Year Abroad 2011/2012 chat thread

OP

Original post by johannski

Honestly mostly worried about 2 things: 1. language 2. accidentally offending someone! Trying to learn the etiquette but there is so much!

Well I can understand that...I guess a lot of people speak English though? And the people who really matter will understand that you're new to the country and it's different etc. At least you're making a conscious effort; I'm sure that will be greatly appreciated :smile:

Reply 123

OP

Original post by johannski

x

You must be there now...how is it?!

Reply 124

OP

Eugh...I'm ill and it's making me feel homesick for the first time in my life. It's not fun.

Reply 125

-honeybee-

Original post by Digitali

Hi. I'm not even at uni yet but the course I hope to study at Leeds offers an optional year to study abroad. I've been looking into this and I thought it would probably be best to work out how much it will cost and if I need to start saving now.

My choices would definitely be in the U.S or Canada so Erasmus funding is out of the question, also funding from my parents is not an option either. I have a few questions to ask if you don't mind. :colondollar:

•

Do Student Finance cover the £900 tuition fee to Leeds for that year??

•

Would my Student Finance maintenance loan still apply abroad?

•

Where do you stay when the university closes for Easter and Christmas? Paying for flights home during those periods would cost a great deal of money.

If I have to pay for the accommodation out of my pocket, it's going to be pretty expensive on top of the passport/visa fees, travel/health insurance, living costs and incredibly over priced flights. :frown:

Yes to the first 2 questions. You may be eligible for a travel grant as well.

For your last question - presumably you'd stay in your halls/accomdation (same as what internationals do here) although I imagine most people would want to come home for Christmas at least.

Reply 126

GooseNation

Original post by Digitali

Hi. I'm not even at uni yet but the course I hope to study at Leeds offers an optional year to study abroad. I've been looking into this and I thought it would probably be best to work out how much it will cost and if I need to start saving now.

My choices would definitely be in the U.S or Canada so Erasmus funding is out of the question, also funding from my parents is not an option either. I have a few questions to ask if you don't mind. :colondollar:

•

Do Student Finance cover the £900 tuition fee to Leeds for that year??

•

Would my Student Finance maintenance loan still apply abroad?

•

Where do you stay when the university closes for Easter and Christmas? Paying for flights home during those periods would cost a great deal of money.

If I have to pay for the accommodation out of my pocket, it's going to be pretty expensive on top of the passport/visa fees, travel/health insurance, living costs and incredibly over priced flights. :frown:

Hello

I'm about to embark on it all so I have a rough idea of the answers to your questions.

Do Student Finance cover the £900 tuition fee to Leeds for that year??
- yes. You pay your tuition fees to your home university just as normal, and therefore you receive your loan in exactly the same way.

Would my Student Finance maintenance loan still apply abroad?
- yep. as you're still within the UK education system you still receive the financial benefits. you are also eligible for a travel grant if you're going for more than 50% of that academic year.

Where do you stay when the university closes for Easter and Christmas? Paying for flights home during those periods would cost a great deal of money. - i've researched ten north american universities that i may want to study at and all of them allow you to stay over summer and christmas months.

If I have to pay for the accommodation out of my pocket, it's going to be pretty expensive on top of the passport/visa fees, travel/health insurance, living costs and incredibly over priced flights. :frown:

the travel grant that i mentioned earlier will help you with many of these. you can fully claim back any medical fees, which includes immunisations and health insurance. the travel grant also partially covers any travelling costs including flights. you are expected to pay the first £303 but anything after that they pay. So effectively, the most a flight will ever cost you if you do want to return on holiday periods is £303.

i hope this helps and if you have other questions let me know! :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 127

OP

Hi everyone! Would be good to have some updates from you all, hear how it's going etc, if you're not too busy having amazing fun :biggrin:

I don't know about you guys, but I'm finding I'm doing too much socialising/having fun and pretty much no work at the moment...oops.

Reply 128

Original post by >Anna<

I think you're out there now...how's it going?

I went to the Carlsberg 200th birthday thing today, which was good fun. My friends and I sat down next to this group of middle-aged men, though, and they kept trying to give us drinks and one invited us for dinner at his house and gave my friend his number. It was kind of creepy, but I wasn't sure if he was just genuinely being really nice...is this normal in Denmark?!

I am definitely out here now and it’s amazing! So many nice people, so many great parties. Classes haven’t started yet so so far it’s all fun and games :P

And no… no that is not normal, that is definitely creepy. They must’ve been pretty drunk :wink:

Sounds like good fun though. Some of my friends went and said it was a great day.

How’re things in Copenhagen?

Reply 129

OP

Original post by CPH<3

I am definitely out here now and it’s amazing! So many nice people, so many great parties. Classes haven’t started yet so so far it’s all fun and games :P

And no… no that is not normal, that is definitely creepy. They must’ve been pretty drunk :wink:

Sounds like good fun though. Some of my friends went and said it was a great day.

How’re things in Copenhagen?

Ah, glad you're having a good time! I bet you can't believe how cheap it is?! Haha. Have you had any culture shock?

Yeah, I think he was pretty drunk, but not rolling around on the floor or anything. He was supervising his kids and doing an ok job of it! We never called him though, shockingly! :p:

Copenhagen's good, thanks! Transport's been a bit of a nightmare for the last week, with the cykling VM, but it should be back to normal now. Ended up walking home alone from Noerreport to Bispebjerg St at 2am on Monday :nothing:

Was quite impressed that I only got approached/stopped by 1 weirdo though! Going out far too much! Having lots of weird experiences with Danish guys (one came over to me in a bar, put his arm behind me and leaned in and then didn't say anything?!)

Reply 130

Original post by >Anna<

Ah, glad you're having a good time! I bet you can't believe how cheap it is?! Haha. Have you had any culture shock?

Yeah, I think he was pretty drunk, but not rolling around on the floor or anything. He was supervising his kids and doing an ok job of it! We never called him though, shockingly! :p:

Copenhagen's good, thanks! Transport's been a bit of a nightmare for the last week, with the cykling VM, but it should be back to normal now. Ended up walking home alone from Noerreport to Bispebjerg St at 2am on Monday :nothing:

Was quite impressed that I only got approached/stopped by 1 weirdo though! Going out far too much! Having lots of weird experiences with Danish guys (one came over to me in a bar, put his arm behind me and leaned in and then didn't say anything?!)

Omg it’s so cheap!! I got a double vodka for £2, that has never happened in my life before. It was a glorious moment :P
The only culture shock is the shockingly small amount of clothes British girls wear when they go out :wink:

One of them was actually shaking because she was freezing so much. We had fun laughing at her. Crazy girls.

Oh yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t there for the VM. Sounds horrible! And that is a really long walk, well done! Hopefully the weirdo didn’t scare you too much.
Ahahahaha, oh Danish guys, I kind of miss them, though British guys are quite alright too when they don’t think grabbing my bum is the same as saying ‘hi’.

Reply 131

OP

Original post by CPH<3

Omg it’s so cheap!! I got a double vodka for £2, that has never happened in my life before. It was a glorious moment :P
The only culture shock is the shockingly small amount of clothes British girls wear when they go out :wink:

One of them was actually shaking because she was freezing so much. We had fun laughing at her. Crazy girls.

Oh yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t there for the VM. Sounds horrible! And that is a really long walk, well done! Hopefully the weirdo didn’t scare you too much.
Ahahahaha, oh Danish guys, I kind of miss them, though British guys are quite alright too when they don’t think grabbing my bum is the same as saying ‘hi’.

Hahahaha...that is cheap though, even for the UK! Does this mean you've been getting completely wrecked? I'm amazed at how much Danes seem to be able to drink!
Ah, yeah...I'm loving the fact that people here are quite casually dressed when out. I'm not really into the whole lingerie look! :p:

I think Danish guys are pretty, but I'm finding them kind of weird on the whole. However, I had coffee with my mentor last week and she said that I seem to be having particularly bad luck with men! I take it that it's normal, what that guy did, then?! And yeah...unfortunately English guys will grab you. Something that I don't miss at all!

Scariest guy I've met here was this drunk/psychotic guy who came and stopped outside Noerreport opposite the 6A bus stop, where I was waiting, stripped down to his jeans and started screaming 'Am I wet? AM I WET? Don't you lie to me! Don't you DARE LIE TO ME! I'll kill you all!'...all the Danes found it hilarious? I saw him about a week later, by the 7/11, walking around shouting 'ti kroner!'. Poor guy.

Reply 132

OP

Original post by CPH<3

x

If you happen to be online today, would you mind quickly reading this and seeing if it makes sense? I've done my best but I'm not convinced it's right...the task felt a bit vague.

Spoiler

Reply 133

Original post by >Anna<

If you happen to be online today, would you mind quickly reading this and seeing if it makes sense? I've done my best but I'm not convinced it's right...the task felt a bit vague.

Spoiler

Oh very well done! B2 should be længe though aaand A3 should be 'med hinanden' and 'halvt'. I like that you're actually bothering to learn Danish, it's great :smile:

And btw, that 10 kr. guy is kind of famous with students in Denmark, he's always around, he won't do any harm he's just a freak :P

Reply 134

OP

Original post by CPH<3

Oh very well done! B2 should be længe though aaand A3 should be 'med hinanden' and 'halvt'. I like that you're actually bothering to learn Danish, it's great :smile:

And btw, that 10 kr. guy is kind of famous with students in Denmark, he's always around, he won't do any harm he's just a freak :P

I can't put 'med hinanden' because there's only a gap for one word (unless there's a mistake on the sheet?)...any ideas? Thanks so much for your help :smile:

Thanks! It's really hard and I kind of dread the lessons a bit (my teacher embarrassed me in front of the whole class for about 5 minutes yesterday because I can't make the right 'ooh' sound for 'uge') but I'm determined!

Haha, after the 2nd time I saw him I did wonder if he was a regular fixture around Noerreport. I actually feel pretty sorry for the guy!

Have you started classes yet?

Reply 135

Original post by >Anna<

I can't put 'med hinanden' because there's only a gap for one word (unless there's a mistake on the sheet?)...any ideas? Thanks so much for your help :smile:

Thanks! It's really hard and I kind of dread the lessons a bit (my teacher embarrassed me in front of the whole class for about 5 minutes yesterday because I can't make the right 'ooh' sound for 'uge') but I'm determined!

Haha, after the 2nd time I saw him I did wonder if he was a regular fixture around Noerreport. I actually feel pretty sorry for the guy!

Have you started classes yet?

Aah I just read the sentence again, you can just put 'i', so they have been dating in 2 years, don't know if I'm too late, but yeah :P

I have started classes, but I've been spending way too much time drinking and partying to actually do any of the reading. They seem fine though, nothing that demands too much work so this will be a great semester! Today I am staying in my room with a mean hangover and freshers flu, lovely.

Reply 136

OP

Original post by CPH<3

Aah I just read the sentence again, you can just put 'i', so they have been dating in 2 years, don't know if I'm too late, but yeah :P

I have started classes, but I've been spending way too much time drinking and partying to actually do any of the reading. They seem fine though, nothing that demands too much work so this will be a great semester! Today I am staying in my room with a mean hangover and freshers flu, lovely.

Ohh no

Freshers flu is the worst. Freshers flu AND a hangover sounds hideous. God bedring!

You're not too late...my language class is tuesday and thursday 4-7... :nooo:

And I got the earlier time, I have friends that finish at 9.30! You Danes are hardcore :p:

Thanks so much for your help...I'm hoping that because I did the rest of my homework well, she won't embarrass me with 'uge' too much today.

Any idea if the food places in Christiania are any good? Think I'm heading that way for the birthday celebrations after class.

Reply 137

Original post by >Anna<

Ohh no

Freshers flu is the worst. Freshers flu AND a hangover sounds hideous. God bedring!

You're not too late...my language class is tuesday and thursday 4-7... :nooo:

And I got the earlier time, I have friends that finish at 9.30! You Danes are hardcore :p:

Thanks so much for your help...I'm hoping that because I did the rest of my homework well, she won't embarrass me with 'uge' too much today.

Any idea if the food places in Christiania are any good? Think I'm heading that way for the birthday celebrations after class.

Haha, thanks, we've all been hit hard, so all the exchange students are basically just lazying around, it's amazing.

We're extremely hardcore! I've never had classes that late though, I'm pretty sure I would refuse. Hahaha, awww, I'm sure you'll get it in the end, Danish is a difficult language.

Uhm well, all of Christiania is a bit unhygienic, but Loppen should be quite alright :smile:

Have fuuuun!

Reply 138

OP

Original post by CPH<3

Haha, thanks, we've all been hit hard, so all the exchange students are basically just lazying around, it's amazing.

We're extremely hardcore! I've never had classes that late though, I'm pretty sure I would refuse. Hahaha, awww, I'm sure you'll get it in the end, Danish is a difficult language.

Uhm well, all of Christiania is a bit unhygienic, but Loppen should be quite alright :smile:

Have fuuuun!

How are you doing, trooper?

We went last night in the end and it was really really good (minus an awkward situation that's developed with one of my studiekammerater)! Stayed for something like 7 hours :p:

Oh, and I got falafel which tasted good, AND I didn't get ill :yy:

I love drunk Danes :h:

Reply 139