Erasmus student report
Name: Abbasova Ruslana Ruslan
Specialization, class: BA International Relations
Academic year: Third year 5th semester
Country and city of destination: Germany, Giessen
Receiving institution: Justus Liebig University
I feel glad to write this short report about my fourth semester i.e. summer semester 2016/2017, which I spent in Justus Liebig University, Germany as an Erasmus Exchange student. I will write a short summary of different stages or steps involved for making sure in gaining this wonderful experience. I will divide the process in following phases:
1. Preparation:
I will say selecting the country and University is a challenging and at the same time exciting task as there are so many well-known partner universities and one has to select the best suited for him/her. The main reason for my choice was that I wanted to improve my knowledge in German language, which I learned years ago but never had a good chance to practice it. Therefore,I went for Germany. The next step was to choose the University most suitable for me according to its location, position in the ranking list and the offered courses. The decision would have not been possible without the Erasmus Coordinator in my home University.Ms. Vanda Sirkeci provided me with all the important information which were crucial in making this decision. I selected Justus Liebig University for myself. Once Idid the selection then the application phase came which the International Student Office who is responsible for the task undoubtedly organized very well. I was provided with the list of requirements very well in time and hence there was enough time to manage the required documents to complete the application package.
2. Accommodation:
The accommodation part was very well managed by the host university. I was given an option of staying in the dormitory. The dormitories are usually located in a calm, green area. All the nearby bus stops and shops were 10 minutes walk away. The dorm itself was divided into floors. Every floor has two sections with 7-11 rooms in every section. In each section there were up to eleven people living, who shared one common kitchen, two toilets and two bathrooms. The rooms in the dormitory were private. It was a good experience to be a part of host culture and learn things in better way and although there is a possibility to rent a flat (a university agency will assist you with that), I chose to take the accommodation in dormitory (250 euro/month). The dormitory administration was very cooperative and was always there to help, be it contract time frame or be it other legalities. The rooms were cleaned and provided with all basic necessities i.e. furniture, internet, bed-sheets, blankets and etc. The dormitory environment was a unique experience in itself as there were people from so many different cultures and countries living all together in one building. There were shelves, fridges and private lockers in kitchen to keep the stuff so it was not problematic to store your products. My dorm was a place where I could always find nice people to talk to and to learn new traditional dishes from. Students always gather up for sport activities like playing football or volleyball in the garden or make barbecue. One other advantage of the dormitory was that one was already aware of and part of all the happenings and gatherings especially the ones related to Erasmus students. And the disadvantage was that because there are 7-11 people sharing one kitchen, it is very hard to compromise on the cleaning duties. However, if you have a strong will and you are confident enough, you can try to find the ‘common language’ with your neighbors and at least half of them will agree with you on improving the hygienic side of the question. Other than that is was an interesting experience which had its pros and contras, but still I will suggest, to others also, to go for the option of dormitory instead of private accommodation at least because it is always cheaper. And for students cheaper means more practical.
3. Academics:
As mentioned,one of my main reasons of selecting the Justus Liebig University was the courses offered there. I could register for many of them. However, most of the courses are taught in German language, so before starting your mobility in JLU, you have to make sure you have a strong knowledge in German to be able to follow the classes. All the reading materials were also in German. There were only three courses offered in English and those were block seminars, which means one lecture duration can be from 6 to 9 hours and usually they take place on Saturdays. However as these block seminars are intensive, they take place only 4-5 times in the whole semester, which means you have almost the whole month to go through the reading material. This curriculum is offered for both Undergraduate and Graduate students of different specializations, therefore class discussions were always very interesting and actual.
The teaching staff was competent enough and was equipped with the required skills to teach or explain something in English language if a student faced difficulties with understanding. Apart from the curriculum,the environment of the class in itself provided a platform to learn a lot. Being in class along with so many international people from different countries of the world, having discussions, presentations and listening different perceptive and ways of thinking was an experience worth. The assessment method varies from course to course and teacher to teacher. Normally the assessment method was a ‘Referat’ a 12-15 pages essay at a chosen topic from the syllabus. This essay has to be submitted at the end of the course. German students usually get two months for their essays, but Erasmus students have to make sure they submit them as early as possible, for the professors to have enough time to evaluate it and for the Erasmus coordinator to have enough time to write your Transcript of Records.Some professors require apresentation along with an essay and some teachers used the method of final written test as a part of the assessment. I will suggest that new students should first attend at least one lecture of every course and then register for that course as else they may not like the course structure or the way of teaching of professor.
4. Everyday Life and Leisure Time:
Giessen is a small city in Germany with a very high student population. There is not lot to do in the city;luckily, it is 45 minutes (by train) away from Frankfurt am Main. All the students receive a semester ticket (ca. 230 euro) which can be used as a transport pass, cafeteria and laundrycard. With the semester ticket, every student can explore the whole federal land and travel to other cities free. But be careful with your card, in case if it is lost, you have to apply for a new one and pay extra 50 euro. From Frankfurt am Main train station, you can travel to any destination in Germany or abroad. Tickets are usually not very expensive and if you want to travel somewhere beyond your federal land, you can get a student discount when you purchase a ticket. Giessen’s transportation system is not bad in general, but buses go every 15 minutes before 6 p.m. and every 30 minutes after 6 p.m. , hence making life a bit difficult, as you can come somewhere either too late or too early. On Sundays some buses do not go at all, so be ready to walk to your campus if you have a weekend class. Bicycle is a way out. Usually not expensive but also not always comfortable transport as in Giessen it rains all the time. They city has something to offer for free time and weekends. There is a museum, theatre, exposition hall some old monuments, lake, parks, cinemas, pool, shopping malls, nightclubs, bars etc. There were a few local festivals with a lot of street food and live music. But my advice: if you want to go for something bigger, travel to Frankfurt. The city also has some traditional, continental, Asian and fast food restaurants. The prices are usually varying from 10-15 euro for a meal. Apart from the happenings in city, the Erasmus Student Network also organizes many trips, picnics, events and parties that are always cheap and crowdie.
5. Conclusion:
I will conclude by stating that this was undoubtedly a unique and life changing experience for me. Every moment was full of learning and fun. I consider myself lucky to get such an opportunity of meeting a lot of people, comparing the studying programs, the teaching methods, to study the questions of migration which is so actual in Germany now. I will thank you very much for providing me with this opportunity and will highly recommend Justus Liebig University as one of the best places to go for an exchange program.