Blog by Lisa: The opportunities you don’t want to miss during your student years
- Have you ever wanted to live abroad and experience a foreign culture, meet new people and learn a foreign language?
- Have you ever thought about enriching the period of your studies and having better chances while looking for a job in the future?
- Have you ever been excited to share your ideas and to create good things with other students from all around the world?
Got you intrigued? I bet! But let’s take it easy step-by-step.
What is the difference between Erasmus and other programmes?
The Erasmus Program is a European funding program established in 1987 offering university students a possibility of studying or doing an internship abroad in another country in the European Union for a period of at least 2 months and maximum 12 months per cycle of studies.
Whereas other programmes offer you the opportunity to travel and study worldwide since our university has over 250 partner universities all over the world!
Where can I go?
You can go to study abroad in Europe within partner universities of VŠE, Switzerland, Russia or overseas.
What should I know before going on exchange to Europe?
1 – For more information on every single step of what must be considered before going on exchange in Europe you can find at the International Office’s website – https://ozs.vse.cz/english/going-on-exchange-before-exchange/erasmus-europe/
2 – For more information on every single step of what must be considered before going on exchange to Switzerland check here at the International office’s website – https://ozs.vse.cz/english/going-on-exchange-before-exchange/switzerland/
3 – And check this link on the steps that must be considered before going to Russia or overseas – https://ozs.vse.cz/english/going-on-exchange-before-exchange/overseas-and-russia/
What about the money?
Each student receives a grant which covers partly the costs of the stay abroad. Grants differ from sending and host countries. Your university is required to make the amount of the grant publicly known to students, so you can just ask our International relation office. The grant can often be complemented by regional or national grants.
Students going on exchange pay the tuition fees at their home university.
You should be aware that in most cases, the grant alone will not cover all your life expenses.
What about the visa?
Citizens of the countries of the EU/EEA going on Exchange within the frame of the Erasmus Program do not have to apply for a student visa for their stay in the country.
If a student is a citizen of a country that is not in the EU/EEA, or if a student realizes his study abroad in a country outside the EU/EEA which requires a visa, he/she might be obliged to apply for a visa. More information can be found at the respective embassies.
What about the language?
The link for filling in the online language test will be sent automatically to the student’s university email before the beginning of the study abroad program. According to the rules of the Erasmus Program, if the results of the test show B1 level of the language or lower, the student must take part in an online language course during his/her mobility. Otherwise, the online language course is optional and in some cases, it is possible to take it in the language of the hosting country, if it differs from the language of the study. At the end of the mobility, it is always required to fill in the final online language test.
What about Accommodation?
Host universities are not always able to offer affordable accommodation at dormitories or student residences for incoming students. However, they often provide contacts to other accommodation providers/agencies. VSE cannot help outgoing students to find accommodation abroad. On the other hand, outgoing students can contact students who have already studied at the respective partner university and ask them for advice.