There was a time I couldn’t see myself growing older, but then I went for a walk…. when I came back I was so much taller

It all started on a normal September day. Pack your suitcase, get on the plane, Summerrain in my face, like snowflakes falling from space. It was so beautiful and then I pass the mountains. . off to the island.

Well, it wasn’t that easy after all. Preparations, applications, formalities, bureaucracy, but everything was only half as bad as the motivation, anticipation and excitement were twice as great. I decided to spend a semester abroad relatively late. Since there were no exchange places to England at my German university, I had to take care of it myself and came across the website MicroEDU. com by chance. Fill out the application form, curriculum vitae, high school diploma (in English and have it certified), letter of motivation, transcript from the university, proof of English (if necessary TOEFL test) and off to the post office. From then on, I was in regular contact with ehuacom, as they actively supported me with my application and always kept me informed about the latest and clarified any ambiguities.

I got my acceptance for the Sheffield Hallam Business School relatively quickly and then had to deal with the choice of course. You are allowed to attend 6 modules throughout the year, there are 10 ECTS per module. In general, the modules take place every six months, so that you have to attend 3 modules per semester. But there are also exceptions in which the modules last a whole year. In the latter case, the exam is only written in the 2nd semester.

Sheffield Business School has a relatively large range of modules. We exchange students have the advantage that we are basically allowed to attend all courses that are offered, i. e. both the modules from the 1st year to the 3rd year, a total of a selection from over 100 modules. Furthermore, there is the possibility to attend English courses (English for academic purpose and British Life and Culture) in which you can also receive 10 ECTS each. Regarding the module selection in general, I can only recommend clarifying this in advance with the German university and getting advice if the modules are taken into account. Decisions during the semester (even at the beginning of the 2nd semester) are very reluctant and in some cases are no longer allowed at all. As soon as you have signed the Learning Agreement, you are obliged to attend the courses.

Attendance is also observed here, which may have been annoying for some at the beginning, but as soon as you get into the “English learning climate”, you notice that the professors here are actually quite relaxed and funny. School atmosphere, Duzen, exercise sheets, discussions, group work, dominate everyday university life, but also some professors like to “chat” with them about football, music, shopping, last weekend. It often happens that you see your professor again on the “pub crawl” or are greeted at lunchtime with a friendly smile and small talk in the cafeteria. A people of helpful professors are at your side in word and deed. If it comes to content-related difficulties, you are welcome to make an appointment, and the professors will be happy to explain again what they want to hear in the assignments, what you have to pay attention to and how you can improve. In principle: tailored to the needs of the students, which you don’t always have at German universities. A plus point to study in England: The good supervision!

I went coast to coast and from star to star. . . that’s how you learn just who you are.

After the acceptance, we started looking for an apartment: accommodationforstudents. com or gumtree. com are 2 recommended internet addresses that you can browse through. And if you don’t want to go looking for an apartment, you can apply for a student residence in advance. Applications for this are usually sent with the acceptance. However, I have to say that the student dormitories are a bit more expensive than in the private sector. This is the quickest way to get in touch with English fellow students. Please note: Mostly first year students, i. e. around 17 to 18 years old. Party, celebration, chaos inevitable. So if you prefer it quieter, I advise against it.

Before the beginning of the semester, the university offers so-called “house hunting”, that means, a few dormitories, houses, 1 room apartments are shown with the private bus. You can get an idea on site and decide how you want to live. I took part in house hunting myself and can only recommend it, as you get to know many foreign students during house hunting. It is not uncommon to share a house with 3. 4 new people at the end of the day. As already mentioned, English students live in student accomocation (first year) or share a house with several people. It seldom happens that “foreigners” live together with the English, as the English usually join up with 3. 4 people in advance to look for accommodation together. No matter how you decide, you will be well looked after by the university and you don’t need to be afraid, if you can’t find anything on the first day, to have to sleep on the street under the bridge;-)

The first weeks in England were for me the Orientation weeks, a program organized by the university, including: general Info (health insurance, bank account. . . etc), pub crawl, night life, student disco, going to the cinema, trips (Chatsworth House. . . ), almost like vacation and you get to know sooo many people at the same time who are on the same adventure with you share a year. But the university doesn’t just offer a varied program in the first few weeks. English conversation club, language exchange are 2 weekly meetings worth mentioning, in which one can improve the English language on the one hand and above all meets a lot of nice people from all over the world. Trips to Wales, Edinburgh, Dublin…. and and and are also offered outside of the university. I took part in the Wales trip myself and can only recommend it very much.

An exchange coordinator is available on site for unit-technical questions or problems (course selection, excerpts of grades. . . ) who is responsible for creating the timetable in the first few weeks and is at your side with advice and action throughout the year.

CONCLUSION: The exchange year at Sheffield Business School was one of the most impressive years of my university career. I did not only train myself in terms of unit technology and language, but also learned a lot for life, had many wonderful memories, and took away impressions and experiences that will accompany me throughout my life from now on. For every fun-loving, adventurous person or just for those who would like to see themselves from a different perspective, from a different environment, I definitely recommend doing a semester abroad. It is an indescribably beautiful time in life and I am glad that I had this experience. Should I have the opportunity again, I would definitely gain experience abroad again with the help of MicroEDU.