Department Phonetics & Linguistics Degree Programme (e.g. BA French and Russian) BA Linguistics (International Programme) Year in which abroad 2012/13 Where did you spend your first semester abroad? Germany Type of Placement University Placement Where did you spend your second semester abroad? Same place as the first semester Before Departure How would you rate your preparation by your department(s)? Poor Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: Whilst I was told the basics, more advice regarding my choice of institution, modules, and what to expect would when I moved would have been welcome. My Year Abroad tutor was always difficult to contact, and didn't have much to answer for some of my queries. In some ways, the Year Abroad was mostly ignored by the department, and was more of an independent undertaking by students who wanted to do it, with little to advise or guide them. More input from previous students would also be good. How would you rate your preparation by the Study Abroad Team? Good Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: The Study Abroad team were very clear about what needed to be done, and what to expect as an Erasmus student. They also could have had more information about my
institution, particularly up-to-date information about living costs and so on, but I was otherwise well-informed Did you attend the Pre-Departure briefing organised by the Study Abroad Team in March? If yes, did you find it useful? Please give feedback/suggest any improvements: N/A How would you rate your own preparation ahead of studying abroad? Good Could you have done more to prepare yourself before leaving UCL? If so, please give details: I did as much as I could to prepare myself, with what information I was given. Could you have been better prepared by UCL? If so, please give details: More about my institution and what it's like to live in Germany. As part of your preparation, did you do any of the following (tick all that apply): - Contact the Study Abroad Team - Discuss your options with your Study Abroad Tutor - Contact final year students who had returned from their year abroad - Contact third year students who were studying abroad at the time - Consult the resources in Moodle or on the Study Abroad website - Consult previous students' study abroad questionnaires - Consult your host institution's website If you contacted the Study Abroad Team, what did you seek advice about? Did you find the advice useful?
I sought advice about being nominated for an Erasmus place, as my own department knew nothing about it. Their response was helpful, and eased my worries about applying for a place. Prior to departure, were you given clear instructions by your department on what was expected of you academically during your year abroad? No How did you prepare yourself for the academic aspect of your year abroad programme? We received information about what was expected of us just after we started. I also improved my German, so I could study a wider range of modules, taking it as a course in second year and doing a language course in Berlin before the start of my first semester. What advice would you offer to students prior to making a decision about where to study abroad? Look up all the universities, and what courses they have available, before deciding where you want to go. Consider what financial options are available, for example, the Erasmus grant for study in Europe. What advice would you give to students preparing to go abroad? What things should they make sure to do ahead of beginning their year abroad? Learn from previous students about the aspects of living in the country, either from questionnaires or fourth years who have returned. This aspect is covered somewhat less in university material, or only very generally. Your Placement - University Name of your host university: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Location (city and country): Tübingen, Germany Was your university placement part of an ERASMUS or other exchange programme? When did you receive confirmation of acceptance from the host university? Beginning of May When did your placement start? Mid-October How did you get to your placement? Please give rough details of the journey and costs: As I was doing a language course in Berlin, I paid for a flight there and then for a train down to Tübingen. For the rest of the time, I would get direct flights from London to Stuttgart, which can be as low as 40 for the basic flight when booked in advance (though, with baggage, an individual flight would sometimes come to just under 100). It then costs 6.15 ( 4.65 with a BahnCard) for the airport bus to Tübingen. Enrolment and Course Registration Please describe the enrolment process at your host university. What formalities did you have to complete, and, in particular, what documents did you need to have in order to enrol? (e.g. carte de séjour, passport, nomination letter). As an international student, were you given any special help with enrolment? There is a section for Erasmus students on the website, with a document explaining matriculation. It is a fairly long-winded process, and you need to provide a passport, a passport photo, your original letter of admittance, a matriculaton form with your data, a health insurance letter, the registry letter from the Burgeramt (town hall), and proof of payment of the semester contribution. The enrollment is all done at the Erasmus
office on Nauklerstraße with Frau Simone Hahne. You are sent your student card, and other things that come with matriculating, in the post. Were any special orientation events/meetings provided for study abroad students? If so, please give details. There is a Beratungskurs (advisory course) for international students in the week before semester begins, as well as various language courses combined with advisory courses that happen before the semester starts - either a full intensive 5-week course or shorter, 2-week language courses. Is there any advice you would give to future students ahead of enrolling at this university? Check the opening times of every office if you want to enroll smoothly, as they are somewhat irregular in Germany, meaning enrollment can take a long time. Take the Beratungskurs, as it comes with a lot of advice, including help with matriculation, what to expect academically, and information about what there is to do in Tübingen. Registering for Courses How easy was it to finalise and register your course choices? Quite easy Please give details of the procedures and how to choose or change courses: There is an online course catalogue called a Vorlesungsverzeichnis, with details about all the courses, and contact details for all the tutors. While you can't register properly for courses, tutors would always respond to email and tell you what you need to sign up - usually just turn up, or at least give a Matrikelnummer to be registered on the course. You can choose to deregister and switch fairly easily, as tutors are relaxed about taking students a week or two later, so you have time to decide if you like your choice. The exception is the Fachsprachzentrum, which has its own separate site, but is just as
informative and easy to figure out (though some knowledge of German is required to do so). Was obtaining information about courses and timetables difficult or simple? Simple If difficult, what advice would you offer on how to obtain the information? All the information is on the Vorlesungsverzeichnis, apart from language courses at the Fachsprachzentrum, which has its own section complete with full information about their classes and when they take place. Academic Life At your host university, who helped you with the academic or administrative aspects of your year abroad? Please tick all that apply: - International Office / Erasmus Office - Individual Tutors Please give names of helpful individuals if possible: Simone Hahne is the main contact at the Erasmus Office. There is a departmental coordinator, but I never spoke to them. Please indicate what kind of help you received (e.g. with course registration; general academic advice; specific assistance with coursework; specific assistance with dissertation preparation; instructions concerning coursework; instructions concerning assessment): Simone Hahne helped with the Erasmus paperwork - she signs off all the forms. My tutors assisted me with the academic side of things - the timing of exams, content for oral exams, supervision for essays, and the collecting of credits (called Scheins) at the end of semester.
Please comment on the number of classes you took and how many hours a week that constituted in the classroom. Please also mention the amount of work you had to do outside class on average: In first semester I took 6 classes, and second I took 5. This amounted to 9 hours a week in first semester, 7.5 in second semester. However, there would be a lot of private study to do - preparation of texts, presentations, revision for mid-terms and tests spread through the semester. It would vary depending of the timing of these things, but each class would come with at least an additional two hours of work a week. Please describe the nature of the classes (i.e. large lectures, smaller seminar groups etc.) What was the average lecture/class size? Large lectures would usually have over 50 people in them, usually around 100. Seminars would be somewhat smaller, around the 15-25 mark, although one seminar I had was particularly oversubscribed and had closer to 40. The smallest seminar I had was 9 people. Please describe the mode of assessment for the courses you took (e.g. written/oral exam, essay/project etc.) and its timing (e.g. mid or end of year). Were there coursework requirements (presentations, essays etc.)? Lectures usually had either an exam at the end (written or oral), or multiple small tests spread through the semester. Seminars would have an end of term exam, but also you would have to do a presentation or an extra piece of written work for the extra credit. One class I chose to do an essay instead of an exam. Finally, some classes would also expect a written report of one class as part of the requirements. Please comment on the availability and approachability of teaching staff at your host university:
Staff are usually fairly available, with well-publicised office hours, and are quick to reply to their email. All of the teachers I had were very friendly, and understanding of the situation of an exchange student, especially with matters like language barriers and requirements from UCL. How would you rate the teaching at your host university: Good How would you rate the selection of courses offered: Very good How would you rate the intellectual level of the material covered: Good How would you rate the difficulty of the courses at your host university compared to UCL: Slightly easier than UCL Please give details: Though this might, in part, be due to being an exchange student, with allowances made for my level of German, or studying courses not aimed at native English speakers, I found what I was learning very easy to understand, and did not find assessments I was given difficult to get good marks in. If you attended a university where the language of instruction was not English, did you experience any language difficulties? Did your tutors make allowances for your not being a native speaker? If yes, please give details: I was allowed to do some of my assessment in English for some foreign language classes, particularly where it involved translation of texts. Some teachers with multiple foreign
students also made sure everyone in the class followed the thread of the teaching, whatever language it was taught in (as I also took classes in French and Russian while I was here). Allowances were also made with regards to requirements, if I hadn't understood something correctly. Facilities Library provision: There are multiple libraries across Tübingen, though many are ones where the books cannot be taken out, and therefore have to be used locally. The largest library on Wilhelmstraße is the biggest, and for anyone coming to study Linguistics, the library in Brechtbau will also be of importance. Access to computers, internet etc.: In or near all the libraries there are computers to use with Internet facilities. Obviously, you can use Eduroam in all the university buildings, though the signal can be quite bad sometimes. Clubs and societies (type, range, and cost): There is little by way of society provision - nothing centrally organised like at UCL. There are some things, like theatre groups, creative writing and art courses, and a uni radio station and magazine, but they are independently run and I have not looked into them so much. Sporting facilities (type, range, and cost): There is a programme called Hochschulsport that provides a huge variety of sport and dance classes, with reduced fees for students. Some of them, like aerobics, cost as little as 15 for the semester. You can also join sports teams, which have regular training. Other:
There are a number of cafeterias spread throughout Tübingen, including Mensas which served cooked food at lunch and sometimes dinner for a usually quite reasonable price. Summary Why did you choose to spend your year abroad at this university in particular? I wanted to go to Europe, as it would be affordable with the provision of the Erasmus grant. Of the three European options I had available, Germany was the best choice, as I could speak some German already, and had already visited the town before on an exchange in school, and so was familiar with its reputation as a university town. Are you glad that you did so? Would you recommend this university to future UCL students? Please explain why: There is a good range of courses, and a lot of freedom to do what you want on the Year Abroad, so it's the best chance to study a wide range of things we couldn't otherwise do. Some of the modes of assessment practise a lot of different skills that UCL assessments don't, and there are very good facilities with regard to libraries and so on. How would you rate the placement overall? Very good How would you rate the placement within the context of your degree programme? Very good Is there any specific advice you would offer to students considering a placement at this university?
Make sure your German is up to scratch, as though everyone here speaks very good English, it does make things that bit easier, and opens up more options with regards to courses. Accommodation What type of accommodation did you obtain? Accommodation provided by your host institution How did you obtain your accommodation? Please describe the application process, when you applied, and when you received confirmation: There was an option to fill out an application form for a student room when I made my application to study, and so I sent the two forms off together. I got the offer at the end of July - I needed to send the contract and the first month's rent as soon as it came, and my confirmation came after that. What was the average monthly rent? What was included in this cost (e.g. bills, internet, food etc.)? Please give as much detail as possible about the costs associated with your accommodation: My room was 289 a month, all inclusive of bills and internet, and this was one of the more expensive rooms in the town. Prices I've heard from friends range between 250-300. How early could you move in? The contract started on 1st September, so any time after then. Did you have to vacate the premises during the holidays?
No How would you rate the accommodation provided? Very Good Please describe the type of accommodation you stayed in, its location and level of comfort. Did you have a single or double room? What were the kitchen and other facilities like? What was or wasn't provided (e.g. bedding, kitchen utensils)? Did you feel that the accommodation represented good value for money? I had a single room in a building of flats ranging from single to five-person flats - mine had four people in it. The bedroom came with a desk, shelf, lockable wardrobe, a bedside table for the bed, and an extra shelving unit, and was very spacious compared to what I had in UCL halls in my first year (which was bigger than usual as it was shared). We had two bathrooms to share, and a large kitchen. There were kitchen utensils already there, which I figured had built up from previous occupants, and we all had our own lockable cupboard. When I moved in, I also bought a Starter Paket of bedding for 30, which wasn't great quality, but was the simplest way to get it. Overall, I'd say the room was pretty good value for money, especially compared to similar accommodation in London. Did you live with local students, or with other foreign students? Were the halls a good place to practice your language skills and interact with local students? I lived with local students, though flats tended to be a mix of local and foreign students. My halls were one of the places I spoke most to local students, though that wasn't to say I spent a lot of time talking to them, as we'd often keep ourselves to ourselves in the flat.
Would you recommend this accommodation to future students? Is there any other advice you would like to share with future students looking for accommodation in your host town/city? Though student halls is obviously the easiest choice for a foreign student, if you want to get a flat instead, wg-gesucht.de is a good place to start. However, I would recommend halls for the easiness. Finance How much money did you need on arrival (e.g. for housing deposits, rent and other start-up costs)? 900 at the very least, preferably more if you can 1. Cost of Living Rent (per month): 289 Bills (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone etc.): 10 a month for the phone + PAYG calling credit Books (overall amount spent on books during your stay): 80 Food (weekly): 20 A (simple) meal (in a cafe or restaurant): 10 A coffee (in a cafe or bar):
2 A beer (in a cafe or bar): 3 A cinema ticket: 8 Local travel (weekly): N/A - 67.50 for a whole semester's travel Entertainment (weekly): 20 Any other regular costs: 5 p/w on the student card for printing and laundry, 3 p/w on toiletries/cleaning products In total, how much did you spend per month on average? 550 How would you rate the cost of living in your host town/city when compared to London? Cheaper Please give details. Were there certain things which were more expensive than in the UK, and others which were cheaper? The cost of almost everything was cheaper - food, rent, entertainment, the subsidised transport. Only if you needed health insurance would that be an additional expense. 2. Working Is supplementing your income through part-time work a viable option?
If yes, do you have any advice about what type of work to look for, or where to look? Please give the names of any employers or agencies you worked for, and any newspapers, websites or notice boards you would recommend: The university has some noticeboards with work on, but that is all I know of. Most people with part-time jobs work in one of the numerous bars of cafes. There is limited work available as a student helper in the university, but I don't know how you apply. My best advice for supplementing income is by applying for housing benefit at the Sozialamt - you need to provide all the documents for matriculation, plus proof of income and a bank statement, and sign a form, and you will receive a certain amount extra per month towards rent. I personally got 117 a month, which makes a difference. Does your host institution help with finding part-time work? Some jobs offered through uni and via ad boards/emails 3. Banking Did you open a bank account in your host country? If yes, was it easy to open an account? Please describe the process and what documents were needed. Did you have to make a minimum deposit to open the account? It was very easy - I simply went in, and they opened it there and then, and sent me all the extra bits, like online banking stuff and my card, later on in the post. They needed a passport, but that is all. Bring proof of student ID just in case. Which bank did you open an account with? Sparkasse
What type of account did you open? Were there any charges, and was it easy to withdraw money within your host country using this account? Students can get a free account on proof of student identity. Mine was a normal account, that was free for the year with a special offer, though if I kept it longer I would have to pay. It was easy to withdraw money from a Sparkasse account, as their cash machines are everywhere. If you withdraw from a vending machine that is not from your banking group, you get charged, so this is important. Would you recommend opening a local bank account? If so, which bank(s) or account(s) would you recommend? You need it to pay rent, and if you want to get paid from a job or from housing benefit. Sparkasse are good because their ATMs are everywhere, but they only operate on a regional basis - their function is limited just to cash withdrawal outside of the area. For this reason, you may prefer Deutsche Bank, which operates nationally. General 1. Social Factors (Opportunities and Ease of Meeting People) How much interaction did you have with local students? Not very much - only when I had to work with them, or occasionally with my flatmates. How much interaction did you have with other international students? A lot, thanks to the Beratungskurs. In your experience, what were the best ways of meeting people? The Beratungskurs at the beginning of semester was how I made my initial friends, and then I made other friends through them. I would also meet people whilst out and about and make friends with them.
If you were studying in a country where the local language is not English, how often did you speak the local language? Often 2. Mobile Phones Would you recommend getting a mobile phone with a local tariff as well as/instead of your English mobile? Please give details. Are there any mobile providers you would recommend? My deal with Vodafone was very good - pay as you go, but it would take 10 a month for texts and Internet, which I use more. If you didn't top up, it wouldn't take it, and you would revert to a pay as you go tariff for them. Transport Was local transport good or bad? Please give details of local transport you used: There is reasonably good local bus provision - obviously not London, but regular enough, fairly punctual, and even some night bus provision on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Lots of people ride bikes around Tübingen, though I didn't have one here to do so. Trains to local towns and cities are also very good, and reasonably priced. What was the cost of local transport? Are there any special deals or discounts for students? 67.50 for a semester ticket - unlimited transport in the Neckar-Alb-Donau region with some exclusions, such as IC trains and parts of journeys which crossed into other regions. Did you travel more widely within your host country or within the region? How easy was it to travel, and was it expensive to do so? I regularly visited Frankfurt an der Oder, as my boyfriend lived there, and it was fairly easy and cheap to do so. Getting a Bahn Card made train connections cheaper, and car
sharing is very popular - I could find journeys from Stuttgart to Berlin for as little as 30, and it would usually be quicker than a train, wher you'd have to find a superadvance deal to get a journey as cheaply. As for the local region, a lot was covered by the semester ticket, and where it wasn't, tickets would not be too expensive. Stuttgart in particular is well-connected, both within Germany and to other European cities like Salzburg, Paris, and Budapest. Life in your Host Country Please comment on the social life and entertainment in your host city/country, or any other aspects of life there which you would like to share: I had a very good social life while I was here. There are a huge range of bars, cafes and restaurants in Tübingen, some of which took me a lot of time to discover. Though small, there are a small number of cinemas and theatres, if your German is good enough, and sometimes film would be screened in English with German subtitles, if it isn't. Particularly in summer, the natural surroundings are also very nice, and enjoyable in their own right. Is there any advice you would give to someone preparing to live in your host city/country? Prepare yourself for a lot of bureaucracy, fastidious recycling, weird opening hours, and next to nothing being open on a Sunday. Whilst there are a few things about German culture which can differ from English culture, we are more alike than you might suspect. Get a Bahn Card and apply for Wohngeld to save money on rent and travel. If you have any health problems, take advantage of German doctors, as they're really good. Did you experience any problems/difficulties while living in your host city which you would like to share with the Study Abroad Team?
I did experience a small amount of street harassment, particularly in summer, but not much more than I did living in Wood Green last year. Study Abroad - Summary Did you find your year abroad rewarding academically? Please give reasons for your answer: I did a wide range of courses that explored areas of my subject I couldn't at UCL, and one of them even inspired the beginnings of my dissertation, which I'm currently discussing with a potental supervisor. I also did some courses unrelated to linguistics which were hugely enjoyable, and I got to improve all three languages that I speak (French, Russian, and German.) Did you find your year abroad rewarding in non-academic respects? Please give reasons for your answer: I definitely changed as a person while I was out here, and feel a lot more confident about myself and other people. How would you rate your year abroad experience overall? Very good Please give reasons for your answer: After a slow start, I really grew to love the town and the people in it, and I always enjoyed what I was studying. There are a lot of aspects about Germany I missed even on my holidays at home, so I'll be sad to leave them for good at the end of the year. Do you feel that you have developed skills which will be of use to you in future?
a) My cultural awareness: Has increased greatly b) My language proficiency: Has improved greatly c) My independence: Has increased greatly d) My self confidence: Has increased greatly e) My intellectual development: Has increased slightly f) My personal development: Has increased greatly g) My ability to make decisions: Is the same h) My ability to explore and create opportunities: Has increased slightly i) My ability to cope with difficult situations: Has increased slightly j) My ability to solve problems: Has increased greatly How would you rate the support you received from your department at UCL during your time abroad? Poor Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
It would sometimes take months for my questions to be answered, and after the one document near the start of semester, I received little to no information about departmental requirements. I had one meeting with my personal tutor while I was back in the UK, which was useful, but I had to get other department members to remind him to organise the meeting, and I was lucky enough that I had a long Easter break in which to see him. I'm still baffled about some aspects of my Year Abroad requirements (particularly the project) now. A staff member solely devoted to Year Abroad administration would be useful for the department, especially if they want to promote the Year Abroad programme - it is currently little advertised and under-supported. How would you rate the support you received from the UCL Study Abroad Team during your time abroad? Satisfactory Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: Though I did not need much from the Year Abroad team while I was away, they were always regularly keeping in touch, and in the one time I saw them whilst home for Easter, they were very helpful and understanding of my situation. Are there any other comments you would like to make?