Madrid is a Place, where Tangerines Grow Even in Winter
I am very lucky. This is my fist month in sunny Spain. I am enjoying the local tangerines (those are growing here even in January!) As a participant of the international mobility program I am currently studying at the University Carlos III in Madrid.
Those who have not planned to apply for the exchange programs probably have the doubts whether all of that fuss about the document preparation worth it. I hesitated at first as well. Of course, students are wondering if joining this program indeed can help to go somewhere far away and get a completely new experience. Now I am sure: it certainly does and it is not as hard as we all think. You will receive the support from your teachers and from the International Students Support Unit staff along the way. You are not the first one to go through this process. Besides, the application schemes have been designed to make the process easy and simple for the students. The website contains all necessary information on what to do and when. If searching for funding seems to be the main problem, do not be afraid of it. There are many opportunities to find a grant or a scholarship. I had a chance to get Erasmus+ grant, thanks to managers of the International Students Support Unit.
To find a suitable University, you need to review carefully the Programme catalogue, admission requirements, academic calendars, courses and language requirements. Everything basically depends on the country where you would like to go. Official language certificates are needed for the USA, good academic standing is essential for Germany and France, strong desire to go is necessary for Spain. Of course, you need to collect the documents, but the templates are on the website. In fact, your motivation letter is the only thing you need to create completely on your own.
Note, even after receiving a nomination for the exchange programme there is no time to chill. A lot of important things need to be done. Believe me, these matters cannot be delayed. It was very difficult to catch up with all things at once: housing confirmation, student visa, passport renewal etc. But if you do everything on time, you will not have any problems. Some difficulties may appear, but any problem has a solution: as a proof, here I am. Finally, the moment comes. I travel to another country, meet new people, experience new culture. I was a little bit scared at the beginning, but now I realize that was in vain.
Now I got used to my life here. I believe that I will pick up the language soon, get the right feeling of the culture, get involved in the University life and meet new students. Now it is the time to live through new experiences, pleasant meetings, amazing discoveries and exciting journeys. I will participate in everything I can, opening new world and new people. There is still a lot of time left and I strongly believe that such an unforgettable experience will remain forever in my soul.
With the warmest wishes,
Julia Gurova, Faculty of Economic Sciences