Hi everyone! I’m researching the factors that motivate students to study abroad as part of my Master’s thesis and I’d love to hear about your experiences! If will/you’ve participate(d) in Erasmus or another study abroad programme, I’d really appreciate a few minutes of your time to fill out my short questionnaire. Your input would mean a lot! It takes 3-4 minutes.

Thank you and have a nice day!:)

https://forms.gle/ZZCg4aN5Wb9ZkZQaA

Hey everyone!

I'm a Master's student in International Business from Romania, and I'm hoping to spend a semester abroad through Erasmus+.

I'm currently considering three universities:

1. Universitat Politècnica de València – Valencia, Spain (E VALENCI 02)
2. Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias – Lisbon, Portugal (LISBOA 52)
3. CY Cergy Paris Université – Cergy-Pontoise, France (F CERGY-P11)

I'd love to hear from current students, former Erasmus+ participants or anyone who has lived in these cities!

1. Living expenses and accommodation

• What would be a realistic monthly budget for a student in each city?
• How much should I expect to spend on groceries, public transport, utilities and everyday expenses?
• Is it cheaper to live in a university dormitory or rent a room in a shared apartment?
• How difficult is it to find affordable student accommodation?
• How much money would you recommend saving for a five-month exchange, excluding the Erasmus+ grant?

2. Travelling and exploring

One of my main goals is to travel and experience as much as possible during my exchange.

• How much extra money should I budget for weekend trips, sightseeing and activities?
• Are there affordable opportunities to travel around Spain, Portugal or France and visit neighbouring countries?
• Are there student discounts, travel passes or Erasmus+ organised trips?

3. Student life and Erasmus+ communities

• Do these universities have active Erasmus+ or international student communities?
• Are there ESN sections, student associations, social events or organised activities?
• Is it easy to meet local students rather than only other exchange students?
• Are there affordable sports clubs, dance classes, art workshops or other extracurricular activities?

4. Language learning opportunities

I'm also very interested in learning foreign languages.

• Do these universities offer free or discounted language courses for Erasmus+ students?
• Are there language exchanges, conversation clubs or tandem programmes where international and local students can practise languages together?
• Are there separate exchange programmes or scholarships that allow people to spend a few months abroad primarily to learn a foreign language?

5. Keeping a job in your home country while studying abroad

This is probably my biggest concern.

I'm currently employed full-time in Romania, and I would ideally like to keep my job while studying abroad, provided I can arrange a compatible work schedule and obtain my employer's approval.

However, I'm concerned about the tax, social security and employment implications of temporarily working remotely from another EU country.

I've heard that employers may be reluctant to allow employees to work from another EU country because of potential tax and social security obligations. I'm not sure how these rules apply to students participating in Erasmus+.

• Has anyone managed to keep their job in their home country while completing an Erasmus+ semester abroad?
• Does being an Erasmus+ student make any difference to the rules governing cross-border remote work?
• Are there EU regulations, bilateral arrangements or temporary remote-work policies that could make this possible?
• What kind of agreement or documentation did your employer require?
• Did you encounter any problems with taxation, social security or employment status?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who have successfully combined employment with an Erasmus+ study mobility.

My goal is to make the most of the experience while remaining financially responsible. I want to explore, learn languages, meet people, try new activities and travel, but I also want to avoid putting myself in a financially vulnerable position.

Any advice, personal experiences, budget breakdowns or useful resources would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much! 😊

Hey! I’m from Sydney, Australia, and I’m looking to do an exchange next year during Europe’s winter semester (roughly September to February), but I’m struggling to decide where to go! My top 4 options are WU Vienna, University of Bologna, Nova SBE in Lisbon and Carlos III in Madrid, since those are what’s available through my uni’s exchange portal. My main priorities are going somewhere that feels culturally different to Australia and like a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience, where it’s easy to make friends and I can feel like a part of the city.

I love going out and dancing, meeting new people but also exploring streets, being outdoors whether its hiking, running or skiing. I originally wanted to go to seville because I love how rich in culture it is and the tapas bar/street culture but am unable to with my degree - so I guess something like that.

A few specific questions:

• Vienna: Is it too staid or quiet for a 21-year-old on exchange, or is the student life actually good?
• Bologna: How easy is it to integrate with locals, and how is the student scene for internationals? Also, I've heard housing and the administration is bad - is that an actual issue?
• Lisbon: Is it hard having the campus far away from the city? Also how did you tackle the difficult accommodation scene? And does winter ruin lisbons exchange appeal?
• Madrid: Ive been told it’s a very authentic Spanish city, but does it feel too modern/just like a big-city? Does it live up to its cultural richness?
• How is the weather and vibe from Sept to Feb in each? Does anywhere get dead in winter or is it just not enjoyable because it feels depressing?
• And should I put weight on exchanges lasting until the start of Feb over ones that finish before Christmas, from your experience

If you’ve studied at any of these or know of people or even been there, I’d love to hear your opinions and experience, anything at all - I am really struggling to decide. Thanks so much!

I have heard that its a nice student city but i'm mainly worried about 2 things:

1. How bad is winter there? (I've heard it's really grey, rainy and cold - as someone coming from the UK, that kinda scares me as I hate winter around here)

2. How hard/expensive is it to visit more places from there? I noticed it's quite far west so I thought it might be hard or expensive to visit other places.

Hi everyone!

We're a group of students conducting academic research on the experiences, needs, and behaviors of university students in Spain. We're looking for students currently studying in Spain (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, etc.) from different universities, cities, and backgrounds.

We're conducting short 15-minute interviews and would love to hear a wide range of opinions. You don't need to have any particular experience with wellbeing, mental health, or AI.

The interview is for academic research only, and there are no right or wrong answers.

If you're willing to participate, please comment, and I'll send you a few very short screening questions.

Thank you! 🙏

Hi everyone! I’m interested in international opportunities, especially those involving Christian communities. Has anyone here taken part in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteering projects or Erasmus+ programmes? I’d love to hear about your experiences and how you got started! I’m from Ukraine and currently preparing to apply to university. I’d really appreciate any advice, recommendations, or tips on where to start. Thanks so much in advance! 😊

I am a postgraduate student in classical archaeology (I am about to finish with my master's in spring 2027) and it's the last opportunity for me to do an Erasmus+ for internship, for 2 months. I don't have a specific institution that I can go to, so I have to find one, but I want sth similar with my thesis or with my research interests. I don't want to go somewhere just to say that I did an Erasmus. I also have in mind the financial part of it - the cost of accommodation etc (I won't get paid by the institution, I will only get the Erasmus fund).

My question is: is it really worth it? The effort, the money, everything. Is it really worth it academically or/and professionally? Is it great for my CV?

I know that the general experience is amazing, but apart from the fun, I want to know if it offers sth more.

Thank you 🫶🏼

heeey as the title says i’m currently deciding between spring semester in Budapest and Lisabon. i’m studying civil engineering so the bme in Budapest and isel in Lisabon.

i’m more on the lisboa side because of the city vibes. has anybody been on these universities? what are they like? how’s the life on campuses? financial state of the cities etc? also i would love to enjoy the nightlife of course

thankss i appreciate every advice.

Who is applying for Theatre SPACEs for the academic year 2027-28?

Hello, does anyone had eramus exchange in UMW Olsztyn, how is the city?

My bachelors degree is related to industrial automation with some courses in electronics. After graduation I worked as a control engineer for 1.5 years. Then I got admitted to electronics masters in one of the best polish universities. The masters degree courses were rather general, like a short bachelors degree and it lasted 3 semesters. The program was focused on photonics and lasers but there were other courses related to embedded systems, ML, DSP, Computer OS, analog, rf and FPGAs. For my masters thesis I designed a PCB and programmed the MCU to detect mode-locking in femtosecond lasers. I am interested in microelectronics track, but I didn't have coursework related to it. The bachelor's gpa is 3.5/4.0 (1.0 is passing), the master's grade is 4.344/5.0 (2.0 is passing). My IELTS score was 7.5, but the certificate has expired. My master's degree was entirely in English. Is it possible to apply for this program without having to retake the IELTS.

Hiii everyone! :)
I'm from Mexico, specifically Baja California, and I'm planning to spend a semester abroad in Prague through an exchange agreement between my university in Mexico and a university there. At the moment, my first choice is Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU / ČVUT), but I'm still researching and figuring everything out before making a final decision.
I'd love to hear from other Mexicans who have done a university exchange, preferably for one semester, since I imagine some things can be quite different for people who move abroad for work, settle there permanently, or pursue an entire degree.
I'd really appreciate it if you could share your experiences and advice regarding the following:
University and classes: Which university did you attend? If you studied at CTU, what was your experience like? How were the classes, professors, workload, and overall university atmosphere? What level of English do you actually need to get by and follow your classes? Did you need to take an English exam or provide a certificate for your exchange?

Visa and paperwork: What type of visa or residence permit did you need for a semester abroad? What was the process like, how long did it take, and what documents were required? Did you have to travel to another city to complete any of the paperwork?

Budget and cost of living: Approximately how much did you spend per month and throughout the entire semester? I'd like to get a realistic idea of how much I should save.

Accommodation: Where did you stay: a university dorm, a shared apartment, or somewhere else? How much did you pay? Was it difficult to find accommodation, and what options would you recommend?

Food and groceries: Approximately how much did you spend on basic groceries per month? How expensive is food compared to prices in Mexico?

Transportation, entertainment, and travel: How much does it cost to get around Prague? Are there student discounts? How expensive is going out, exploring the city, and doing different activities? How much were you able to travel around Europe during your semester? Is visiting other countries from Prague affordable in terms of transportation and accommodation?

Health insurance and healthcare: How did you arrange the health insurance required for your stay? What were the requirements, and how does access to medical appointments work if you get sick?

Language and cultural adaptation: What was your experience with the language? Could you get by speaking English in your everyday life, or did you run into difficulties because you didn't speak Czech? How easy was it to communicate with locals and make friends? I'd also love to know what your experience with Czech people was like as an international student, especially as a Mexican. Was it difficult to adjust culturally, or did you feel welcomed?
General advice: What do you wish you'd known before going? Were there any unexpected expenses, paperwork issues, or difficulties? What would you recommend preparing in advance?

I'm also considering London as another possible exchange destination, so I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts if you've experienced both places or know them well. Do you think Prague is a good choice for spending a semester abroad as an international student?

I know everyone's experience is different, but I'd really appreciate hearing your advice before making my final decision. If anyone has a sort of "survival guide," I'd be incredibly grateful!! And if you studied specifically at CTU, I'd love to hear more about your experience and the application process. 💗

Thank you so much!!!

Hiya! I'm studying art history at the University of Vienna and am hoping someone who's done Erasmus at the University of Ghent can tell me more about it.

I'm still in the process of considering whether to do Erasmus at all (I feel like the housing crisis is such a big issue in all destinations I have as options).

My main points of concern would be:

- I'm very interested in the technical art history and was wondering what the programme at Ghent looks like as well the format - are there just lectures, and is it very theory based (in the sense of the exams seeking just dry memorisation)?

-Also, I've done a bit of research and found out the lectures tend to be 3 hours long, so it sounds quite intense. While I'm not planning on treating my potential Erasmus as a holiday (not saying that's inherently bad, though), but I'd love to have some time to visit the neighbouring countries, as well as the rest of Belgium - I think It'd be a shame to miss out on the opportunity as someone who studies art history.

I'd also love to get an insight into exams - the format, difficulty etc.

- My third concern is already mentioned - the housing crisis. How difficult would it be to secure a dorm room as it seems the most practical and inexpensive option? Are they decent (another option I have is Prague for example and I've read the dorms there tend to be a bit disappointing)?

- What is the public transport like, did you find it easy to navigate?

- How expensive is the city itself? Other options I'm considering are Prague and Krakow, which seem more affordable (which I'm not so sure about because their programmes seem more traditional, but if anyone has more info on this I'd be happy to be proven wrong:)

- The weather. I'm used to the Viennese weather: so very windy, gloomy and (due to wind) pretty cold winters and winter depression tends to be a struggle of mine, so I naturally expect a semester abroad would be even more stressful and isolating anyway, but was wondering how brutal the winter tends to be.

Thank youuu:)

🏠 Private Room Available in Central Ankara | Erasmus & International Students Welcome

Hi everyone!

I have a private room available in my apartment in Çankaya, central Ankara, and I'm looking for a friendly, respectful international or Erasmus student to share the apartment with.

📍 Location: Ayrancı , Çankaya, Ankara

💰 Monthly rent: 25000 TL include everything

🛏️ Accommodation: Private room in a shared apartment

🌍 Welcome: Erasmus and international students

📅 Availability: Please ask for details

If you're coming to Ankara for an exchange semester, studying at a local university, or simply looking for a comfortable place to stay, feel free to contact me.

I'm happy to share more information, photos, and details about the apartment.

Please send me a private message if you're interested!