First days on erasmus…

Here are some tips for you. First few days/weeks on erasmus can really be shocking. You may get homesick. New environment, new people, new culture, new language. It’s important you socialize as soon as possible. There will be lots of people on erasmus besides you, so take time and meet as many as you can in first weeks for they will be as lost as you are. Try and go to as many events, meeting parties and activities as you can in your first week abroad. It does not matter if it is tiring :). When you come to your new apartment/dormitory be as open as you can be. You can also leave your room door open to show people that you are friendly.

…can be difficult

This way people will see you are new and you will be interesting to them. Do not spend too much time in your room, it’s very unlikely people will find you there. They will most probably want to meet you. Don’t be too scared to do things or go to clubs alone. On parties try not to be hammer drunk – or at least don’t be so drunk that you will not be able to talk :) That way you will also meet many people. You should talk to as many random people as you can when you are in some queue waiting for something. Also, don’t moan and complaint to much about how everything is so new to you and how lost you are, rather be optimistic, because people like optimists. Continue reading “First few days on erasmus” »

Many students questions themselves where to go on erasmus student exchange. This is a tough decision. It is not easy to choose from so many great cities in Europe (Madrid, Berlin, London, Lisbon,…).

Most of students think: which is the best erasmus city in Europe?

Where should I go? This is a rather difficult question really because there is no such place as best erasmus city. And I can’t tell which one is it either.
Like there is no best beer or best food in Europe. Everything is relative, just like Einstein said. But if you are still wondering the same – what city would be best for erasmus – than there are few things that you should consider. For example, erasmus city should have a lot of students. Let’s say more than 20.000 all together. That way you will experience a great social life and meet many new students with same ambitions and same interests as you have.

Picking best erasmus city

Furthermore you should always consider what is the standard of living in the country you are going. Is it higher or lower than your origin country? Try to chose a similar-standard country so that you will not have so much expenses. Also, the city you are intending to go to should have a good public transportation and some student campuses. This way you will also spend less money than you normally would. Next thing that make a city good for erasmus is the history it features. Continue reading “Which is the best erasmus city?” »

It depends. If you will be studying in the host country’s language, it is expected that you have a minimum knowledge of the language before you go. Many universities in Northern Europe, offer a number of courses in English language, so fluency in a language is not always required. It will very much depend on where you choose to study. Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILCS) are specialised language courses in the less widely used and less widely taught European languages. If you are intending to spend your Erasmus period in a country with a language other than French, German or Spanish, you could apply to attend an EILCS course. EILCS courses are undertaken directly prior to your Erasmus activity, and you may receive extra funding for participating in an EILCS. Many Universities who offer their courses in English, also offer beginners classes in their native language. Continue reading “Do I need to speak local language on erasmus?” »

Are you looking for erasmus accommodation? Searching for accommodation can be really exausthing. It is usually best to look for accommodation online. Please take a look here: Looking for accommodation on erasmus?. It is a forum that offers some adverts for rooms in different countries. When you are looking for a room be careful – check the price of accommodation, the location (is it close to faculty? which public transport is near?). You will usually have to pay one or two rents in advance. Try to get a room which you can share with few other students – this way the bill at the end of the month will be lower for all of you. Also, try to find an apartment with other erasmus students, so you will have a real erasmus experience! Also it is a good idea to try and apply for student dormitories, but they are usually very full. You will have to apply really soon. Continue reading “Erasmus accommodation” »

If you ever wondered how many students participate in erasmus scheme, than here are some statistics for 2008/09 academic year. Every year more and more students are participating and erasmus program is becoming more and more popular.

Some erasmus statistic

From 1998 to 2008 there was an 100 times increase in participating members – from about 2000 students that took place in erasmus program in 1998 there are today almost 200.000 students that are actively participating in the scheme. Below are some more official statistics:
-The total number of Erasmus student mobility in the 2008/09 academic year was 198 523, which is an annual increase of 8.7%.
-France sent the highest number of students on Erasmus, or 28 283 (14.2% share), followed by Germany with 27 894 students (14.1%) and then Spain with 27 405 students (13.8%). All the participating countries, except Iceland and Liechtenstein, experienced growth in outgoing student mobility and the annual growth rate was highest in Malta (29.1%), followed by Bulgaria and Latvia.
-Spain (33 172), followed by France (24 614), and then Germany (21 932) received the highest numbers of Erasmus students.
-There was a rise in the number of incoming students in all of the 31 participating countries.
-The imbalance between incoming and outgoing students is significant in many countries. The levels of incoming and outgoing students are most balanced in Austria, Liechtenstein and Greece. Continue reading “Erasmus statistics” »

If you are wondering how much you will spend on erasmus exchange than consider the following – which country you are going? What is the standard there? What is the price of basic food? Is accommodation expensive? These are the most important factors. You should also bear in mind that you will have to buy study materials and clothes. Take a look at this chart: Continue reading “How much will I spend on erasmus?” »

Here are some informations regarding international study on Kigston university of London. Spending time at Kingston University in erasmus exchange program as part of your degree offers lots of benefits – you can explore a different way of life, you can meet a lot of new people, you can learn english or improve your current language, you can show people and potential employers that you’re flexible and able to take on any challenge. Details: Continue reading “University of London” »