2013-2014 Report 1 exchange/placement application process preparation If you want to study abroad it is very important that you start on time. There are many forms that need to be filled in. Then they need to be signed by both the home university and the host university which might take time. For me it was very important to keep in mind why I was doing it. It takes a lot of prepatory work and there will be a moment where you don't want to fill in any more forms. But keep in mind that you will have a great experience abroad in return! counselling/support at home university The of Utrecht University offers great support. Don't hesitate to contact them, either via e-mail or in the office - if you have questions. They are very helpful. academic preparation If you receive a module handbook with available courses, you should read carefully whether there are any prerequisites. Sometimes you should have done a certain course in order to take this course. Furthermore, it might be useful to contact your teachers and ask them whether you need to do some extra reading. In my case, I didn't have to do any extra reading. They told me I could ask them questions if I didn't understand something and overall they were very helpful. language preparation If you're planning on travelling to a country where the first language isn't English, it might be useful to take extra language courses. Furthermore, you should check if there are any courses available in English. Some universities only offer courses in the first language and you have to decide for yourself if your language level is high enough. I went to the United Kingdom, so I didn't need any language preparation. I was able to talk to the local people, talk to my teachers, talk to my fellow students. If you feel like your English isn't good enough though, you could do extra language courses. Sometimes you can do language courses at the host university as well. finances Most students have a job during their studies. However, if you're going abroad, you probably won't have a job. Therefore you should make sure to save enough money for the period abroad. You might get an Erasmus grant, but this will not cover your overall expenses. You should also take into account that you might spend more than you normally do. For example, I went out twice as much as I did in Utrecht and the clubs were quite expensive. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I'm studying Communication and Information Sciences. However, when I went abroad I could choose courses from the entire humanities department. This was really nice, because it gave me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge even more. I chose journalistic courses, which I really liked. I didn't get the chance to do journalistic courses in Utrecht, so it was a perfect addition to my major. If you're going abroad, you should check with the host university which courses you can choose. You might have many
choices! In the beginning it was difficult to follow the lectures. I didn't quite understand what they were about. And I found it difficult to understand the teachers. But after a week I got used to it and I even started enjoying the lectures. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The teachers are really nice. academic quality of education/placement activities The academic quality of education was really good. The lectures were really interesting and the teachers were very clear in their explanation. I enjoyed going to the lectures - something that usually never happens - and I've learned a lot. counselling/support at host institution/organisation Once you get abroad, it's not like you'll get e-mails weekly from the host institution to see how you're doing. Nor will the teachers ask you how you're doing. However, if you send an e-mail with a question, or if you pass by the office, they are very helpful. They always respond quickly, try to help you as much as they can and definitely try to make you comfortable. transfer of credits In the module handbook that I received at the beginning of the year I could see all the available modules. Besides an outline of the module, it also stated the amount of credits ánd the amount of ECTS. However, if you don't know how many ECTS your courses are, you should check this with the university. Credits and ECTS are very different and it would be a shame if you come home with too little ECTS. welcome/orientation programme student life I was very lucky with the great welcome programme that NTU offered in September. There were many events for new (first year) students, but there were also events for exchange students only. During these events I've met most of my friends. It was a bit scary to attend these events on my own, walking into a room full of strangers on my own, but I really really advise you to go!! Everybody is really nice, because everybody is in the same situation. We were all exchange students, trying to make new friends for the semester. I met really nice people that I've spend an amazing time with. It's the best way to meet new people! accommodation I spend my period abroad in a private residence called 'The Glasshouse'. If you're planning to go to Nottingham, I would definitely advice you to go to the Glasshouse. It's a bit expensive, but it's a great residence. I shared a flat with six other people - all international exchange students - and we've become close friends over the months. We threw some great flat parties, inviting people from other flats in the same building. It's really nice to share a house with international students, because they are in the same 'state of mind' (studying, but also partying, seeing the city, making weekend trips, etc.) leisure/culture GET OUT THERE!!!! In the beginning the city might seem big, confusing and you might get lost. However, after one week it'll feel like home. I remember coming to Nottingham in September. I wanted to explore the city, so I would go out - without a map - and walk around. During the first week I got lost at least three times. But then I would just continue walking and end up somewhere and be like: hey! I know where I am! After a while you'll know you're way around. Also: TRY DIFFERENT PLACES. There are so many
great places and there's so little time. I definitely have a few favorite places, but in my last month I realised how many places I still wanted to go to. So I decided to go out and try a new place every day. It's so nice to explore new places! Even in the last two weeks I found great lunchrooms, restaurants, coffee places, etc. suggestions/tips If you're going to Nottingham, you should definitely go to the White Rabbit for tea/lunch, Pret A Manger for lunch (take away or staying in), Prezzo for dinner (student discount), Coco Tang for cocktails and Stealth for clubbing. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain I would definitely recommend going to Nottingham Trent University. Nottingham is a really nice city. It's about the same size as Utrecht, so it's not too big. I really liked this, because I was only there for five months and it's nice to really get to know the city (which is impossible with a big city). Also, the university offers great support, the professors are very helpful and people in Nottingham, in general, are really nice. do you have any additional advice or comments? It might be scary to go abroad for five or six months, but time goes by so quickly. It's a great experience. I've met so many nice people, people that I will stay in contact with forever. It's great to meet people from different countries, to find out how your country is different from other countries. There's always something to talk about, there's always things to do (exploring the city, going on trips, etc.). It's just a really great experience that everybody should have!!!! 2012-2013 Report 1 preparation exchange/placement application process I heard it was a lot of work and stress with all the deadlines you had to stick to, but in the end I didn't think it was that much work. You just need to make some effort to get your signatures on time and don't wait until the last day before the deadline. counselling/support at home university You can always walk by the international office or give them a call on the right hours which you can find on the website, and they will always try to help you out. Mostly, you find all information you need on the website. academic preparation I didn t have to prepare for my courses in the United Kingdom. I went in my third year and for that reason I had enough academic skills. language preparation My English was good enough for my study abroad. I was not an excellent speaker, but you'll see that the lectures are not hard to follow and there were people from other countries who were much worse at English. finances
Life in the United Kingdom is quite expensive, especially student life! Count on 1000 euros a month (including traveling and rent). I had some savings and with my grant and some support of my parents I managed. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) A few weeks before leaving I found out that my courses were too similar to the ones I already followed here at Utrecht University. But I could still change them just by emailing the incoming exchange coordinator of Nottingham Trent University. They are not always happy with that, but in cases like this they won't make a problem out of it. academic quality of education/placement activities It is allright. They expect you to do a lot of additional reading but they don't really discuss the literature in the seminars. I only had to write essays at the end of the term for each course and didn't have any exams. In general the quality is a little bit lower than in the Netherlands. counselling/support at host institution/organisation Very friendly people, very helpful. Always quick response by email and they always gave you their office hours so you could drop by their office. transfer of credits Still need to wait for my credits. student life welcome/orientation programme They have a Welcome Week for freshers and international students. It was huge with activities through the whole city and on both campuses. There were even special events for International students so you could meet other exchange students! You got a bag with flyers and a map of the city and a programme. It was very good organized! accommodation I found a room on the discussion board of the University website. I was a little bit afraid that the house wouldn t exist or that it would be a terrible place to stay. But it turned out to be more than ok. During my stay I changed houses halfway the exchange period because there was a free room in my friends place. I didn't stay on a campus, and I am happy with that. People on the campus were dependent on the night buses, which were not driving regularly, or needed to take a taxi home. The student halls were much more fun and closer to the city centre. I lived in a private house with other students, also close to the city. leisure/culture You will mostly hang out with international students. In class I was mostly with English people. English people are very friendly and helpful. They will always thank the bus driver before they get off the bus and they apologize for almost everything. The night life in Nottingham was very diverse and nice. suggestions/tips If you are looking for a room you can best email your host university. Facebook is also a very good medium. If you got accepted and sure that you're going abroad try to find an exchange facebook page of your city, because there are a lot of room offers and tips about welcome weeks or introduction meetings etc.
conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain Definitely, because Nottingham is a very nice city full of international students. The university is very professional and well organised. do you have any additional advice or comments? It's a great experience and you will never regret it!