10 Reasons Why You Should Take Part in an Erasmus+ Semester!

1. Europe for everyone
   Launched in 1987, the world’s largest support program for international mobility became a catalyst for European integration. Over the years, today's Erasmus+ program has brought together countless people of different ages from all walks of life, from all corners of the continent and even from other parts of the world.
    
2. International experiences
   International experience is a great asset both for personal development and for later entry into professional life. An Erasmus+ semester offers you the opportunity to leave your comfort zone and gain new experiences.
    
3. Intercultural exchange
   In addition to studying at one of our partner universities, an Erasmus+ stay gives you the chance to get to know the cultures of countless different countries. This often results in friendships that last beyond the Erasmus+ semester and go beyond country borders.
    
4. At home in a foreign country
   An Erasmus+ stay allows you to feel at home in a foreign country for once. You will get to know the country and its people from a completely new perspective and after a short time you will feel more like a local than a tourist.
    
5. Change of perspective
   During your Erasmus+ semester you will get to know your own study program from a different perspective. In general, the teaching and the way the courses are organized will be very different from the structures you are used to at your home university. You will also certainly notice differences between the departments at your home and host universities, such as different content emphases, which can be very exciting.
    
6. Language acquisition
   An Erasmus+ stay offers you a whole new opportunity to improve your language skills. In addition to the respective national language, English is usually spoken a lot among the students. This daily communication will expand your language skills, even without actively studying any vocabulary. Furthermore, Erasmus+ Universities often offer courses to learn the country’s language, even for beginners.
    
7. Easy application process
   Applying for an Erasmus+ stay is very easy and the chances of getting one of the places are very high. First of all, you just need to fill in the online application and write a letter of motivation (one page).
    
8. Credit for study achievements completed abroad
   In order to facilitate credit transfer you will create an Erasmus+ Learning Agreement which specifies in advance which courses you will take abroad. Before departure you will discuss with your departmental co-ordinator which courses you can get credits for. It is possible to substitute core modules from the degree programme if the modules abroad meet the same requirements in terms of content and level. In addition, it is possible to credit up to 30ECTS in the professional studies modules (Professionalisierungsbereich).
    
9. Financial support
   The Erasmus+ Scholarship is the most awarded scholarship in Europe. Currently, almost 40,000 Erasmus+ stays are funded by German universities every year. It should be emphasised here that you do not have to pay the money back to Erasmus+. As a rule, you receive a monthly grant and the specific amount depends on the destination country of your stay. You can find an overview of the funding rates here: https://uol.de/en/erasmus/funding
   
   A number of further possibilities for financial support may be available, including the Erasmus+ Mobility Grant (Mobilitätszuschuss). Further information on this can be found at:
   https://uol.de/en/going-abroad/financing
    
10.  Support from the International Office
    Whilst your departmental co-ordinator will be able to assist you with questions about your degree programme, the International Office (IO) can support you with all your questions regarding application process, financial support and other specific questions. The IO frequently offers different events to help you answer many of the questions related to studies abroad. You’ll find more information here: https://uol.de/en/going-abroad

If you have questions for the International Office, please contact Andreas Männle and Karolina Dymek ().

Do you want to know what other students experienced in their Erasmus+ semester and get some advice from them? Then you can go through their testimonials! These are currently only available in German but can be found at: https://uol.de/erasmus-auslandsstudium/partnerunis