Category Archives: Hints & Tips

Green Mobility

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The Erasmus & Study Abroad Office (ESAO) is pleased to finally introduce our ‘Green Mobility’ project – a pilot plan of action to help ESAO align our activities with the University of Reading’s institutional strategy (2020-26).

Green mobility logoThe strategy states that it is our institutional: “… long-term ambition to be the greenest university in the UK, we will lead by example and commit to genuine carbon neutrality by 2030…”. (https://www.reading.ac.uk/about/strategy.aspx )

We want Study Abroad – both ‘import’ and ‘export’ – to contribute to this long-term commitment.

The initial 24-month project is a flexible plan, aimed at supporting more environmentally friendly study and staff mobility abroad, and international education opportunities at home. It will include:

  1. Making a financial contribution to offset or inset (to be decided in conjunction with UoR Sustainability) our CO₂ emissions for every outgoing and incoming student mobility managed by ESAO, taking place in 2021/2 and 2022/3.
  2. Mandating that all Erasmus+ staff mobilities or trips funded by ESAO fully offset the return trip(s) at time of booking with the UoR Travel Management company.
  3. Raising student awareness about more environmentally friendly ways of travel and the importance of compensating for CO₂ emissions, as a routine part of Study Abroad promotion and preparation.
  4. Working with our partners to offer something reciprocal, so that our collective actions will help positive actions that might exceed the CO₂ emissions generated.
  5. Investigating the possibilities for creating climate change and sustainability pathways, sessions, activities and awards, which students studying abroad (incoming and outgoing) can participate in – here, or at our partners.
  6. Supporting greater engagement with virtual / online international learning opportunities, thereby hopefully increasing the number of students that can have a meaningful international and interactive education experience.

We will work with UoR Sustainability Office and other stakeholders at the University of Reading to review and develop the pilot into a more coherent strategy from January 2023 onwards.

We know that what we are proposing is imperfect, but it is a start. However we will learn as we progress, and will utilise the expertise at the University to improve what we do, in order to do our bit.

 

If you have any queries about the Green Mobility project, please contact Marcus Dowse (m.a.dowse@reading.ac.uk) .

 

My ERASMUS experience – 15 years past

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Institute of Education lecturer Dan James recalls his own study abroad experience and how it has positively impacted his career:

So, if you are worried about doing the ERASMUS programmPhoto of Institute of Education Lecturer Dan James in a lab during his German Erasmus experience as a student.e and what it will be like living in a foreign country, that’s the very reason that you should do the ERASMUS programme.  My experience was many moons ago but having started writing about it has brought back many great memories.  Quite simply, living in Frankfurt, Germany for 3 months carrying out my research project was c.  Let me explain why:

The language:

In my first two weeks we undertook an intensive German course and this really helped (I had previously studied a German GCSE). Here I made friends with students from Portugal, Spain, Italy, America and many more countries. During weekends, we would often visit local towns and visit other attractions such as the outside ice skating in Frankfurt. The common language of the group was English which made it easy to communicate.  So, if you are not fluent in a language, don’t worry.  If you are keen to learn and immerse yourself in it, you will soon be able to have basic conversations with people.  I carried a dictionary everywhere I went, and would read all the signs I could. as well as picking up free newspapers to read on the train journey to the university.  German TV often has English subtitles so you quickly pick up words (I watched a lot of German MTV!).  At first, the response from the other person would instantly be, “Woher kommst du?” (Where do you come from).  My reply, “aus England” would then mean that they would then use it as an opportunity to practice their English.  By the end of the three months, I could have a conversation with someone in German and although they could usually detect that my accent perhaps wasn’t local, they wouldn’t instantly divert to English.

Living in a house with international students:

I was living in a house with two other German students.  This was a new experience for me as before then I had been living in halls.  I asked them to speak to me in German but when I didn’t understand we spoke in English and their English was so good.  They introduced me to many German delights such as Gluhwein and Bratwurst at the German Christmas markets. To say thank you for their patience with me, I attempted to cook them a ‘full English breakfast’.  However, doing this was not quite the same thing when using German sausage and bacon!  You quickly learn to translate the cooking instructions (or not) on the side of packets, although that doesn’t excuse me cooking a pizza with the plastic bottom still on!

The lab:

I was working in a lab with a very international mix of students and in my first couple of weeks there we went to the Alps in Austria for a team conference.  I say conference…there were some talks from the group and then in the afternoon we would hike a mountain or play volleyball, followed by lots of weiss beer.  Again, this was an opportunity to make friends.  It was a really great experience working in a proper research lab and learning new techniques.  I would have also been working in a lab in my home university but here I had one-to-one supervision from my supervisor.  I don’t think I would have received this level of support from my home university.  I want to stress, this one-to-one supervision was unique to this situation and helped me learn so much but not something you should expect as part of your ERASMUS time.

Travelling / the Oktoberfest

Photo of a public square in Frankfurt, GermanyOne of my new lab friends, Jin (from China) and I, decided to travel to the Oktoberfest in Munich.  As we couldn’t afford the rail fare for the intercity we took the local trains.  10 hours later at about 9pm, we made it!  This was our first mistake.  As we were so late all the beer tents were packed and we couldn’t get in.  Our second mistake was not booking any accommodation (and there wasn’t any available).  We ended up sleeping (or trying to sleep) on a park bench in a freezing cold October night.  I don’t think I have ever been so cold!  However, it was nothing that a couple of pints of pilsner and a weisswurst for breakfast couldn’t sort out. And I still remember the song that people were singing in the tube on the exit from Munich!

Activities outside of studying:

At the time, I was also a competitive trampolinist. I found a club in Frankfurt that was coached by the German National Youth Coach.  I was trampolining with a Ukranian international who I was in awe of as well as some kids who used to go, “schau mal” (look at me).  I was invited to a German squad demo exhibition.  Here the best German trampolinists were competing inside a ferrari garage in Frankfurt.  It was surreal.  I had to pinch myself.  I was watching elite athletes in my sport, surrounded by expensive cars, in a different country.

When I came back / what happened afterwards.

I was able to do a German proficiency exam and scrape a pass which was added to my degree transcript.  However, some people go to Germany and don’t speak a word of German the entire time they are there.  You can survive without, but for me it was an important part of immersing myself in the culture.

Most importantly, it gave me a renewed energy for my studies.  After 3 years, I had become jaded and my final year, including my ERASMUS Autumn term was definitely my happiest and most focused year.

It is only through having this experience that in my later adult life, I decided to have a gap year where I went to become a ski instructor in Austria for a season.  I had to do the ski instructor course and sit the exam in German – it was hard work.  The best bit was a beat some of the native speakers in the theory exam!  Without my ERASMUS experience, I am not sure if I would have been happy to travel to a country by myself with no certainty of work.

 

This is the first time I have recounted some of these stories from 15 years ago.  That is what the ERASMUS programme gave me…unique experiences and an understanding of another country and its people.  I would absolutely make the same choice if I could go back in time.

 

As a result, I am now passionate about supporting the Study Abroad students in the Institute of Education and would love to hear from any of our home students from the IoE in Reading who are interested in talking about doing ERASMUS next year, whether that be in Germany or elsewhere.  I might even tell you the stories that I couldn’t tell here! 🙂

Study Abroad Programme Hints & Tips

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Arriving soon to join the Study Abroad Programme? Here are some useful hints and tips to be aware of!

Packing:

  1. Pack an empty shoebox in your suitcase, so that you have space for souvenirs from your life in the UK when you return home.
  2. Bring some small mementos from home to personalise your room and make it your own.
  3. You will be able to access the books, journal articles and other resources you need for your modules through the University Library, so no need to buy books and bring them with you. If you do find when you get here that you’d like to buy a book, the student bookshop on campus, Blackwell’s, sells many second hand books.

Money:

  1. Most shops and businesses in the UK will accept debit / credit cards, for contactless and chip and pin payment. The most common card types in the UK are Visa and Mastercard. Some smaller shops may charge you for card transactions below a certain amount, e.g. £5.
  2. If you’re bringing some UK cash (Pound Sterling / GBP / £), try to avoid bringing £50 notes, as these are not widely used or accepted by shops and other businesses. If all you can get are £50 notes, you may be able to change these for smaller denomination notes (£5, £10, £20) at a bank, Post Office, or bureau de change.

Travel:

  1. Reading Buses, the bus company for the town of Reading, runs many bus service 24 hours, 7 days per week. This includes the University buses 21 and 21a.
  2. Get a Railcard if you’re planning to use the trains. Which card you can get depends on your age: either the 16 – 25 Railcard, or the 26 – 30 Railcard. Students over 30 can apply for the 16 – 25 Railcard as a mature student. Both give a third off in discount on many regular rail fares.
  3. Reading has very good public transport links to major UK airports. Use the RailAir coach service to travel between Reading and Heathrow Airport. Use the Great Western Railway train service to travel between Reading and Gatwick Airport.

Modules & Timetables:

  1. The process will be different to what you are used to, however the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office (ESAO) team are here to help.
  2. Be prepared to be flexible: sometimes the timetable will prevent certain combinations of modules, so an alternative will be needed. Make sure you keep in regular contact with ESAO and your home university if you need to do this.
  3. Make sure you follow ESAO deadlines for submitting documents, to make sure that you have the modules and timetable you need ready as soon as possible for the start of term.

Student Life:

  1. If you have housemates in halls or in other accommodation, make sure you introduce yourself to them. Housemates can be a very useful way of getting to know the University and the UK.
  2. Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) is run by students, for students. Make sure you keep up with what’s going on there via their website, social media, and posters in the RUSU building.

If you have any other hints and tips, please let us know via studyabroad@reading.ac.uk!