Year abroad - like Freshers but worse !

[Ih8usernames]

Seeking support & hand holding from others whose DC are starting 3rd year abroad & struggling. DDis in Europe, so not too far away,& it's very early days. She's finding EVERYTHING hard & I'm getting tearful calls all hours day & night. It's heartbreaking. Languages degree, so it's mandatory, no dropping out or going back now. Freshers week in U.K. was bad enough, this is same again x 10. Planning a long weekend visit next month, but not sure if that's too soon, if she's just starting (hopefully) to settle in . Bit more complicated arranging flights & hotel, than when she was a 2hour train ride away. 😕

simbobs Your DD may have a page on her uni website where she can find job advertisements for placements abroad. That is how DD found hers and her two friends both from other unis so perhaps your DD’s uni will have one too

Thanks all, that's very helpful.

DS spent a year as a language assistant in a German grammar school and had a great time although there were challenges at first. One of the young teachers was so welcoming, meeting him at the station, driving him to his shared flat & to Ikea for cooking equipment etc. & inviting him to her flat for dinner. The dept organised his hours so he had lots of long weekends where he travelled across the country and beyond, meeting up with those he had met on the induction. In return he more than pulled his weight at the school, going above & beyond what was expected - totally his choice, no pressure. The flat share was challenging at first, he is outgoing but his flatmates spent a lot of time In their rooms, but he persisted and eventually they cooked and ate together some of the time. We never visited as he was always too busy travelling and meeting friends! When he left the school the languages dept. Gave have him a set of books which all the teachers inscribed with personal messages.

How's things going, Atia & others? My DD has just had a long weekend back in U.K. with her boyfriend - I thought it might be a bit soon for a visit, but she wanted to feel she could pop back & see him, that it would help her settle if she knew home was easily accessible, which I can understand. Fingers crossed her strategy will work ... Still no news on the Erasmus grant, wasn't expecting it to be so long coming through.

Hope she settles in soon. A year flies by but it doesn't feel like it at that age does it? My best friend spent a year in Germany as part of her degree course - we still laugh how she returned with a strong Irish accent due to the job she got in an Irish Bar while she was there . She hated it at first but by Christmas was having a whale of a time.

Hi Ih8 - this had dropped off my threads I'm on, and I came here today to ask the same.

Dd is doing ok, much more settled, but still just pissed off with the lack of organisation, etc, can't understand how the Erasmus tutor got the job as she's completely unhelpful - I keep imagining lots of Gallic shrugs

We're going out there on Wednesday, all very much looking forward to it, but a bit concerned about saying goodbye again! She does have a trip to visit a friend also on a French year abroad lined up for after our return though, so that will definitely help.

Did your dd's trip home help? Dh offered to pay for dd to come home for her older sister's birthday in November, but she said she thought she might struggle too much heading back there.