Having a student year abroad is a dream for most students, especially for language lovers who want to improve their skills and their cultural knowledge. As part of your Masters degree in ALPI , during your last semester you have the opportunity to live out this very dream and move to a country abroad. And by having a wide variety of countries to choose from, you might end up taking classes near the dazzling sights of Rio de Janeiro or visiting the coast of Spain between classes. Albeit exciting, this can also cause some stress, especially if you haven’t lived in another country before. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this blog we’ll address how you can best prepare for this one in a lifetime experience.
What to know before you go
Contact the school
Since your semester abroad will be determined the moment that you start your masters, you have plenty of time to get in contact with the school you’ll be studying in. Address your concerns head on and ask them if there is any special paperwork that you need to hand in, what are the classes like, in which language will you be taking classes, or anything else that comes to mind! Our partner universities are used to these kinds of concerns from international students and they welcome them with open arms.
Get in touch with previous alumni
Given this program has been active since 2010, we have many students who have been in your place before. It's each year the students from master ALPI have embarked on a transformative journey abroad to either Latin America or the Iberian Peninsula. Each of them have felt the same feeling you are going through; all the excitement, fear, happiness and nervousness. Some of them have even written testimonials of what their experience abroad was like during their last semester in the Master LEA Amérique Latine et Péninsule Ibérique program. We also have a dedicated space where students have left their contact information for future students to consult with them. Feel free to reach out to past alumni and chat with them to know what their experience was like during their time abroad!
Freshen up your language skills
As a great rule of thumb, before you go traveling in general, you should look up useful phrases that will help you get around. Since this is a multilingual degree, by the time you have to go on your student exchange, you'll already have mastered the basics of four major languages: French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. According to previous ALPI alumni experience, you’ll most likely have an expert level in at least two or three of these languages. If your student exchange takes place in a country where you still struggle speaking the language confidently, practice phrases such as “Can you help me? Do you speak [language you know] ?” As a language student, you know the drill.
Check out cost of living
As college students, we are notoriously known to live off a budget. And moving abroad isn’t necessarily cheap either. That’s why, before you head off to your new destination, we recommend you check out beforehand the cost of living in that country. Verify conversion rates and how that can affect (or benefit) your experience. Estimate beforehand an average of monthly costs, and see if your student scholarship will cover the expenses or if you will need to be taking some money from your savings as well.
Since this student exchange is mandatory for your degree, our counselors always orientate the ALPI students on how they can apply for necessary scholarships and affordable student housing. They will provide you with the necessary take you need to take to ensure a smooth transition into your student exchange. However, keep in mind that usually flights and transportation aren’t covered for student exchanges, so save a bit of money ahead of time for these expenses.
Verify if you need special paperwork
Before any big trip, you’ll need to double-check if you need any special documents before you board that plane. By special documents, we mean if you need to apply for a student visa or not. As a general rule, if you hold a European passport and your student exchange takes place in Europe, a student visa won’t be necessary before you leave. However, for other countries around the world you might need to solicit a long-stay student visa if you are visiting the country for more than 90 days. This will all depend on your nationality and length of stay in the country. We recommend checking with your embassy to see which rules apply to you, especially if you are an international student.
What to expect once you’re abroad
How your time abroad goes will depend on numerous elements such as the country, the language mixed in with your personal experiences. Everyone's experience is completely different. But here as some things to expect when you go abroad:
Culture shock
Evidently, there will be some major changes in the country you will be placed in, compared to your hometown. Every country has their wonders, but they also have different customs that you might not be used to. And let’s be honest you might even find some of their customs a little strange at first. This means that you will most likely experience culture shock, at least to some extent. Culture shock isn’t necessarily a bad thing, most of the time it's just things that take you by surprise. For example, maybe during your student exchange in Málaga, Spain, you’ll be surprised that people eat dinner from 21h to midnight. Or perhaps you’ll be shocked by the kindness of strangers in Mexico. Of course there will be some aspects that you won’t like about your new location; but the most important aspect to remember when it comes to culture shock is that other countries' rules and customs are just different, not necessarily bad.
Homesickness
Being miles or even an ocean away from your home isn’t easy. Homesickness is very common when studying abroad, especially in the beginning. A great way to fight this homesickness is to stay in touch with loved ones back home. Set up calls with friends and family on a regular basis. It might be a bit complicated at first, especially if there is a time difference between you and backhome. But slowly, as you start to integrate into the new environment, the homesickness will fade away. Sure you’ll always miss your home deep down, but you’ll soon see that you’ll be building a home far from home during your student exchange.
Academic differences
Each country has their own zest when it comes to how they teach and organize their classes. During your Masters in LEA ALPI, you’ll have your time table given to you for the first three semesters. However during your last semester abroad, depending on the country you will be placed, this might change. In some universities the students are the ones who choose the subjects, professors and time slots that best suits them. This type of structure might be a bit confusing at first, but it also has its pros like choosing to have your classes in the morning and working in the afternoon; or having afternoon classes to be able to sleep in during the mornings!
There will also be differences in how you will be graded. Some universities have a pass/fail system, others have many continuous exams or oral presentations, and some have just one exam at the end of the semester. If you want to know which grading system a specific university has, you can contact them beforehand, so that’ll help you mentally prepare for your journey.
Unexpected Challenges
Like before mentioned, everyone's experience is different, but one thing is for sure that your journey will include lots of ups and downs. Be prepared for unexpected challenges, such as administrative issues, transportation problems, or cultural misunderstandings. Don’t get anxious, stay positive because there is always a solution to find. Besides, the most important aspect to remember through your time abroad is that it’s temporary!
Therefore make light of the situation and try to enjoy the experience as much as possible.
It might take a minute for you to feel like you’re at home, but before you know it, you’ll feel like a local and soon enough it’ll be time to leave again! So take advantage of opportunities to meet new people and make friends by joining clubs, going to sports events, or participating in language exchange programs.Overall, remember that the bad moments last only a fraction of the time in comparison to the great overall experience of studying abroad.
Want to know more?
If you're curious to find out more about the student exchanges Master ALPI has to offer, feel free to contact us and we’ll tell you more about them. If you can’t wait to find out more about which university you can check out the universities partners to find out more about the student exchange programs.
This blog was written by Adelis L. Álvarez
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