Enjoy being part of university life abroad as an outbound student, where you will be able to use all of your host institution's available welfare, academic, sporting and social facilities on the same basis as any other fully enrolled student. We encourage you to discuss with a wide variety of persons for advice on what life is like where you will be studying during your exchange.
It’s hard to generalise about what student life will be like at your host institution/organisation. Every country, destination and university is different. For advice on what life is like at your host institution, you also encouraged to speak not only to returned Queen Mary students but also to current incoming students from your host institution who are studying abroad at Queen Mary (see below section about ESN Society). You should also read our returned students' amazing testimonials and blogs on Queen Mary Global Bloggers.
It’s also a good idea to look at your host institution’s webpages for advice for exchange students for more information. You can also look at their social media to see whether they have any exchange or international student groups.
While the idea of making friends might seem daunting at first, you should quickly feel at home at your host institution thanks to the Orientation/Welcome/Induction activities they will likely organise from the beginning of your exchange.
After you receive a Conditional offer of exchange, ask your Global Opportunities Ambassadors if they can introduce you to students who have returned to Queen Mary from studying at your proposed institution: they can give you valuable insights into what life might be like there for you as an exchange student and perhaps help you make some connections before you go. You may also reach out to any of our many directly for this valuable one-to-one advice.
Don't forget to read any of our outbound students' many blog posts featured on Queen Mary Global Bloggers. You can find a nice collection of these as well as many videos from our students during their exchanges abroad in the "Student videos and feedback" tab of our QMplus page "Go Abroad, Student Information and Resources."
It’s also a good idea to look at your host institution’s webpages for more information: start following their social media accounts (both the international office and institution-wide accounts) to see whether they have any exchange student Facebook groups or advertise events on Instagram, for instance.
As an exchange student, you also have the international support of the ESN. The student-run Network helps its members feel at home academically and socially in their host countries through a wide range of cultural and social events that help you make friends from all over the globe. The ESN provides a Student Guidebook, and you can find out more about the Network at: esn.org.
The Erasmus Student Network at Queen Mary is a QMSU society and open to all students interested in or participating on any type of exchange. Joining before an exchange is a great way to meet previous participants, get advice and make like-minded friends who have been to or who are from the destination/s you interested in going to. If you wish to join Queen Mary's ESN chapter, you can contact the team via Facebook or email: erasmusstudentnetwork@qmsu.org.
You will also be able to use all of your host institution’s available welfare and sporting/social facilities on the same basis as any other fully enrolled student at your host institution. Look at your host institution’s website and social media to see what they provide in terms of student support, advice and campus activities.
As every destination is different, you may contact the GO Team if you have a query regarding the availability of a specific kind of support at the host institution where you will be studying.
Every one of our partner institutions is different: they each have a unique character and individual strengths.
We encourage you to choose a host institution to which you think YOU will be best suited and where you are confident that you will thrive. Discover our destinations via our Where can I go? page.
If you are interested in undertaking part-time work whilst abroad you should consult visa and immigration advice for your host country to find out if you are eligible to work. You should also contact your host institution to ask if they can provide further advice.
Do bear in mind that you should not count on obtaining part-time employment when planning your finances, no matter the destination - visit our Finance page for more information.
If you ARE eligible to work a certain amount of hours per week, you should also consider whether you would be willing to devote those hours to working, as this would take away from time you could spend studying, adapting to a new academic system, socialising to meet other students, discovering your new host city (and country), etc.
If you want to find out more about what life will be like in your host country, the below websites contain many resources with country-specific information and advice. Some of the websites offer information specifically tailored to students, while other information might be more generally aimed at any expatriate living in those countries: