sure not to forget the following things:

• Passport
• Insurance documents
• Duly issued air tickets
• Invitation letter from the university
• Excess currency at least to the tune of two months sustenance bills
• Arrange accommodation beforehand

Author bio: Jeff is a motivated undergraduate student who works as a freelance writer at SolidEssay.com, which is a research paper writing service helping students structure and format their research work.

Checklist for students planning to study abroad

As a student if you get the opportunity to move abroad it can be a very exciting time but also a little daunting. The thrill of the different culture, new scenery and new people take centre stage and some of the slightly less enticing details are pushed to the back of your mind. These are a few things that you should remember when planning your study abroad.

Passport

Surely anyone who is preparing to go abroad will have a valid passport? You’d be surprised. Be sure to check that your passport is still in date as you don’t want this to delay your trip. Equally as important is that it doesn’t expire whilst you’re abroad. The last thing you want is for your passport to expire before your flight home as this can take anything from 4-6 weeks to be replaced and may result in you missing your flight home and additional costs for yourself.

Budget

Start by making a list of any payments that need to be made in your absence. If you have any outstanding debt don’t think that you can just leave it behind, it will be right here waiting for you when you get back and in a much worse state than when you left. Get organised and get in touch with your bank/lender and explain what is happening. It may be that payments can be frozen until your return or even transferred into someone else’s name. Don’t forget that if your moving abroad for an extended period of time you’re going to need a bank account over there as using your current one abroad is likely to cost you money.

On an Erasmus programme you don’t need to pay any extra tuition fees to the new University you will be joining and there are also Erasmus grants that you can apply for but keep in mind that these are to cover things such as a higher cost of living in your country of choice and they are not intended to cover the full costs of your study abroad.

Decide how much money you would like to take with you to get started and be realistic. A good way to be prepared is to work out your budget and then add on an additional 25% as a contingency. If the worst should happen you’ll be glad it’s there. You also need to take into consideration how long you have until you travel. Do you have enough time to actually save that amount of money?

Accommodation

If accommodation is something that you have to organize for yourself be proactive about it. Don’t put it off until you get there as you don’t want to end up being ripped off or even worse having nowhere to stay at all; www.erasmate.com is a site aimed at Erasmus students looking for short term accommodation in Europe and means that you can get it arranged before you travel.

It is also worth thinking about whether you will need to sub-let your current accommodation. If you’re going to study abroad you are likely to be in your second or third year of University and may not be living in halls anymore. Do you rent a room/flat? Who is going to cover the costs while you are out of the country? Think about if you have any friends that would be willing to take it on while you’re away or if not you can use the Erasmate site to advertise it to fellow students. This is a great idea because you could potentially find someone looking for accommodation for the same amount of time as you, so that once your study abroad comes to an end it is an easy transition for both of you.

Hired help

Once you have found your accommodation how do you intend to get all of your belongings there? If you are only studying abroad for three months then this probably doesn’t apply to you but if you are there for a full academic year this is something that you need to consider. Depending on the course that you are doing you may have a lot of essentials that need to go with you and if you are moving for a long time you may require more space than the 23kg the airline allows you. Use an online calculator to work out how much it would cost you to ship everything to your destination as this could work out cheaper than paying for extra baggage and also make it a lot less stressful for you. It may even be necessary to put some things into storage if you are planning to let out your current accommodation. Getting quotes for these early on will ensure you make the most cost effective decision.

Be safe

It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of moving abroad and you can easily forget things like travel insurance. Make sure that you have some in place that covers you for your entire stay as some policies are only valid for 30 days. You will also need to get yourself a European Health Insurance Card before your trip; this means that if you require any medical attention you are entitled to the same healthcare as the nationals and that you can see a local doctor.

Culture

Immersing yourself in a completely new culture can be a daunting prospect but it is important to do so. Not only will it help you to meet new people but it also looks great to future employers as it demonstrates how adaptable you are. You can read more about how studying abroad can improve your future job prospects in this post.

If you will be studying in a country where you do not speak the language then do a little research before you go. Even though your course may be taught in English this doesn’t mean that when you’re in the real world everyone will speak English for your convenience. Pick up a phrase book and even if you can’t get to grips with it the locals will appreciate you making the effort. Reach out to anyone you know that has already done the course you’re about to do as they can give you helpful tips and advice for starting out in your country of choice. If you don’t know anyone there, make friends. Go to local community centers and find out about any groups for expats. Your new University is bound to have communities for people in your situation so really throw yourself into the local culture and you will definitely settle in much quicker.

This post was written by Ashleigh Sheard on behalf of Robinsons Relocation, a UK based specialist in International, European and UK moving and relocation.

A Successful Return after International Studies

When studying internationally, you certainly get a flavor for the culture you’re being exposed to. Certainly, that’s the chief reason why people want to study abroad; they want to gain a greater understanding of the world in which they live and perhaps learn some new skills along the way. However, how do you successfully return home and get back to the life you’d temporarily left behind? How do you get your life back?

1. Getting ready to go home:
This is probably one of the hardest parts of ending your overseas studies. You’ve worked through all your papers, seen the sights, likely enjoyed the local food and drink, and taken more pictures than you’d ever thought possible. How do you get ready? Hopefully you’ve been keeping a journal about your experiences. The remaining time you spend in the country you’ve unofficially adopted is a perfect time to reflect on what you got out of your experience. Ask yourself questions like:

• What did I learn about my country?
• What did I learn about myself?
• Did I accomplish everything I set out to?
• What will I miss the most?

These and other like-minded questions will go a long way in helping you reflect on your experiences and discovering what you’ve learned overall. Asking yourself questions such as these may also help you solidify what you most look forward to about returning home. In addition to the memorabilia you’ve collected over your time abroad, you may also want to pack up your memories, as they will likely have been your richest learning experience.

2. Realizing it’s not all rosy:
Home ain’t always where the heart is. In fact, after participating in international studies, it’s quite likely that home is the last place you’re thinking about after you’ve been back a while. You may find that you miss the country you’d been studying in. You may also find that hearing English spoken everywhere is a bit of a surprise. People may misunderstand that some of the new behaviors you’ve adopted are not affectations, but ways you learned how to behave while abroad. Some of your relationships, in fact, may have changed altogether, as the significant people in your life may see growth and change in you where they didn’t before and now feel somewhat threatened. Be brief in your explanations, try not to engage in behavior that seems like you’re putting on airs and hopefully those who matter most to you will be able to look and realize that you’ve grown and changed as a result of your overseas time.

3. Exercise:
Because returning to your country of origin is almost always tinged with a mixed bag of emotions, it’s important to maintain a steady exercise routine. It’s been proven that exercise helps with the sadness that is associated with a return from overseas travel, so why not try to exercise regularly when you return to your country of origin? That can help you also gain some clarity of thought in those first few days back in your own home, and you’ll be a bit able to understand what exactly you learned during your time away.

4. Make a Friend (or Several):
It’s all too easy when you return from an exciting international study adventure to suddenly isolate yourself and withdraw. Other people just won’t get where you’re coming from. However, you know that you can’t just hide away; go out, make a few new friends.

These are but a few of the things you can do to make your return from overseas studies that much easier. While we predominantly fool ourselves into believing our return home from international studies will be no problem, in reality, it is.

Christina St-Jean is an English teacher based in Ontario, Canada and contributor to Degree Jungle. When she’s not teaching or writing – or teaching about writing – she’s spending time with her two young daughters, likely doing karate.

Improve your job prospects by studying abroad

Many students are worried about how they will find a job in this gloomy economic climate. There’s no need to be despondent though. There are many jobs available for graduates and others, but it is a challenging job market. If you’re about to start studying, you need to think about how to give yourself a strong competitive edge. Something that’s worth considering is studying abroad, or at least participating in a foreign exchange programme. This may sound a strange way to go about improving your future career prospects, but there are a number of compelling reasons why you should consider this approach.

International knowledge
By choosing to study abroad, you will increase your international knowledge. You will learn about another country’s history, economy and social structure. And perhaps most importantly of all, you will have the opportunity either to learn a new language or improve on the language skills you already have. Employers are very keen to recruit multilingual staff, so this will stand you in good stead when job hunting.

Learning about new cultures
Every country has its own customs and ways of doing things. Learning about these customs can be very interesting and it can also equip you for future interviews. Not only does it give you something interesting to discuss in interview, it also reassures the recruitment team that you are flexible and adaptable which are key skills in today’s job market.

International teamwork
Many businesses are multi-national and have staff employed all around the world, as well as clients from many different continents. Even smaller companies are likely to employ people from all walks of life and their customers are equally likely to come from varied backgrounds. The fact that you have immersed yourself in another country’s culture will demonstrate that you are someone who will work well with all different kinds of people from different cultures.

Being open-minded
Everyone says that travel broadens the mind and it’s true. By studying abroad, you will be exposed to new ideas and new ways of thinking and doing things. Sometimes, you might be exposed to quite challenging experiences which require you to examine your own patterns of thinking. A foreign exchange can provide you with the opportunity to become more independent and worldly wise. Employers will find your independence refreshing and reassuring.

So, before you finally decide where to study, give some serious thought to studying abroad or participating in the student exchange programme from Erasmus. In order to be eligible, you have to do a Bachelor and apply for a grant. You’ll not only get an excellent education, but you’ll be helping to kick-start your career.

This post was written by Susanna Cha on behalf of Guardian Jobs, including graduate jobs, marketing jobs and more.

Next Erasmus Semester? Save money!

November – December are for most students the months in which they get to hear whether they can participate in the upcoming Erasmus exchange semester. For all of you who already got informed, congrats! You’re awaiting one of the most beautiful experiences in your student life!

In preparation of your exchange period you’ll have to arrange a lot. We’d like to name a few important matters:

• Arrange your housing abroad for FREE!
• Sublet your apartment during your exchange for FREE!
• Make sure your housing arrangements are legally binding
• Get a travel insurance
• Get some insides on the local language with 10% discount!
• Book your flight

Housing arrangement is considered difficult by former Erasmus students. Local agencies charge a lot of money and local websites are based on the language often difficult to understand. Here at Erasmate.com you can post & search housing in all Erasmus countries in English.

ACTION! For all next semester Erasmus exchange students we have the following deal: upload your housing ad or search profile for FREE!, email the URL of your ad to info@erasmate.com, and receive a 50% DISCOUNT on your tenancy agreement!

The Erasmus Programme

Dear readers!

Do you know the history of the Erasmus programme? Which countries participate and how many students participated in the Programme over time? Here are your answers:

The Erasmus Programme is a European Union student exchange programme and gives you the possibility of doing an exchange period between 3 months and maximum 12 months to one of your University’s partner Universities.

The Programme, together with a number of other independent Programmes, was incorporated into the Socrates Programme established by the European Commission in 1994. After ending on 31 December 1999, Socrates Programme was replaced with the Socrates II Programme 24 January 2000, which in turn was replaced by the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 on 1 Janauary 2007. An Erasmus exchange student receives a grant from the EU to help cover the additional expense of linving abroad. The hight of the grant is decided per academic year. Currently, the annual budget is in excess of 450 million euro and more than 2.2 million students have participated since it started in 1987. Lastly, over 4 000 higher education institutions participate and more to come!

For studies as well as internships the following countries offer the possibility of doing your Erasmus: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and United Kingdom.

UK students educationally disadvantaged during Erasmus?

A recent article in The Guardian discusses the political proposition of introducing a new two year degree in UK university education. On a site note, the paper mentions an interesting fact with regard to the Erasmus program.

As UK students “traditionally take fewer years to complete their studies [and] their courses are also often shorter and they average fewer hours of study per week” compared to students in other European cities, they consequently find courses taught during their Erasmus year more demanding than in the UK, while incoming students to the UK find the education on the island less demanding.

If this gap in educational quality is indeed existing, one possible disadvantage for UK students is a harder entry on to the European labour market, as employers see their European counterparts to be better educated, the article summarises the problem.

We are interested in your thoughts on this. Have you experienced something similar? How was the quality of education on your exchange period compared to your home university? Have you applied for a job but were rejected due to a UK education? Tell us your story!

Erasmus exchange to Turkey? Read more…

We would like to share a valuable tip with all Erasmus students going to Turkey upcoming academic year.

During your exchange period you’re most likely using a local SIM card, as roaming is way too expensive. Very important to know is that all mobile phones that operate through a Turkish SIM card need to be registered. Make sure you do this as failing to register and using a local SIM will end up in your mobile phone being blocked.

The first possibility of registering is at the customs desk in the airport. In case you forget to do so, visit one of the stores of Turkish GSM operators like Turkcell, Vodafone or Avea. Bring your passport, pay the costs of registration (around 10-15 TL) and you can use your new local SIM card without any problems.

In case you have any other tips for students leaving to Turkey, feel free to share them as comments!

PS: If you still need a place to stay, check out our current offers for student accommodation in Turkey.

Erasmus & Erasmus Mundus

Ever wondered why you sometimes come across the term “Erasmus Mundus” when you search for information about your Erasmus stay abroad? Well, the answer is not all that difficult.

While Erasmus is the European Commission’s (EC) exchange program that gives Bachelor students across Europe the chance to spend a term of their studies abroad, Erasmus Mundus can be seen as its big brother. Launched in 2004, Erasmus Mundus was set up by the EC to enable Master students and PhD candidates to go abroad during their study program. Unlike the normal Erasmus prorgam, Erasmus Mundus is not limited to Europe but open to universities across the globe. Generally, up to 3 institutions from different countries and continents partner up to offer their students this unique study possibility.

To read some more background information about Erasmus Mundus and an example of how it has been picked up by British students so far, we recommend this article from The Independent to you.

Erasmate in Wageningen?

Today a news article was written about the expected shortage of rooms for international students in Wageningen. Real Estage Agency Idealis expects to be able to provide all first year students in Wageningen with a room, Erasmus students most likely have to search for themselves. Who knows Idealis wants to recommend Erasmate to all incoming students in Wageningen?!

Can you read Dutch? Check out the article!