ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report

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1 ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report e mail address faculty/college optional; only if you don t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly js.zwarts@gmail.com Humanities level bachelor s master s PhD name study programme Comparative Literary Studies destination city & country name university abroad start date end date Leipzig, Germany Universität Leipzig 01 / 10 / 2014 (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 03 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION The application process went smoothly. The only issue I had was that of language competence. Though it was my intention to only take English courses in Leipzig, it was still necessary to complete a language assessment form for German. Thankfully I found a very helpful faculty member who aided me in the completion of the process. In the end it also made sense; I ended up taking a number of courses in German. counselling & support at Utrecht University Though it has taken a little time until I received replies to my e mails, support has always been helpful and to the point. academic preparation There was little to no academic preparation necessary, as I would be taking courses in Leipzig the same way I would in Utrecht. language preparation I grossly misunderestimated how much I would have to use German. My choice for Leipzig was a last resort, so to speak; the university I initially selected was in the UK. I also expected the life of an international student to be defined by a lot of English use. In Germany this is apparently not the case. If I had known in advance that German would be such a necessity and I am talking about in an academic context, not just for life outside of the university I may have prepared a little more. At the same time, the university of Leipzig provides a crash course German before the start of the semester, and after that, I found it considerably easy to 'fit in'. finances I have little to say about this. I did a little research, and I ended up paying as much as I thought. Do your homework and you will not run into any surprises. The only thing I want to stress is the fact that, even though as a UU student you will pay your semester fees to Utrecht University, the university of Leipzig demands a "Semestergebühr", which comes down to about EUR 200, per semester. UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 1 of 3

2 study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD What I found surprising is that many courses I selected before going abroad ended up not being taught because of a lack of students. For instance, I applied to do a course in the department of Komparistik (Comparative Literature in German), but the department did not exist anymore when I arrived. I also applied for a number of courses in an MA programme of Indologie (Indian Cultural Studies), but this MA was not taught because I was the only applicant. As such I would suggest always preparing a number of 'plan B' courses in big departments (Germanistik, Anglistik, or similar, if you are also from humanities). academic quality of education activities The academic quality was sometimes diverse, but as a whole according to expectations. Especially the department of anthropology (Ethnologie) has a very interesting and challenging programme, taught entirely in English. I would not suggest taking language courses as academic courses, seeing as though they provide 3 ECTS each, they are very low level. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The support I had was excellent. I was the only exchange student in the department of Indologie, which means I may have had somewhat of a privilege, but the staff has been extremely helpful and kind. I contacted the department before my departure about the possibilities, and they were kind enough to provide me with all kinds of advice. When upon arrival it turned out that there were not enough applicants to run the entire MA programme, the Erasmus+ coordinator (Dr. Fritzi Marie Titzmann) went through a lot of trouble to make sure I could still take enough courses, even organising a personal tutorial at MA level just for me. transfer of credits This process is still underway. I do not expect any issues however. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE The welcome was more than warm. What I really appreciated was the amount of effort invested into the acquisition of German for Erasmus+ students. Speaking for myself, I have never considered German as much of a 'world language' (though it has enormous relevance in Europe), so I would have expected an attitude similar to that of the Dutch universities: just do everything in English. In Leipzig, everything was done in German but with the highest regard for the (often limited) abilities of foreign students. As such I never felt uncomfortable. accommodation I was lucky in this respect, because a good friend of mine lived in Leipzig and I was able to move in with her. What I can say about Leipzig is this: there is always a good place to live! Avoid at all costs the 'official' accomodation services, because they are 1) overpriced and 2) very far away from the university and the city centre. Instead, look for a WG (Wohngemeinschaft), which is a shared flat usually with other students. Prices are often excellent, and living with German housemates greatly enhances the possibility of cultural exchange and language practice! leisure & culture Leipzig is an amazing city with lots and lots of things to offer. What I particularly enjoyed was the number of grassroots initiatives. Some old industrial parts of the city are now empty because of the declining economy in the 80s and 90s, and the lack of heavy industry in the contemporary years. These empty factories are now used for art exhibitions, techno parties, concerts, and much more. If you are a bit of an artist or a musician, there are opportunities abound to exhibit your work or play in bars. There is also a large amount of young people in Leipzig, which makes it a very vibrant city. Also, if you are vegetarian like me, Leipzig is close to paradise I UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 2 of 3

3 never thought vegetarian currywurst or döner kebab could be so good. suggestions/tips Like I said before, go look for a nice WG and live with Germans! They know where the fun happens, and you'll live much cheaper. I would recommend looking in Reudnitz, because it is a very 'happening' neighbourhood it is still very cheap, but more and more people are moving in and cool initiatives are all over the place (look up the Ostapotheke, for instance a youth hostel/club/community project). CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain YES. The university is up to scratch when it comes to academic quality, and is very welcoming and accomodating towards foreign students. The city itself has a rich cultural history and a brimming art/music scene which makes it an unforgettable experience. do you have any additional advice or comments? Go for as long as possible. 6 months is not enough. Save this UU report for your own records and send it as attachment to verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl within 30 days after finishing your study abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline! UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 3 of 3

4 ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report e mail address faculty/college optional; only if you don t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly d.snaathorst@hotmail.com REBO level bachelor s master s PhD name study programme Law destination city & country name university abroad start date end date Leipzig, Germany Universität Leipzig 9 / 3 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) 30 / 8 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION I knew I wanted to study in a place where I could learn the local language, so I chose for Germany. In Germany I could choose from a variety of cities and I chose Leipzig, because it was in eastern Germany and I thought that was interesting. counselling & support at Utrecht University UU was great when it came to answering questions, signing documents quickly and notifying me about deadlines. academic preparation None language preparation I had already had 5 years of German courses in high school. In addition, I also participated in a German course at the Goethe Institut in Rotterdam. finances I work and saved up for it. I also receive student finances. Rent and life in general is a lot cheaper in Leipzig compared to Utrecht. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I took a mix of courses in the political science faculty and at the Deutsch als Fremdsprache faculty. It's very easy to sign up for classes and switch if you want to. academic quality of education activities Comparable to the UU UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 1 of 2

5 counselling & support at receiving university abroad Universität Leipzig has been very accomodating. There is an orientation course at the beginning of the semester and they help you find your way at the university as well as in the city. transfer of credits While writing this, I am currently still in Leipzig and have not finished any courses yet. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE At the beginning of the semester there is a "Sprach und Orientierungskurs", in which you have German class as well as an orientation of the city and the university. I highly recommend taking this course, even if you're German is fine. I also signed up for the Buddy programme and I was very lucky with my Buddy. She helped me with applying for courses and she also introduced me to a lot of my now German friends. accommodation I found a room in a Wohngemeinschaft (WG) on WG Gesucht.de. I recommend trying to find a room in a WG as opposed to living in the Wohnheimen provided by the University. This way you can meet a lot of native Germans who you otherwise wouldn't know. The Wohnheimen are mostly filled with other international students. leisure & culture Leipzig is an absolutely wonderful city. Everyday you can find something to do. The city center is mostly for shopping, but the neighborhoods around it are all very different and very interesting. Leipzig also has a great night life, varying from a lot of "Kneipen" on the Karl Liebknecht Straße to techno/electro parties in (among others) Ost Apotheke, Distillery and Institut für Zukunft. suggestions/tips Try to find a room in a WG. The neighborhoods I recommend to live in are: Reudnitz, Südvorstadt, Plagwitz. With an organisation called "Hochschulsport Leipzig" students can sport for really cheap. I decided to take a sailing course on one of Leipzig's lakes (Cospudener See). CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, Leipzig is a really interesting city considering it's history in the GDR. It has a big alternative scene and a lot of young people live here. The university also offers interesting courses and gives you a lot of freedom and choice as an erasmus student. do you have any additional advice or comments? no Save this UU report for your own records and send it as attachment to verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl within 30 days after finishing your study abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline! UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 2 of 2

6 ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report faculty/college law level bachelor s master s PhD name study programme Rechtsgeleerdheid destination city & country name university abroad start date end date Leipzig, Germany Universität Leipzig 08 / 09 / 2014 (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 08 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION The application was not a difficult procedure. You get the necessary documents signed and upload them in Osiris. counselling & support at Utrecht University The support was good. They were generally very quick in responding and very helpful. academic preparation No preparation necessary. language preparation I followed a german course at the Goethe Institut because it had been a while since I last spoke German. That was helpful but not necessary. You can also take courses in Leipzig at the Uni or at an independent language school. Even not taking any courses whatsoever is oke, you can survive in Germany on English as well. finances Leipzig is a lot cheaper than Utrecht. That helps. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD In the first semester I followed 3 modules of 10 ECTS each. You can also do singe courses of 5 ECTS each. I did courses in Afrikanistik, Politikwissenschaft and English literature. But that last was just for hobby purposes. academic quality of education activities The quality of the courses was really good as far as I was able to judge. I can't do the best comparison because I don't do a social study in Utrecht. You need to keep up with the course load by yourself. Your teachers won't scold you if you don't, but you'll know it at exam day if you slacked. counselling & support at receiving university abroad UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 1 of 2

7 My teachers and counsellors were all very nice, helpful and quick in answering s. Absolutely no complains whatsoever. transfer of credits It's a generally annoying thing that requires a lot of painstakingly detailed work. It is bound to go wrong somewhere. It 's been made more annoying because you constantly have to talk to all diffirent offices to get approval etc. I found it an extremely annoying and bothersome part of the experience but a necessary part nevertheless. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Was very good. They organise a lot and genuinly try to make everybody feel at home. There are activities during the whole of the semester so it s not like you're on your own after the intrduction week. Although I didn't really participate in the Erasmus activities, I nevertheless appreciate the effort they take and I definitely recommend it for everybody coming to Leipzig. accommodation I wanted to avoid student accomodation from the Studentenwerk at any cost and I did, succesfully. I found super nice WG's (Wohngemeinschaft) with German roommates. If you want to socialise with locals more, do that. And they can be very cheap as well. Studentenwerk flats can also be fun if you like the whole international community type of scene. But they are generally further away from the center and if you really have bad luck you end up in the most far away locatiotions and they are really VERY far away. leisure & culture You will sooner die of exhaustion than of boredom.. If that's any indication. In Leipzig, you can enjoy haute culture to the same extend as lowbrow boozing and partying. There is a lot of both. I also funny recommend doing both. suggestions/tips There is so much to do.. You just need to find your own scene, with the people you are comfortable with and then everything will fall into place. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I'd definitely recommend Leipzig to enyone interested. Super good University with an extremely varied programme. And very accessable (if you speak german). It's cheap, artistic, relaxed and politically and socially engaged. It's vegan and vegetarian heaven. The people are nice. There are a ton of parks to chill in and there are the lakes to swim in during summer. It is far enough from the Netherlands to feel like you're reallly gone but close enough for those less eager to conquer the globe. And come on, who wouldn't want to be an ozzie for a semester or two?! do you have any additional advice or comments? Just do it. It'll be worth it. Save this UU report for your own records and send it as attachment to verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl within 30 days after finishing your study abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline! UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 2 of 2

8 UU Report form Erasmus e mail address faculty/college optional; only if you don t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly sarahheleen_debruijn@hotmail.com Humanities (University of Humanistic Studies Utrecht) level bachelor master PhD name degree programme Humanities destination city & country Leipzig, Germany name host institution and/or Universität Leipzig company/organization purpose Erasmus grant courses research work placement departure date 01 / 04 / 2014 (dd/mm/yyyy) return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 08 / 2014 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process The exchange application process takes a lot of time and you have to fill out a lot of paperwork. Don't let it scare you! Yes, it is exhausting sometimes, because all the signatures have to come from somewhere else. But it is worth it. As soon as you are at your exchange University, you will experience that. Just keep a good eye on all the deadlines (don't miss them!). So be organised, that is one thing that helps you trough this process. But again don't let it scare you. counselling/support at home university For me it all was a bit different, because I study at the University of Humanistic Studies. But because we are such a small university; the exchange programms go by Utrecht University. At the beginning, the counselling was a bit hard, because I didn't know where to find the counselling and the faculty where I applied, didn't know what to do with me As soon as I applied at the central office, it got easier. The exchange coordinator there helped me with my questions. academic preparation It is important that you think about the courses you would like to take during your time abroad. Maybe some courses are the specific reason you want or need to go abroud, because they don't offer those courses in the Netherlands. But for me, the courses were not the most important thing; it was more about the experience of living somewhere else. But then, still, it is good that you think about the courses and at which level you can take UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 1 of 4

9 them. Studying in another language takes more time than in your native language. Keep that in mind. But a lot of times you enter your host university and then they change the courses they offer that semester; so be flexibel. That is something that is good no matter what. language preparation I did one German course on the University in Utrecht before my departure. I wanted to practice my grammatical skills and I found it really helpful to speak and write German for a few weeks before I went. The University of Leipzig offered a language and orientation course in March that took 3 weeks. By doing those both things, I felt enough prepared to enter the university of Leipzig. All my courses and literature are in German, so that is something you need to think about before applying. Reading German papers or hearing German radio, was also a way for me to prepare. finances The Erasmusfunding helped me to finance my stay. Germany is not so far away from Holland, so I didn t have to spend on a expensive flight. And the living here is cheaper as it is in Holland. But of course, it depends on the country where you go to. Of course, I spent more money here on trips. But I also believe that you have to do those things when you are abroad. It is a 'once in a lifetime' experience; you have to enjoy that. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I took courses at the faculty of Pedagogy (''Erziehungswissenschaften''). It wanted to learn some more about children, so I do one course in Development Psychology. The other two are more about teaching children. Although I don't think I will be a teacher, I still find it really interessting to learn some more about this profession. The thing is that it wasn't easy to find the courses on the internet. So I came in contact with the faculty coordinator, she helped me out to find the courses and to organise my tests. academic quality of education/placement activities I think the quality is about the same as at my University. I would say: pretty good. The teachers expect a lot from you and the amount of literature is high. Most students are motivated. counselling/support at host institution/organisation I think the counselling is really good. There are a lot of Erasmus Students at the University of Leipzig, so they are familiair with everything that comes with it. Sometimes you have to wait pretty long at the international office (because of the amounth of exchange students), but the employees are really friendly and willing to help you out with all your questions. transfer of credits I get credits for the courses I take. But I still have to write my exams, so I can not say a lot about how fast this goes. UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 2 of 4

10 student life welcome/orientation programme The language and orientation course was really good and fun! From 10 till 13 there always was language course. And in the afternoon the teachers organised citytours, visiting in museums and way more. I really felt welcome here and I can only advise you to take part in such a orientation programm. You meet so many people and get to know the city really fast. That is great! accommodation The living in Leipzig is cheap. There are a lot of student housing from ''Studentenwerk Leipzig''. You can apply on the internet and then they offer you a living space. I pay 170 euro p. Month. The rooms are with furniture, so you don't have to buy these. The only part of Leipzig that I can not recommend for living is 'Grunau', that is really far outside the city. leisure/culture There is always something to do in Leipzig! It is a big city, but not too big. And there many bars, cafes, clubs and more. The parks are also a place where a lot happens during the summer. WILMA (an organisation for exchange students) organise trips almost every weekend. And drinks and going out are also cheaper as in Holland, so you don't have to get bored. suggestions/tips The trips of WILMA: really great to meet new people! German people are also really friendly, so I didn't find it hard to meet the locals as well. Buy yourself a bike! Leipzig is a really great city to ride a bike and escpecially during the summer it is great to have on. Leipzig has 3 lakes where you can swim nearby. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain Yes!! Without a doubt! The university of Leipzig is big, so for everyone there is a course that fits your interessents. Because it is so big, it offers great things, such as beautiful libraries, alt buildings, a MENSA where you can eat warm every day for about 2,80 euro. The people are friendly and the city is amazing. It is not so huge as Berlin, but there is so much to do and it has this alternative feeling. It is a grean city with many many parks. I really can't say anything other then: come to Leipzig. It is an amazing place to live for one semester or more. do you have any additional advice or comments? Just stay relaxed while planning the whole thing. As said: it is a lot of work, but it is so worth it. I wouldn't have want to miss it.. UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 3 of 4

11 UU Study Abroad Report Form Every UU student going abroad is expected to submit a report, as stated in the conditions of the UU Study Abroad Contract. Please send it as an attachment to verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl. Please state your destination country (e.g. Costa Rica) as subject. The deadline to return this report is July 1, 2013, even if you are still abroad at that time! Your report will be made available to UU students preparing an exchange, placement or research period abroad. We will take out your name and student number. Not all of them are Dutch-speaking, therefore we prefer to receive reports written in English. Thank you in advance! faculty/college University College Utrecht Please use Tab to go to the next (text) box. level x bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Liberal Arts & Sciences destination city & country Leipzig, Germany name host institution and/or Universität Leipzig company/organization purpose of exchange x study/courses work placement field work other departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 04 / 2013 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 07 / 2013 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. preparation exchange/placement application process Leipzig, Germany was my choice of destination because I wanted the experience of studying in German. Before starting my study in Utrecht I also contemplated studying in Germany. This semester abroad was a good opportunity for me to see how I would enjoy studying there. Application wise, there were no real difficulties. counselling/support at home university As mentioned, this was all very well organized. Especially with some deadlines far ahead, it is easy to forgot some things that need to be taken care off, but the supervision in such cases was excellent. academic preparation The Leipzig University provided a list of courses on their website. Once I arrived though, I was told that this version was outdated, and that none of the courses I had actually chosen were available this semester. Luckily the courses that were available were also courses I was very interested in, but I must say this seemed rather amateuristic. language preparation A couple of years ago, I ve taken a German C1 exam at the Goethe-Instut, which allows me to officially study in German. Seen as language was my foremost reason to choose Leipzig, I was confident that my basic level would be high enough to understand lectures and be able to do the work. As preparation I made sure to read some books in German and watch television in German. finances Leipzig, compared to Utrecht, is a very cheap place to leave. With the Erasmus grant and the DUO grant combined, it is no problem to live a rich student life. Accommodation is widely available (starting as low as 150 page 1 of 3

12 euros a month), the different Mensa s (cafetaria s) offer complete meals for around 2 or 3 euros, and at the start of the semester you can buy a public transport ticket for the city for 90 euro s offering you unlimited travelling within the city boundaries study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) As mentioned, I was not pleasantly surprised when I saw the courses I had chosen beforehand were not available. Luckily, when I arrived, I was soon offered an extensive program booklet for the faculty I was interested in (Politics). Registering for courses did not entail anything else really, other than mentioning to the lecturer that you would like to attend the class. I chose three modules, which are worth 10 ECTS apiece. Each module then consists of 1 lecture and 1 seminar a week. academic quality of education/placement activities I would say the academic quality is decent. In my opinion however, it is not completely fair for me to compare my experiences in Leipzig with my academic experience at University College. At University College, I am used to small classes and lot of interaction, especially with professors. Classes in Leipzig are much larger, which of course means les personal attention by the professor. Also, I am not used to the big lectures with sometimes as much as 100 students in one room. It just takes some time getting used to. Other than that, I was happy with the quality of teaching provided. One thing that I was less keen on was the division of workload. During the first months there are almost no assignments to be made (just reading). This automatically means that all the workload was crammed into the last month which caused quite some stress. counselling/support at host institution/organisation Everything, apart from the difficulties regarding my courses, was organized very efficiently. Registering went very smoothly and any help I needed was given to me right away. transfer of credits No experience with, as at the moment of writing this I have not finished my semester abroad yet. student life welcome/orientation programme There is a welcoming program, however not very extensive. Of what I heard, a big part of the welcoming already happens during the pre-language course, which I did not attend myself. So because I arrived relatively late, I did not actively in all things that where organized during the week. accommodation As mentioned before, accommodation is very cheap. Basically, when coming to Leipzig you have two options. Option 1 is that you find your room through Studentenwerk. They own a large number of (mainly) flats. It is very easy to arrange everything with them online. Be sure to find an accommodation that is not too far away from the centre (the flat that is the furthest away could mean you have to travel more than 30 min. to get to campus). I chose to rent a little apartment with my own kitchen area and bathroom, but various other room types are available as well. The second option is to find a WG (wohngemeinschaft), ideal if you look to integrate into German study life as soon as possible. It can be done beforehand as well through various websites (no personal experience) but also on arrival you will see a lot of people advertising their room. Bluntly said, some people say that you will have the best studying experience in a Studentenwerkflat and the best party experience in a WG, but it can all be easily combined. leisure/culture Leipzig is called the cultural capital of eastern Germany and not without reason. There is a variety of things to do in town. Leipzig has its own zoo, various musea, shopping centers, lots of pubs and bars etc. An organization called Wilma arranges a lot of things for international students during the weekend. I ve only done a couple page 2 of 3

13 because I have often been in Germany and seen most of the things they visit, but from other people I ve heard it is a very nice way to discover Germany. Leipzig is close to other interesting places (which Wilma organizes day/weekend-trips to) such as Berlin, Prague, Weimar etc. suggestions/tips Other than to be sure what courses are available, I can just tell people to enjoy the city and the university. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain When interested in improving your German, Leipzig is definitely an excellent choice. It is a very vibrant city with a young student crowd, with never a dull moment. do you have any additional advice or comments? - Contact details: Student Services / International Office Postal address: P.O. Box 80125, NL-3508 TC Utrecht Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 8, Utrecht T: +31-(0) F: +31-(0) E: exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report) I: page 3 of 3

14 UU Report form ~ Erasmus Every student receiving an Erasmus grant has to submit a UU report as well. Writing the UU report is one of the university s conditions to receive and keep the grant. Only after submitting this report your Erasmus grant will be awarded definitively. SEE UU ERASMUS REPORT FILE FOR INSTRUCTIONS! Your report will be made available to UU students preparing an exchange, placement or research period abroad. Not all of them are Dutch-speaking, therefore we prefer to receive reports written in English. Please use Tab to go to the next (text) box. faculty/college Humanities, history level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Liberal Arts & Sciences, Political history. Bachelors destination city & country Germany, Leipzig name host institution and/or Leipzig Universität company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 10 /03 / 2013 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 /09 /2013 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process At first ai had to figure out where I wanted to study, which was quite easy for me since I wanted to learn German. Leipzig was stated as beeing cheap and a great city for students, since it is not to big or to small. A lot of surfing on the internet plus asking other friends who did an Erasmus period for advise. The application was not always easy since sometimes you have no idea what is meant in the forms and you want to do it as perfect as possible, so I had a lot of contact with the host university about this. counselling/support at home university Talked to my tutor, and the couselor of the major 'Political History', who advised me to take classes in history as much as I can since it would save me time. They warned me about the fact that they couldn't tell me about the amount of ECTS I would earn in Germany the Utrecht University can and will accept. In my oppinion the advise was sufficient. academic preparation I would say none more than just taking regular classes since my classes in Leipzig would cover only history knowledge, which is also my major in Utrecht. language preparation For the language preparation I prepared by buying a grammar book, completing the excersises and perform basic things as watching movies in German and reading books. UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2013 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2013 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 1 of 3

15 finances I saved 1000 euros, that plus the Erasmusgrant and DUO grant + loan was sufficient study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) As soon as I arrived it became clear that I, as an Erasmus student, can't enroll online for classes at the Universität Leipzig. We were basically advised to just show up at a class of our choice and deliberate with the professor concerning the testing or grading. On top of that the list we received, covering the classes which were supposed to be suitable for Erasmus students, was not up to date or complete. It took me three weeks to 'enroll' for all my classes, which left me even more (on top of the the language deficiency) lagging behind compared to regular students. Also, a large part of the teachers didn't know they were teaching international students, and had no idea how to test us. In Leipzig they have Modules, which cover most of the time a 'Seminar' and a 'Vorlesung', with at the of the semester a 'Klausur' for both class types. Erasmus an other international students only take the Seminar ór the Vorlesung, so unable to write the test which covers both types of classes. I say a lot of improvising and deliberation, and could easily be improved. academic quality of education/placement activities The acadamic quality of the Universität Leipzig is in my opinion comparable to that of the Universiteit Utrecht. counselling/support at host institution/organisation Nice people who are willing to help you, but since I am not enrolled online I felt like I was being send from pillar to post sometimes. transfer of credits I can't say anything about that jet since I am still abroad, but since the crediting system of ECTS is similar I don't expect a lot of problems. student life welcome/orientation programme The orientation programme was great and covered a lot of culture next to the language programme. The teachers were very good and I received 3 credit points for the language orientation course of three weeks. accommodation I lived near the centre, the city is not to big and renting a students dorm is cheap. leisure/culture Leipzig has a lot of history and culture, also Berlin, Dresden, Magdenburg and Prague are nearby and great to visit. Nightlife in Leipzig is also nice and has a lot of variety, if it is not sufficient in your oppinion going out in Berlin is a next step. suggestions/tips I would advise Universität Leipzig to make enrollment for classes more transparant and easier, that is my only UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2013 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2013 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 2 of 3

16 point of critisicm. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain I would definitely recommend this organisation and destination to others. The city is not to big, there are a lot of students and the people are very nice. The quality of education and the facilities are good. Leipzig is cheap and there is a lot to do. Also the German language is similar to Dutch, and I am able to keep up with only a high school exam in German as my prior knowledge. do you have any additional advice or comments? No Please save this UU report for your own records and send it to verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl within 30 days after finishing your study/placement abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline! If you fail to submit the UU report in time, we have to claim back the Erasmus grant. UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2013 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2013 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement page 3 of 3

17 UU Report form ~ Erasmus faculty/college University College level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme university College? destination city & country Leipzig, Germany name host institution and/or Universität Leipzig company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 1 / 04 / 2011 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 07 / 2011 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process University College encourages to go on exchange and there was an excange evening, where everything was explained. The application process was through the UU as my destination was not an UCU destination. This meant that I had to apply at UCU and UU. These were a lot of forms, but otherwise not too complicated. counselling/support at home university As already mentioned, UCU encourages to go on exchange and therefore there is also sufficient counseling and support. academic preparation As academic preparation it was required to have at least a B+ average and to have 200 level language proficiency. language preparation I did the 200 level German course which was enough preparation. finances DUO, Parents, Work, Erasmus scholarship study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I had to find out my study programme all by myself, which gave a bit of stress, but in the end was also fine. academic quality of education/placement activities The academic quality is allright and especially for Erasmus students there is a lot of support during the classes counselling/support at host institution/organisation You need to figure out a lot by yourself, but in the end they are really relaxed and are there to help you. UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1 st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl page 1 of 2

18 transfer of credits? student life welcome/orientation programme The university offered a 3 week language/orientation programme, which was really nice to get to know the city and to learn about the university. accommodation The university offers student housing, which is not expensive and really easy. leisure/culture The culture is quite similar, but also different which is really nice. suggestions/tips Housing offered by university is fine, but I think that you can get nicer housing through conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain yes, they are really helpfull for students and Leipzig is a really nice student city. do you have any additional advice or comments? Reminder: for the purpose of future correspondence on the final awarding of your Erasmus grant, please make sure you update your telephone number(s), postal and addresses in Steun in case of any changes after your return! UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1 st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl page 2 of 2

19 UU Report form ~ Erasmus faculty/college Humanities level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Liberal Arts & Sciences (major: linguistics) destination city & country Leipzig, Germany name host institution and/or Universität Leipzig company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses Erasmus Mundus master s programme work placement field work other, departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 30 / 09 / 2009 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 07 / 02 / 2010 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. preparation exchange/placement application process I did not have any difficulties (at least I can't remember). There were no other students who wanted to go to Leipzig, therefore there was no competition and I got a place without difficulties. When I contacted the faculty I was going to (Herder Institut (for German as a second language)), someone said that I could not study there, because they did not know that an Erasmus student can come via the Utrecht Netwerk program. Unfortunately the selection by the university of Leipzig took quite a long time. I was informed via that I am accepted half of June and end of July I got a letter of acceptance. counselling/support at home university Marleen van der Ven provided me with enough information and I asked her if I had any specific questions. She was always friendly and answered my questions quickly. I'm very thankful for her support. academic preparation In the second year of my study I took a course at the faculty of German studies. That was a really good preparation, because the teachers were German and they used 'German' methods. Therefore I knew in Leipzig what the teachers ment by typically German things like 'Exzerpt' or 'Hausarbeit'. language preparation German is my first language, that is why I did not need any language preparation. finances The living costs in Leipzig are a lot lower than in Utrecht. Especially the rent prices are low. I paid 220 for a 24 m² room. I had to pay 100 in contribution to the general student organisation. As a student you can eat very cheap in a so called 'Mensa' (1,50-3,20 for a meal). I did not have any financial problems. I got the money from the Erasmus grant, money from the IB-groep and also money from my parents. study/placement abroad period UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1 st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl page 1 of 3

20 study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I took three courses (Module) from the study 'German as a foreign language' (which is not for learning German, but for learning to teach German!). I learned about didactics and methods, German as a second langauge and theories of second language aquisition. It was very interesting for me, although some explanations in the classes were superfluous, because of my linguistic background. It's a bit difficult to study the first semester in Germany and the second in Utrecht, because they start a month later in Germany. I was lucky because for the courses I wanted to take you had to write papers and not exams. I decided to write less papers (and getting less credits) and I handed them in earlier. academic quality of education/placement activities The courses were of varying quality. Some teachers were fantastic, others were not so great. They all knew quite a lot but the didactic qualities of some teachers were poor. counselling/support at host institution/organisation I had a person from the faculty I could ask questions. Sometimes she could not answer my questions immediatly, because she never had this position before, but if that was the case, she looked it up for me. There were also extra meetings for foreign students if they have any questions, as wel as courses (for everybody) given by older students where you could for example learn more about academic writing in German. transfer of credits I hope that I get credits for what I did in Germany, but I am not sure about it. Especially because I also took courses where I did not took exams. It is possible for Erasmus students to do this in Germany. You get 4 ECTS for a course where you take exams and 2 if you participate without taking exams. As I already mentioned it was is impossible to me to take all exams (in my case write all the papers). student life welcome/orientation programme There was an free introduction week for foreign students. I participated in several activities (library and campus tour, a lecture on student life in Leipzig (by students), a visit to two different musea). Unfortunately the introduction lecture in the formal introduction week did not take place, and no one told this to the Erasmus students. accommodation I had a room in an appartment which I shared with three other students. This is common in Germany, it is called WG (Wohngemeinschaft). I found it via In the summer I went to Leipzig for a week to find a room. I think it is good to meet the students who live there and see the appartment before you decide to live there too. I lived in a beautiful neighbourhood (beautiful houses, next to a big park, lots of young families, lots of unique shops) near to the center. The neighbourhood is called Schleußig. I got on so well with my housemates that we became friends. leisure/culture The cultural life in Leipzig is very rich. I went to the theatre, the cinema and the opera several times (as a student you can get realy cheap tickets for the opera and the theatre). I also went to political discussions, demonstrations and parties in old factories. And I liked walking in the big park of Leipzig. suggestions/tips UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1 st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl page 2 of 3

21 The introduction week for foreign students is really helpful, especially the information lecture (for example I got to know that they have self-help bike-garages, where they helped me to fix my bike some weeks later). If you like to go to Leipzig before your stay, but you hesitate to go, because of the travelcosts: There are opportunities. You can travel by train with a 'Wochenendticket' or during the week with a 'Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket". All these cheap tickets are only for regional rail, so it will take you a while to get there. If you book in advance, you might get an 'Europaspezial' which will costs you 39 for one trip. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain Yes, I would warmly recommend the host organisation and the destination. The quality of the lectures and the courses depends a lot on the teacher, but there are really good teachers. The university as a whole is very interesting. There are many opportunities to participate in the organisation of the university / each faculty (also for Erasmus students). They have an big library. Last year the central campus got several new buildings. Leipzig is a very lively city. There are many creative people and they are needed. In Leipzig there are many empty houses and old factories. I found it very impressive to see that there are for example neighbourhoods which organize workshops for themselves where they think about what they want to change and to achieve themselves in their area. Leipzig has an enormous park (I call it forest). I really liked the atmosphere in Leipzig and I think it is really interessing to see how different cities and universities can be. do you have any additional advice or comments? Be prepared that you do not have any break between your study in Germany and your study in Utrecht when you go during the first semester. UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1 st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl page 3 of 3