First things first:
I have long since declared that persons who argue that student mobility programs aren’t being used as much as they should be, should first be required to go through the process themselves.
EU programs are pretty good, for EU students especially, but it’s still quite a step. I’m only thinking of the bureaucracy right now… and there are other reasons for hesitating.
Austria is one of the countries with the highest number of students participating in programs for studying in another country.
At the moment, having met many exchange students during the course of the application, it seems to me as if every other student went abroad.
In fact, the number of Austrian students that same article mentioned as studying abroad is 1%.
Yes, one percent. You read right. (I don’t know if the number is right, though 
Language is, of course, one major barrier.
Even if you are (were) not expected to know the respective language before you went, and might still be able to take tests, for example, in English towards the end of the program, it remains a barrier. (Not to forget that not all students know English all that well.)
Quite a number of people wouldn’t want, or think themselves capable of learning a foreign language.
(I’m actually pretty curious to see how those people who mentioned they hadn’t yet learned a second or started a third language will fare with Latvian.)
Secondly, bearing in mind that not all courses might be counted towards your degree at your home institution (although with Erasmus and Campus Europae, they should be), you need to see and want the additional experiences that studying abroad will give you.
Thirdly, following on the above issue, you might need to study longer than you would if you only stayed at your home institution. And in not so few jobs, studying quickly will still count more than gaining international experience. Or you might think it would, although it doesn’t?
(
Recently, this issue has been mentioned a lot in the context of the Bologna process. I.e., the study programs in Europe are to be made more similar, in part by changing them all towards the bachelor-master-doctor system. In Austria, this means that the former Magister is not the first degree anymore, after studying for a minimum of 8 semesters. Rather, the bachelor is the first degree, typically granted after 6 semesters of studies.
So, the first degree takes less time. And many study programs get more school-like, so that you need to follow the suggested course of studies or get into trouble: Many lectures will be split, with the first part in the winter semester, the second part in the summer semester. Therefore, if you go abroad for one semester, you will not be able to attend the ’second-part’ lectures in the next semester but have to take some time out.
In reality, it depends.
On your recognition of the other skills and experiences that you will gain, for example
)
Nowadays, fourthly, being too experienced can actually decrease your chances of finding a good job!
Still, there’s more to it than just this…
Tags: Reflections
