Study Abroad Fair: Thursday October 22 nd Great Hall, Aston Webb

Instructions

10.30-11.30 Set up for the Fair11.30-11.50 Packed lunch and t-shirt allocation12-3 The Fair

Setting up for the fair will commence at 10.30am. The Fair will be open to interested students from 12pm to 3pm.

If you can come along earlier we’d really like your help in setting up for the Fair!

What to wearYou should wear a Study Abroad & Exchanges t-shirt (provided, free of charge!) which will be provided with sensible bottoms and footwear. Please no miniskirts or ripped jeans etc.

Mobile phonesPlease turn your phone off during the fair.

BreaksAs you are working for less than three hours there is no legal requirement for you to have a break. Obviously though if you need a comfort break then that is fine but if you could make sure your team on the stand know where you are and you are not gone for an unreasonable amount of time then that would be great.(There will be a break for lunch at 11.30am before the Fair starts at 12)

Emergency proceduresWe will run through these very quickly before the start of the fair so please make sure you turn up on time and pay attention to these.

What jobs you are expected to doYou will all be allocated to the stand of the country that you are from/went to. You will have a backboard behind you which will be decorated in the morning and a table and 2 chairs. You are not expected to spend the whole time sitting down!

You may also be asked to register students at the fair or assist with getting students to complete feedback forms, however this will be done on a rotational basis.

Your main objective is to approach students to ask where they are thinking of doing their year abroad and be positive, encouraging and persuasive to convince them that a year abroad could be beneficial to them. Remember that you are the hosts of this event and as such we are dependent upon you for it to be successful.

How to actThe most important thing is to be proactive and approachable. And remember to smile! Go up to students and ask what they are looking for especially if they look unsure. Make sure you look interested and listen to what they are saying.

What not to sayThe most important thing is to be honest but at the same time positive. The idea is to encourage students rather than put them off so please no horror stories. It is important to be realistic and point out that you need to use your common sense and all cities can be dangerous. All cities can be dangerous but if you follow the same rules that you would do in Birmingham and observe local laws and customs then you shouldn’t have any problems.

Important things to considerEverybody is different and has different concerns. Some people are less confident than others; some will have less language skills than others. Do not dismiss other people’s concerns as unimportant even if it does not seem something worth worrying about to you. Some students will be unsure and will want to do lots of preparation whereas others will be

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happy to turn up not really knowing what to do or where to go. Make allowances for this and treat each student and their questions individually.

STUDY ABROAD @ UOB SUMMARY

Two types of exchange: Erasmus (Europe) and International Exchange (Outside Europe, including Universitas 21)

Birmingham has over 150 exchange partner universities.

We also increasingly offer overseas experiences through various short mobility opportunities.

www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/studyabroad

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I able to do a year abroad? MDS does not participate. All other students can study abroad. In most cases this

means changing to a 4-year programme, but there are several departments that send students abroad for one term within a 3-year degree (Education, African Studies, Classics/Archaeology, Art History, Theology)

Where can I go? Depends on the course they are studying; languages students have to go to a country

where the language they study is spoken (for Hispanic Studies students, this includes Latin America; for French this includes Quebec) and ACS students must go either to Canada or the US.

Some of our agreements are limited to certain subject areas, but there is still a wide selection of destinations open to students in all subject areas.

See list of partners.

How are places allocated? We only have a limited number of places available each year at each of our partner

institutions, as stipulated in our exchange agreements. Academic departments are responsible for the allocation of Erasmus places, as these

are usually subject-specific. The Exchanges Office is responsible for the allocation of International Exchange

places, as these are rarely subject-specific. Where we have more applications for a particular institution than we have available

places, these are allocated on the basis of first-year grades, a reference, and a personal statement.

Our most popular destinations are those in Canada, Australia and the US and the competition for these places is fierce!

How much does it cost? Home/EU students undertaking a year abroad will pay 15% of the normal tuition fee

to the University of Birmingham and no fee to the host institution. Students classed as international for fee purposes and undertaking a year abroad pay

50% of their normal fee to Birmingham and no fees to their host institution. (International 50% of £10-16k depending on the degree programme the student is

studying) There is no fee reduction for a term abroad. Students are responsible for their own travel and living costs. Students have access to an increased student loan during their year abroad and the

foot may provide additional funding for travel expenses. Students undertaking an exchange to Europe are usually eligible for the Erasmus

grant. This is administered by the British Council as and is intended to assist students to make the most of their year abroad. The amount payable varies from year to year but is usually in the region of €250 - €350 per month.  This is only intended to be a contribution to the extra costs involved in mobility, and is not intended to cover all their living costs.

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What is the difference between Erasmus and International Exchange? There is no difference except that there is grant for students who go on Erasmus

exchanges. This includes only EU/EEA countries.

Can I do a work placement abroad? More work placements opportunities abroad are being made available to University of

Birmingham students. Currently this is an option for Business students, and is being piloted in Languages and American and Canadian Studies.

Students undertaking a work placement in Europe also have access to the Erasmus grant.

Some work placements are paid but the level of payment can vary considerably. It is also possible to do an internship at many of our exchange partner universities.

Students take an internship in place of one or two modules, alongside their studies, Our partners have excellent contacts and offer very exciting placements.

Can I do a teaching placement abroad? Students in some Modern Languages departments also have the option of applying

for a Teaching Assistantship. This is a programme administered by the British Council, whereby students spend a year as a language teaching assistant in a school in the country of the language they are studying. These placements also come under the umbrella of Erasmus with regard to fees and the grant. Only UK students can do this.

For further information about work placements other than teaching assistantships you should refer the student to the Careers stand.

Are there any options for mobility outside of exchange and work placements? The University has a number of schemes for short-term mobility, often over summer.

We promote a number of summer schools, for example in Europe and at Sun Yat-Sen University in China.

We also offer students the opportunity to attend prestigious Universitas 21 mobility events, held in different venues around the world. This includes the annual Undergraduate Research Conference, and a number of summer schools gives a chance to learn in an international atmosphere. Places at these events are allocated to those students who submit the best applications – destinations include Shanghai, Connecticut, Korea, Singapore, Guatemala and Amsterdam.

Do I need a visa? Students going outside the EU will always need a visa. But don’t try to provide

details--you are not qualified or expected to advise on this issue. You would be best to direct them to the Embassy in London of the country they will be visiting. They can find this information on the internet. This is especially important for international students.

How do I find accommodation? This is another difficult question to answer as the situation will be different in each

city. You can advise them from your personal experience and reassure them that it is not as difficult as it may seem. In many countries exchange students will live on campus, but where that is not the case we recommend they book a hostel or hotel for the first few weeks so they have somewhere to stay while they look. Also encourage them to make contact with returning students via the Study Abroad Office or their departmental Exchange Tutor

What is the cost of living in ***? If you don’t know then don’t make it up. Again you can advise based on your

personal experience if you have any and encourage them to get in touch with other returning students.

What is there to do in ***? Try and tailor your answer to this question depending on the person you are

speaking to. Don’t assume that they just want to know where the cheapest bars are and the most happening nightclubs. Maybe they want to know about art

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galleries and sports clubs. Try and find out what they are interested in before you answer.

How can I get in touch with someone that went to ***? We cannot give out addresses on the day due to data protection but their

department may have a list of contactable students.

Concerns

I don’t see the point of doing a year abroad. Why do it?You should be able to answer this from your own experience but here are some ideas to get you started:

Developing relevant, marketable skills – problem solving, communication, patience and perseverance, determination, self-motivation, analytical and study skills.

Academic or subject related reasons – experience a different academic environment and way of teaching, and a different perspective on the subject.

Enhanced career prospects – employers more likely to choose you with additional offerings other than just your degree.

Language and culture – opportunity to be genuinely immersed into another culture rather than just being a traveller.

Personal development – increased confidence and ability to deal with difficult situations and unfamiliar surroundings.

Contacts – build worldwide relationships that can last a lifetime and benefit you in years to come.

Fun! – 99% of students that have studied abroad say that it is the best year of their lives.

How do I decide which University to go to?Reassure them that all universities with which we have an agreement are of a good academic standard so they will experience a high quality of teaching wherever they go. They might like to think about things like the culture, location, climate, distance from home, affordability – basically all the other things that may be important to them in where they will be spending a year of their lives.

What if I can’t speak the language well enough to understand my lectures?Speak from personal experience but in a positive way. Be realistic - it is likely that they will find if difficult to start with but improvement is quite quick as they get used to the style of teaching and the type of vocabulary that is used. But—there are many places to go where teaching is in English. This includes places such as the USA, Canada, and Australia (obviously) but also many universities in non-English-speaking countries teach in English (Hong Kong, Singapore, Scandinavia, Holland, Turkey, etc).

What if I don’t make any friends?Again, use personal experience. Come up with ways of meeting people – joining international societies, sports teams, other clubs. International students are always keen to meet other international students so it’s very unlikely that you won’t make friends. Do also encourage them to speak to UK students as well, especially if they are learning a language however rather than just mixing with other international students.

What if I feel homesick?Be realistic – everyone experiences feelings of home sickness at some stage but it is important to throw yourself in and get out and do things to combat these feelings. With email, Skype, Facebook etc it is easy to keep up with what is going on at home these days.

How easy is it to adapt to life abroad?Again be honest, talk about your experiences in a positive and reassuring way.

All of my friends will have graduated before me so I won’t know anyone when I get back to BirminghamThis is a really difficult question to answer especially if you have not been in that situation yourself. However it is easier than you think to make friends on your return. There are plenty of societies such as the Erasmus and year abroad societies where you can make new friends.

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I’m worried about finding accommodation for my final year.Housing services can help with this but it might be a good idea to form an idea of who you may live with before you go for your year abroad.

What will happen if I don’t pass my exams while I’m abroad?You cannot answer this question – this is entirely up to the discretion of the department so you should direct any questions along these lines to the departmental exchange tutor.

Remember - Don’t make up the answers if you don’t know them – there will be someone else at the fair who does know the answers!

Students with DisabilitiesStudents with disabilities including dyslexia are strongly encouraged to contact the Disability Team at Elms Road (disability@bham.ac.uk) in order to discuss their options when taking a year abroad. While we actively encourage and support all students to participate in our year abroad programmes it is important that you are aware of the specific difficulties and challenges you may face while abroad. Some countries do not have the same level of support available that you would find in the UK. The following website gives information on the accessibility of Higher Education Institutions in Europe www.heagnet.org

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