Is anyone’s DC doing their year abroad in September?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 is waiting to see if it goes ahead. She is very stressed about it - if she has to do her third year here she will struggle to find somewhere to live, and the Department will have twice the number of students. There doesn’t seem to be any contingency planning in place.

Thank you - that’s really useful, and she is sorting out the EHIC. Still no news about the accommodation, and she is getting a bit stressed.

DD’s first term (at least!) at uni in Shanghai will be online. She had to register last week. She’s wondering how the timing of lectures will work as they are GMT+8!

Thank you raskoinikova, that is really good news about EHIC. Sent hers about 2 weeks ago, everything so slow at moment.

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/moving-abroad/studying-abroad/

I don't know how to do links properly on here, but this is the website with the student EHIC information for anyone interested.

Oh it's done it as a link, that's good

Belgium is on the essential travel only list 😫

It looks as if France is going to go that way too. 😕

☹️

Spent the day yesterday sorting my out plans b/c/d/e etc.
Looking like Belgian uni but online but possibly some modules from own uni too. Plus now need somewhere to live until March (hopefully second part of year abroad may be ok by then!).

so Drs Doc M, will your DC travel to Belgium?

My DD is going to Spain. We received EHIC today, have insurance and uni are providing some insurance too.

Uni won’t insure anyone who still goes. Belgium is probably safer than here too 😡

DD going to be online now as far as we can tell as borders closed. She has hopes that may go over for second semester in April. University have option that doesn’t include live lessons to accommodate the big time difference.

Furious and I don't know what to do - my dd is due to fly out to Sweden tomorrow for a year placement at Lund. She's been communicating with her study abroad advisor the whole time. Right up until two days ago they were saying it's going ahead unless cancelled by Lund.

This morning she's received an email casually saying the University insurance won't cover her and she can't go! THE DAY BEFORE SHE'S DUE TO GO! I'm livid, I don't know what to do, we have flights booked, hotels paid for, student accommodation paid for. I've tried calling but there's just an answering machine saying they're not taking phone calls and to email THE UNI, so I have asking them to call urgently - so far nothing. My daughter's in tears.

Just needing to vent somewhere.

I don’t know if it’s helpful but the French element of my year abroad was cut short after I was seriously assaulted in the second month. I had to do an extended translation and an extended essay and was graded on them.

I was in a similar position to your DD in the my spoken French was much stronger than my written and to be honest the written work probably helped me more than the period abroad would have.

Should have said that was a long time ago when distance learning as we know it now wasn’t possible as t’internet was still new!

I am so sorry ILikeTrains . What a horrible thing to happen 🌷 No advice I’m so sorry.

Thats awful @ILikeTrains Dd1 was told all the way through if there was travel restrictions then no insurance but to be told now is awful!

Dear iliketrains, there are some insurance companies offering cover if she wants to go on own back. My DD is working internships and is still going. But some uni abroad students are still going too.

Thanks Sunndowne, yes I was looking at private insurance - we just need the uni to get back to us to find out if it's an option (We're not able to contact them directly which is really frustrating so having to wait for them to communicate and that's only by email), they have their senior team looking at her situation now. The host university have been really good and are doing what they can to help my daughter.

Wish they didn't do this on results day too, my poor youngest dd has had her A level results today and it's been totally overshadowed by this. (also car won't start and there's been massive flooding all over our town - so today's going great).

@Sunndowne

Dear iliketrains, there are some insurance companies offering cover if she wants to go on own back. My DD is working internships and is still going. But some uni abroad students are still going too.

Can I ask which companies have you found that are still offering insurance to these countries,I'm not having much luck. Thanks

Sunndowne interested to know about Spain . My daughter not allowed to travel to Madrid for placement until FCO lift travel ban (possible update on this tomorrow?)

If you pm me iliketrains, I'll advise what we were recommended.

Campocaro, maybe that's a uni placement? My DD doing work. Obviously, still feels risky but we feel problem is equal to here .

Different uk unis seem to have made different decisions

Dear ILikeTrains, I replied to PM.

Good luck all.

I will pm you as well, Sunndowne. Although DD is so sick of it all and the lack of clarity from the UK university and complete silence from Strasbourg, that I think she will just forget the year abroad and go into her third year in September. Although the added stress there is finding somewhere to live, and also seeing if she can get the modules she wants for the non-language part of her degree.

My dd should also be going to a Spanish uni in September for her 3rd year study but her (UK) uni doesn't seem to have decided whether they can / should / if it is essential travel ... very frustrating. Could I also pm Sunndowne re insurance ? Usual student providers aren't proving very helpful.

It's all so in the air. At moment we wait with baited breath to see if DD's flight goes ahead. If not we have to scramble for another and put her in a taxi to airport. We'll be back at work and hoped to take her at weekend. So wanted to travel with her! Our plans were all scuppered!
Indeed if they get there, will they be home at all, quarentine may stay in place!
Just have to adapt to new norms.

My belief is we should let them go, covid here and there. They need to enhance their degree and experience. But it's not carefree for them or us.