Studying abroad with Erasmus+

Studying abroad for a while sounds very appealing to many students. Living in Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden or another country for a few months. Meeting new people, discovering a different city and stepping out of your normal student life for a bit. But how does it actually work? What does it cost? Will you face study delays? And how do you know if it's really something for you? 

If you want to temporarily study at a foreign college or university within Europe, you can often use Erasmus+. That's a European program that allows students to study abroad for a period. You usually receive a grant as a contribution to extra costs, such as housing, travel and living in another country. It's not full compensation, but it does make the step a lot easier. 

When you go to study abroad, you usually remain enrolled in your program in the Netherlands. You temporarily go to a foreign school or university and take courses there. Those courses must be approved in advance by your own program. This way you know for sure that they count toward your studies and that you won't face study delays. You often fill out a Learning Agreement for this.  

This states which courses you will take and how many study credits you will receive for them. What exactly you can choose depends on your school and program. Some programs have many partner universities, others only a few. Therefore, always start with the international office, the foreign affairs office or the study coordinator of your school. 

Studying abroad isn't just "a few months of fun away." You also learn tremendously because you're taken out of your normal environment. At home you know how everything works. Abroad you have to rediscover how simple things work: living, grocery shopping, traveling, taking courses and making contact with new people. That can be exciting, but it quickly makes you more independent. 

Another advantage is that your language skills improve almost automatically. Even if you already take courses in English for your studies, you learn a lot by speaking English every day with other international students. If you go to a country where you speak the local language a bit, you can naturally improve that language much faster too. 

Additionally, you're also pushed to work on your social skills. You're in a new country where you don't know anyone. This forces you to step out of your comfort zone and make contact with people you don't know.   An advantage is that many international students are in the same situation: new country, new city, few acquaintances. This makes contacts form easily and you quickly get to know new people.  

Studying abroad can also look good on your resume. Not because it automatically means you're better, but because it shows that you're independent, dare to face new situations and can manage yourself outside your familiar environment. 

Studying abroad isn't just fun. The preparation takes time. You have to meet deadlines, get courses approved, arrange documents and often also search for a room yourself. Money is also important. The Erasmus+ grant helps, but usually doesn't pay for everything. You often need your own savings for rent, deposit, groceries, transportation and fun things besides your studies. Popular student cities especially can be expensive.  

Additionally, it can feel lonely at first. You don't know anyone yet, everything is new and you have to find your place again. That's normal, but something to take into account. You also need to be careful not to face study delays. If your courses don't connect well or you don't earn enough study credits, that can affect your study planning. So arrange this properly in advance. 

Studying abroad fits you well if you're curious about other countries, want to meet new people and want to become more independent. You don't have to be super social or extroverted. But you do need to be willing to make contact and arrange things yourself. Nobody is going to do that for you there 

It fits less well if you mainly need peace, fixed structure and familiar people around you. That doesn't mean you can't go, but then you need to think extra carefully about the destination. A small student city in Belgium or Germany feels different than a big city in Spain or Italy. 

Does living abroad for a while seem appealing to you, but do you mainly want to gain work experience? Then an internship abroad might suit you better. 

Use this checklist to honestly look at whether this fits you: 

If you often think "yes," studying abroad is probably worth investigating. Are you mainly doubting about money, loneliness or planning? Then that doesn't immediately mean you shouldn't go. It mainly means you need to research those points thoroughly first. 

Start with your own program. Ask which partner universities there are, in which semester you can best go and which courses you can take there. Then check whether those courses count toward your studies. Also immediately look at the costs of living in that city. A grant in an expensive country feels different than the same grant in a cheaper country. 

Also talk to students who have already been. Don't just ask if it was fun, but also what disappointed. How did they find housing? Were the courses difficult? Was it easy to meet people? How much money did they roughly spend? Only then choose your destination. Not just because a city sounds fun, but because it fits your studies, budget and personality. 

Studying abroad can be one of the most fun and educational periods of your student time. You get to know another country, meet new people and become more independent. But it also requires preparation. You need to arrange money, courses, housing and planning properly. The Erasmus+ grant helps make the step smaller, but ultimately it mainly comes down to this question: do you want to challenge yourself for a few months in a new environment? If that answer is yes, it's definitely worth investigating.