As students enter their final year of A-levels, many are thinking about what they want to be their next step. Some want to head off to university straight away and get stuck into what everyone says are the best years of your life. But once your degree is over, it’s time to find a job and enter the ‘real world’. It can be hard to create enough space in the modern hectic lifestyle to get out and see the world.
Others take a year out beforehand and spend their gap year travelling the globe, much to the chagrin of those left behind. However, not many people have the savings to just jet off and lie on beaches on two or three different continents for a whole year. A job for a few months is almost a necessity beforehand to build up the funds, which eats into valuable travel time.
I would like to suggest that there is another option which does not seem to get considered as readily as I feel it maybe should: Studying Abroad. I know this isn’t technically the next step after school (most abroad programmes take place after first year of uni) but this is where you can spend part of your degree studying with a university in a different country, another culture, and possibly on another continent. I’ve recently returned from spending a year studying at the University of Auckland (just to demonstrate the type of amazing possibilities that are out there). I met some amazing people and I know I will have friends on the other side of the world for the rest of my life. I also had a chance to study at one of the world’s top universities and learned a huge amount – and not just in physics, as I had the opportunity to take two papers in Maori language. In between the study, I had time to visit so many places, including the tropical island paradise of Tonga.
There are a few different options for Studying Abroad, and they depend on your course and home university.
1. Erasmus
One very popular option is the Erasmus Programme. This is an agreement between 33 European nations that allows you to take up to twelve months of study in one of the partner countries at any point during your degree, except your first year. How amazing would it to be able to spend 6 months in Paris as part of your French degree? Or maybe a year in Rome whilst studying Classics? However, it doesn’t have to be directly relevant to the degree you are taking. Maybe you just love French music, or can’t get enough authentic Italian pizza. You can be studying anything from anthropology to zoology, and Erasmus will take you. This is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in European culture.
The benefits don’t end there however. The European Commission offers grants to encourage students to experience Europe. Details can be found on the link above, but they pay a living costs grant (in addition to any student loans from the UK government) and can contribute a large portion of your tuition fees. Of course, once you are in Europe, your travel opportunities seem endless. Mid-semester road trip across the entire continent anyone?
2. Universities with exchange links to foreign institutions
A second option is to apply for a course at a university that has a year abroad built in. This is how my abroad opportunity came about. Many universities have links with institutions around the world, and you can take full advantage of these links. Each department will maintain their own agreements. For me, Exeter’s physics department has links with departments in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. After choosing New Zealand, I was offered the choice between two different universities. This just goes to show the plethora of options available to those who want to get out there. Often the Universities will incentivise these programmes, by offers such as reduced tuition fees. The exact terms of the arrangement will vary from university to university, so it’s worth doing your homework.
3. Applying to a foreign university
There is a third option, which is to apply straight to a university in a different country and take your whole degree abroad! This can seem rather intimidating, but many European universities offer courses taught entirely in English, and have far lower tuition fees than UK institutions. I considered Trinity College Dublin myself before settling on Exeter.
In short, for those with a bug for travel, or those who simply fancy the challenge of living abroad, there are plenty of opportunities for studying abroad. All you need to do is look.
Written by Harry M, a maths and physics tutor with MyTutor