Before You Go...

Preparing for your Year Abroad can be incredibly stressful, you have to sort out so much in what seems to be such little time, all whilst trying to pass your 2nd year at uni - urgh, stress! So here's some useful advice which I wish to share with you based on the experience of previous Erasmus students, and that of my own (current Erasmus student), in the hopes that it might be of some use to you.

It's early 2017, I only have a few months left before I start my Year Abroad and I'm trying to find as much information and advice as possible about what to expect from your Year Abroad. Luckily I spoke to a couple of previous Erasmus students from my home university, most of whom had spent their Year Abroad in Europe, mainly in: Spain, France, Belgium, or Italy (either studying or working), thanks to them I gained the following pieces of advice... which alongside my own, I hope will help you too.

1. Studying in the EU is NOTHING like studying at home!

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Although I already knew this from first hand experience as a european citizen myself, it was kinda shocking to hear -in detail - from others about how backwards the EU universisty system is. "You have to plan your own timetable. ", "There's only one lady in the office - who's rarely there - so if you have any problems it's best to try sort them out yourself. "Everyone is going to speak English to you. ", "The lectures are usually 4 hours long - with no break inbetween. ", "The lecuturers don't help you as much as those here (in the U. K) - you're kinda left to your own devices. But hey there's Moodle there. " This is what you'd ought to bare in mind if you're planning to study in the EU (especially if you intend on studying in Italy, Spain, or France). But it's not all bad I promise you'll survive, and because you'll be an Erasmus student your lecturers will just let you pass anyway (provided that you put in the effort! - it won't be THAT easy! ) As my ex-boyfriend found out when he spent his 2nd year studying in Madrid, somehow, (I'm not completely sure how this happened but... ) he managed to failed half of his year. Now you might fail a few modules / units (even though it's really rare for this to happen) but if you do find yourself in this position don't worry! Both your home and host universisties will find some way of resolving the issue, it might involve you having to retake some modules or units but this shouldn't be a major concern.

2. Jobs don't grow on trees.

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"There'll propabably be some type of British pub in your area, so you could go and check that out, see if they're hiring, or at least, if they'd be willing to hire you - but I wouldn't make that my best bet. " - Previous Erasmus Student. This couldn't be more true. Unless if you've already established a type of employment abroad prior to you departure, it'll be very hard to find employment once you're there, especially if you're heading to countries who are unfortunately suffering the backlash of recession, and are in a state of an everlasting economic crisis (e. g Italy, Spain, and Greece. ) Because if natives are struggling to get by day-to-day life because of the growing unemployment rates then what chance is there for you? Sad, but true. So be prepared, do your research, and see if you can secure yourself some type of employment, paid or unpaid - if you go with the unpaid option then make sure it's worth it - before you jet off.

3) Don't listen to what your lecturers say.

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Your lecturers are going to be extremely helpful don't get me wrong! They'll probably be your first port of call for: finding employment, giveing you advice on whatever questions you may have, and putting you in touch with previous Erasmus students. So it's best to find as much as possible from them too, but they are going to most likely give you the following piece of unuseful advice "avoid major cities e. g Paris". The logic behind this (for them anyway) is that " because you won't be able to practice your L2 language skills as much as you would if you were to go to a quiter city / town. " Now, I understand why they would say this, but having lived in Paris as an Erasmus student I can tell you that this is not the case; you'll still be forced to excersice your L2 language skills regardless. In this knowledge, and based on my personal experience, don't listen to your lecturers when they tell you that city life will not help advance your L2 languages skills, it's complete nonesense.

4) Helping Hand

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Everyone in your host country is going to be so helpful! If you get lost, and have to ask for directions, you can count on finding a native at the ready (with their google maps in hand) to help you find your way. Your house/flatmates are going to give you all the need to know's about your area from: where's best to go on a night out, to where to find the best bargins. It's also a good idea to join some sort of group on social media, for example, as an Italian living in Paris I decided to join a Facebook group called "Italiane a Parigi" / Italian's in Paris (females only). It was one of the best choices I made, as not only did it remind me of home, but it also gave me some sense of belonging during my time in Paris. And through this community I (in theory) discovered Paris, as people advised one and other on almost everything. From where's best to go in Paris for sales, to (most importantly! ) where to find the best (and cheapest) pizzeria. On a serious note though, these ladies also gave advice on what documents were required for certain establishments e. g hospital, banks, or going to the G. P, so it's definantly worth while to join a group like this during your own Year Aboard.

5) Caxton

This is the final, and probably the the best advice I can give you, because it'll make your life so much easier. Now we all know that there are a billion and one things to worry about before you jet off on your Year Aboard, like: your Erasmus paperwork, accomodation, transport links, suitcases, what to pack... ect. ect. However, money shouldn't be one of them. Luckily, before I started my Year Abroad I was advised to get a Caxton Card, so I did like the day before I had to leave for Paris. Anyway this little card is so perfect, it's a mastercard without a bank account. All you have to do is 1) check out the Caxton website, 2) select what card type, and what currency you want, 3) buy it, 4) active it (before you go abroad), 5) then load whatever amount you want on to it. It's guaranteed to give you the best convertion rate possible (at least for sterling to euro it does). So please do check it out, it's such a life saver. You won't have to worry about carrying huge amounts of money around with you on your Year Abroad (which will put you at risk of theft), at least if they nick your Caxton Card you can always freeze it instantl;, so the money isn't lost. Obviously please do have some dispensiable cash with you at all times, because not every place will accept card.

I hope this helps!