Erasmus
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Returning to the Bloc: Student Life in One of Leipzig’s GDR Plattenbaus
By Miranda Dreisin, (Universität Leipzig, Germany) Living in Leipzig means living among history – and in my case, inside it – in an apartment block defined by the housing policies of communist East Germany. My block belongs to a type of housing called Plattenbau, roughly translating to a prefabricated building or an industrial apartment block. For decades, Leipzig stood on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, shaped by the socialist policies of the German Democratic Republic. When I chose to spend my year abroad here, it was a choice influenced by my desire to better understand the history that is strongly written into the city. Leipzig’s Communist Past From…
- Application, Canada, Erasmus, Global Guidance Ambassador, Mental Health, North America, Uncategorized, University of Toronto, Year Abroad Travel
Rainy Days and Dealing with FOMO: The Art of Solo Dates
By Isabelle Henaghan, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada Choosing to do a year abroad can be daunting for many reasons. You might end up reeling pros and cons lists on your notes app on the 142 as you reach closer to the acceptance or referral deadline with My Placement. But whether you had premeditated the concern of feeling alone or not, I am confident that it is a feeling that almost everyone experiences during the exchange. Doing a year abroad is one of the best decisions I have made for myself. I have absolutely loved meeting so many new people from all over the world, and I have found the…
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Study Abroad Application Advice/Help/Guide
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Tips for a stress free year abroad
By Txell Borràs, Università Bocconi, Italy, Milano. Uncertainty when entering a new university in a new country, is intimidating and a big factor that can condition your experience during a year abroad. It should be a fun and unforgettable experience, free of worries or stress, to look back at with excitement and nostalgia, so you should not let poor management of your time and exams get in the way of that. Here are some tips for you that I would have loved to hear about before starting my Bocconi experience.
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Reflections on Amsterdam
By Hannah Carter-Moore, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Two days ago I moved back to the UK. There’s a lot to process so please do get comfy and indulge in the sentimentality with me for a sec. It honestly feels like last week since I made the move to Amsterdam in the first place. To put it in just a few words, it’s been a transformative year. The process of moving to a new country, nurturing new friendships and finding my feet as an outsider-turned-local seemed intimidating at first but has turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. There’s something about being dropped into…
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Academics in Amsterdam: My Experience of Studying at UvA
By Hannah Carter-Moore, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Now that I’ve finished my year in Amsterdam it feels like a good time to recap what uni has been like at UvA compared to UoM. If you’re considering studying in Amsterdam for your exchange, these might be some things you’d like to consider. Pros, cons, and everything in between!
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Some things to bring back from your study abroad experience
By Hannah Wheeler, Vrije Universitiet, Netherlands Going back home always holds challenges. Sometimes it is easy to fall back into old roles and forget about the experiences and developments that you have gone through. Even just going back from university to your home city with your family, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. This was something I was worried about when I thought about going back to Manchester after my year in Amsterdam. I was scared of returning to my default student ways. Not that all the defaults are a bad thing, but also some I had grown out of in my year away. Your environment is a…
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Reflecting on my year in Bergen
August 1st 2022. It’s exactly a year to the day since I moved to Norway, or the quarantine hotel in Bergen, at least. And what an incredible 10 months it was. I threw myself into Norwegian life, making the most of the ample opportunities on offer. You can read about some of these incredible experiences in my previous blog posts! However, if I could offer one piece of advice to myself one year ago today, and to anyone about to embark on a year abroad themselves, it would be that it’s ok to go home during your year abroad… Indeed, throughout the year, I felt that there was an immense…
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50 things to do while studying in Amsterdam
By Hannah Wheeler, Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands Here is a list of some of the best things, both touristy and Dutchie, to do in Amsterdam and the Netherlands. I hope it has something that will appeal to everyone: from club recommendations to must try cookies…
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Dealing with emergencies in Toulouse
By: Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France) By this point you surely realize how incredibly fun it can be to study abroad. But let’s be real, it might not always be. All the same, know that if you ever find yourself in a less welcoming, stressful, or (God forbid) emergency medical situation, there are places you can go and seek help from. Here are some insights for what to do if you find yourself in need in Toulouse. Physical and mental health support and advice The best place to look for support and advice related to anything to do with health is the University Medical Centre. All you need to…
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Diary Extract: Trolltunga
by Zoe Watson, University of Bergen Saturday 4th September 2021 My alarm goes off at 8:30am. Today is the day we go to Trolltunga! My flatmate, Charlotte, and I have some porridge together and finish making our food for the weekend. At 9am, armed with big rucksacks and excitement, we take a local bus to Bergen Bus Station. Here, we meet the rest of our group. It’s a very random assortment of people, including Myfi, a fellow Geographer at UOM, and her friends from Fantoft student housing. Together, we have people from the UK, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. We are also joined by Sarah (from Germany), who asked…
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Loire-Atlantique – castles, boats, biscuits and wine
By: Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France) Recently, during our brief spring vacation, I had the opportunity to venture out of the comfort zone of the immediate Occitanie region and visit the very exotic north-west of France: Loire-Atlantique. This cozy département, sandwiched between the unique cultures of Vendée and Bretagne (which also just happen to be historical rivals), is home to a very different side of Frenchness, which is nevertheless as French as can be, perhaps even more French than our beloved Toulouse! And I’m not just talking about the cheese.
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Weekend Getaways, Norwegian Style!
The best part of my Year Abroad experience in Bergen has undoubtedly been the opportunity to take weekend trips. They are the perfect chance to explore Norway, try something new, and make memories to last a lifetime (cringe, I know, but true). Here are 5 trips I have taken, of varying budgets, and different styles.
