Erasmus

Tom65

I'm thinking of doing an Erasmus next year, I was wondering if anyone here has done one, or knew much about them. Are they worth going on? What's the criteria they use to choose who goes?

I like the idea of breaking out of the rut I'm in at the moment (even if for just a year), and also it delays having to go from college into the big, bad real world an extra year

Stepherunie

It depends on your course how it's chosen.

I went for three months last year and it was based on the numbers applying, our second year exams and an interview.

All but one of us got our first choice.

Singingstranger went to Germany last year so he may be able to give you more detailed info but his erasmus year was a compulsory one.

Your best bet is to contact your programme office who should be able to advise you.

snack_ie

Hey,

I am currently on exchange in Melbourne.
Go for it - it the best time of my life anyway!
I am here for the year, so get to spend 3 months on summer holidays down here so you do what you want - work/travel... Then head back for my second semester or the 1st down here... the calender runs backways
Contact your programme office - for my course it was pretty competitive as there was only one spot and Australia is a pretty tasty destination. They generally consider results and extra curricular activites from first two years of your course... My results wern't exceptional though, but were decent however I do, do alot of sport and other stuff which helps...
There were interviews too!

One thing too consider is that coming to Australia for example isnt cheap and there is no subsidy like I think there might be for other erasmus courses, but hey I am not complaining... its sunny and 30 everyday and never rains!!! Life is good...PS University down here is not a dos and is alot harder and more work than at home... Come Prepared!


Go for it... Apply anyway and see what happens

passive

I wholeheartedly endorse this product and or service .

Slightly busy right now, but am planning to write up a detailled journal of my experiences (well... the international office says I have to..) and in any case shall post later with more details, but basically I'm in France, learning the language (more of less from scratch, I came here with mostly forgotten leaving cert French and a little bit of refreshing from grinds and 1 ALC module in UCD) and making a lot of wonderful friends from all around the world.

In terms of getting out of a rut; this is perfect. Change of scenery, new perspectives, experience living alone (my first anyway) and a gateway to travel all over with a variety of colourful and interesting people.

Re: criteria, for me anyway, I went with history, they check your grades to the point of wanting to be confident you won't fail and embarrass them, but unless demand is high there isn't really competition and it's just a matter of meeting a standard, rather than being a wonderfully gifted student.

shall improve this later...

griffdaddy

i'm typing this from the bed of my new Dutch friend on her laptop, in a little town just outside Amsterdam, it's much better than taking overcrowded English lectures in the science block theatres . I couldn't recommend Erasmus/Year abroad highly enough. IF you want to get out of a rut, it's just the ticket. Came to Amsterdam with the English department, and absolutely love it here, thinking of doing a masters here when i'm finished. My whole livestyle is totally different, and the amount of sustained partying here makes ireland look so crappy sometimes. Whenever friends come to visit they get actually angry with themselves that they didn't do an erasmus, the ones who did have such a positive outlook and such a change in personality too, and if they're in Europe too it's really easy to meet up. Don't be worried about meeting new people or anything, it's actually easier than home to break the ice cause obviously everyone being from different countries is an ice breaker. Do it man, it's a year long holiday!

imp

snack_ie wrote: »

Hey,

I am currently on exchange in Melbourne.
Go for it - it the best time of my life anyway!
I am here for the year, so get to spend 3 months on summer holidays down here so you do what you want - work/travel... Then head back for my second semester or the 1st down here... the calender runs backways
Contact your programme office - for my course it was pretty competitive as there was only one spot and Australia is a pretty tasty destination. They generally consider results and extra curricular activites from first two years of your course... My results wern't exceptional though, but were decent however I do, do alot of sport and other stuff which helps...
There were interviews too!

One thing too consider is that coming to Australia for example isnt cheap and there is no subsidy like I think there might be for other erasmus courses, but hey I am not complaining... its sunny and 30 everyday and never rains!!! Life is good...PS University down here is not a dos and is alot harder and more work than at home... Come Prepared!


Go for it... Apply anyway and see what happens

As a matter of interest, how's it working out as regards the backwards academic year there, from what I gather if I were to go on exchange there next year I'd be doing the second half of third year first and then the first half of it with another group of classmates.

I've been thinking of applying for an exchange next year, and Aus was one of my top choices so I've got a few questions I'm eager to get answers to, so sorry in advance :P

Also when you say its a lot harder and more work, could you elaborate at all? For example, is the material presented at a much higher level than what we get in UCD or is it just done in such a way that the student has to do a lot more self-study.

Also do the grades you get over there have any effect on your final mark for your degree? And what course do you do?

Again, sorry for all the questions!

Umaro

I studied in Sydney for 6 months this year, best time of my life easily.

The system is a bit different over there yeah, for starters instead of 40% to pass a subject it was 50% to pass a subject. And there's a huge amount of Asian kids (like 90% of the campus) who study study study and raise the bar for all us poor Caucasian kids who are spending way too much time partying (plz pray for us :-( )

I was doing it for my 2nd Year 2nd semester of Commerce, and my grades didn't count for anything back here in UCD (we were told this before going over). We just had to pass everything. And I didn't even manage that (I blame recreational drugs and laziness). The material presented is just the same as UCD although delivery is a bit different, there weren't that many small classes or small lectures like I'm used to in Quinn. But then again I think Quinn could be the exception and not the rule.

I cannot recommend Australia enough, the friends you'll make, the women you'll sleep with, the love of sport, the amazing beer and nights out (and the subsequent consequences you'll ignore) and the most amazing drink and future pillow in the world: goonbags. One word of advice, don't come back to UCD once you've been... you'll see it for the horrible shell of a University that is and you'll become crippled with disillusionment. Apart from that have fun

snack_ie

Your man above has pretty much summed it up perfectly...
especially in relation to university and asians kids... I am doing Civil Engineering and out of my course I would say maybe 70% are Asian and the rest Australia - who are all really really clever and sly about how much work they say they do...
The last 3 weeks I have had to put in more work than I have ever had too - even for the Leaving Cert where I worked my ass off for the last month - and even still I was still strugling - other exchanges students in my year had the same difficulty so it was not just me! Although saying that I didnt open a book before that, which in hindsight wasn't really a clever idea...
Backwards calender made some engineering subjects more difficult as most subjects come in two parts, and everyone else would have done that the first sem, which I still have to do... so next semester should 'in theorey' be easier

If you have any specific question PM me as I dont really look at this too often... just thought that I would post up my two cent

Tom65

Thanks a million for all your replies, you're a very helpful bunch of people. They've pretty much made up my mind to go. I'll probably apply for the Swedish exchange through the politics department, it seems interesting. My only worry is that I won't get in. I think my GPA is around 3.20 (ish), I know it's equivalent to a 2.1. Hopefully between that and my sparkling wit I'll get in

Brimmy

Anyone here do it in Germany or the US/Canada?

I'm thinking of doing it through History but can't make up my mind over whether to do it now or just get my BA and do a postgrad abroad instead..

EamonnKeane

sums are not set as a test on erasmus

Tom65

Right, I've just sent off my application. Now I play the waiting game... *twiddles thumbs*

Thanks again everyone!

griffdaddy

Brimmy wrote: »

Anyone here do it in Germany or the US/Canada?

I'm thinking of doing it through History but can't make up my mind over whether to do it now or just get my BA and do a postgrad abroad instead..

Another guy here (Amsterdam) from UCD is studying through history, he loves it. To whoever said they just sent off the application, get ready to wait, it can take a while to start hearing back depending on where you're going