Erasmus

Royale with Cheese

Don't really know if this is to do with travel/holidays, but anyway...

Has anybody here done an erasmus year in college before? I'm supposed to be doing a year in Cologne but it's still not sorted (i'm getting fairly fed up at this stage).

Anybody have any good/bad experiences doing erasmus?

twinkletoes

In my experience erasmus is brilliant!
I studied spanish (its a few years ago now) and spent my 3rd year in a university in southern Spain...one of the best years of my life!!The college in both Spain and Ireland just left me to my own devices ie.what classes I took etc. so there was no academic pressure-dont know what your college would expect...plus you should find out the cost of living there etc..
Its a great opportunity to really experience another country,learn the language well and meet new people.

fjon

I did in in '98, and without doubt I still count it as the best year of my life.
As mentioned, you are kind of left to your own devices and can get away with doing fairly little college work. It's a great opportunity to see new places, meet new people, live in a different country, and also simply "grow up". Living by yourself in a country where people don't really speak your language you'll very quickly learn a lot of new life-skills.
You will definitely have a ball. Köln (and most of Germany) is also a great place, which is a bonus.

Royale with Cheese

Yeah, I'm not really planning on doing much college work over there. I don't even take German in college so I'm just doing it for the experience, kinda want to get away from Ireland for a while. Only thing I'm worried about is accomodation. I'm going on my own so I want to be living in student residences so I'm around other students, but they've left it so long to confirm my place and send me the housing application forms that it might be too late to get a housing placement.

twinkletoes

I had friends who went to Paris on erasmus and had a ball they didn't study french..so dont worry about that...
also when I went, I went on my own with no accommodation ready!!!Looking back now it was a bit of a risk but it turned out great..I got accommodation from the student notice board there....to be honest both colleges were very lacking in setting me up but as it happened it didn't matter....stayed in a hotel my first night there.
Maybe you could find student accommodation from the college website???

pickarooney

I spent a year in Aix-en-Provence on Erasmus. Easily one of the best years of my life, and where I met my missus. College consisted of six hours a week and the easiest exams I've ever done (I'd done most of it already in first year in Ireland, but they threw the credits at me anyway). On the extracurricular front, it was also un unmissable experience. Accommodation was cheap and chearful in the student res, though it was a bit touch and go as to whetehr or not we actually had somewhere to stay until the last moment. France being closed for August didn't help with the planning.

Victor

A German friend of mine did it in UCD, shes now living in Cologne.

embraer170

Heading off to Paris in October.
Trying to sort out accomodation has been fun *not*.

penexpers

I spent a year in Lyon in France in 2002/2003. It really was an amazing and quite eye opening experience.

Bri

I spent a summer in Lyon also; really nice place and southernly enough to keep you happy.

keevita

best idea ever. i went to greece, to study english literature! i met people that i hope i always will be in contact with. was traveling for a while with some of them recently. the best 5 months ive ever had, highly recommend it!!!