Where to go on Erasmus? Tips on how to choose

L-aħħar aġġornament sar fi It-Tlieta, 28/02/2023

I always knew that my course offered an opportunity to do study abroad but I was still full of questions, when the time came, on how to decide on what University to chose - in this article I list the different criteria that I used to choose my Erasmus placement

The call came out in January along with Summer Internships and Exams! This meant that I had a lot of different things happening at the same time which was not ideal! If I had my time again, I probably would have started researching earlier!

With my particular course, there was a choice of approximately 25 colleges in different countries – some in Europe, some in Asia and some in Canada. I decided fairly quickly to concentrate on those in Europe as I knew that I could apply for the Erasmus grant which would help with the cost of living abroad.

I had to pick my top 10 courses and put the courses in order of preference. It seemed an impossible task!! However, with advice from Erasmus students who had gone before and some thinking of my own, I picked my choice in order of Preference and was very happy when I received my offer. The research definitely added to the success!

Here are the criteria that I used to put the list of courses in order.....

(1) What Country?: consider each country with positives/ minuses - cost of living? location in Europe ? Are there other countries you can visit while you are there? what countries appeal to you? Do you have a language you would like to learn/improve? 

(2) Cost of Living - your money goes further in different countries - it is important to make a list to calculate cost of living in each country and the amount of money you need to survive per month; accommodation/ Food/ Public transport ticket/ socialising

(3) What kind of city are you looking to live in? in terms of size/population. Do you want a smaller, close-knit community or a larger city with lots of options and events? 

(4) Where is your host university/city located?  Where is the nearest airport/port/Eurostar connection? How much do flights cost from the surrounding airports? Are they regular? For example for my flights from Dublin -> Charleroi Brussels were generally €10-20 and went every day. 

(5) University Course - is it through English? Is that important? Are the modules interesting/ useful to your qualification?

(6) Funding - depending on where you go (country of destination), you will receive a different amount of Erasmus funding. Also, find out if you can get government subsidies in your host country? for example when I was in France once I applied for CAF payments (available to all students) I got €150 off my rent every month. 

(4) Is there a strong Erasmus Student Network/international society at your chosen university or city? Do these organisations plan trips to other cities or destinations? This can be a nice addition to the experience. 

(6) What is the crime rate like in the area you are looking at? This is more to do with the area in the city you’re looking to live in, rather than the city itself.

(7) If you can, choose according to your interests. Are there sporting events, museums, sport clubs in the city you want to join or go to? 

I have listed out the things I used to help me decide - but you may have other things that are important to you. Just make the list, spend time researching using your own criteria, talk to people - but most importantly, Just Go For It!

Thank you to Aleesha and Thomas whose experience and tips added to this article!