DCs studying abroad this year - support for us at home!

[NCTDN]

Thought this might be useful. DD is off to Austria next month.

DS1 is off to the UK and we live in Jersey so will be a boat ride/plane ride away.

Not really abroad, but still far enough for me!

My DD is home this year for the first full year in 3 years. She had a stint abroad every year as part of her degree so far. I definitely aged during that time but it is so good for them and FYI, for the erasmus (last years stint) part the common language was English so she didn't learn as much of her foreign language as she should have. So most kids with her were speaking their second language (english) and the host country's language was neglected.

The local police did come to the University and give them loads of tips (in English) and in her experience there was lots of peer support as well as a fabulous social scene. This was easily the most supported period abroad (the others were work experience so without a University network even though it was mandated by Uni).

Checking in!

DD is off to France on Monday.

DS is setting off to France tomorrow. He might start packing soon 🤦

Start planning your visit abroad. Start checking flights if they want to come home for a weekend and definitely Christmas flights! Abroad wasn’t that much different to uni here. Double check everything they have is insured and relax,

DD stayed with people who spoke target languages. Lectures in target languages. Not much point in going if DC just speak English and get taught in English. Dc need to get into the MFL and seek out opportunities.

Starting to panic on fitting everything into two suitcases here

That's cutting it fine

@NCTDN He's gone to the pub, still not packed. We're taking a road trip a week after him so not too much of a panic. I'm not sure how he'd fit everything in two suitcases - he needs one just for French paperwork.

However, what he has done is contact a football team local to where he'll be living and asked to join for the season. They've asked if he'd like to coach the kids teams. At least he thinks that's what they said - it was very odd listening to him speaking French on the phone.

DD2 is off to Germany beginning of October. The uni still haven’t confirmed that she’s got accommodation so she’s getting a bit frazzled. They’re not the most organised. But she’s got herself a GHIC and opened a German bank account.

DD arrived in Cairo yesterday for her first semester Y3. All good with her pick up, apartment has air con in bedroom and lounge, but the kitchen wasn’t equipped with utensils/plates etc as promised. Papa Johns pizza it was then.

First job on today’s list is to sort kitchen, or worst case get basics from Ikea

@BiancaBlank My DD was told (years ago) that German and Swiss unis are organised! She had her Swiss accommodation confirmed very early as they swapped exchange students into the rooms of Swiss student going abroad. However they housed more than 1st year students. Italy uni housed none.

I would contact the accommodations or Erasmus office of the German uni. If he needs to find accommodation, he needs to start looking now.

@ealingwestmum I'm glad to hear the move to Cairo went smoothly. Is she sharing an apartment with others?

Hello @mummyinbeds, I’m not too sure. I believe it is a studio type apartment set within a wider block of different room types, I hope with an additional communal kitchen but don’t know. Whilst not on campus, it’s 7 mins walk, uni accom in a compound type set up.

🤞 for a smooth arrival for your DS! The football sounds like a great entry point to integrate.

@ealingwestmum Cairo - how exciting! I hope she has settled overnight.
@mummyinbeds good luck to ds for today - did you say it was the south of France?

@BiancaBlank I'm not surprised that's stressing you! Shows how different places work. DD in Austria has had her accommodation sorted for ages.
Re bank accounts - she was going to stick with her Revolut card?

Thanks for the thread @NCTDN

Just a Monzo and Chase account here (plus her traditional UK Barclays), but I guess many countries like Germany require visibility of x held in local bank.

DD’s peers to US have had to ring fence circa £22k - £25k. Ouch!

My DS is off to Italy mid September. Still waiting for the Visa, but has got accommodation and flight sorted which is good.

Thanks @NCTDN @ealingwestmum Still packing but getting there. Luckily he's going by coach/ferry so I'm not having to think too hard about weight, liquids etc. He's going to be in the South West of France so we're having to pack for the current 30 degrees and remember that by December it will be coldish and he might go skiing. I'm not sure it will all fit in his 9m² studio.

Sticking to Chase and Revolut for everyday spending but he needs a French bank account to register for French Social Security (medical stuff) and housing benefit. His room may be tiny and come with bed bugs and cockroaches (I need to stop reading reviews) but it's very cheap and then they give him money towards it too 😁

He had an email from UK uni to confirm that he's getting Turing funding too. No idea when or how much but it will be very welcome. His student loan has already hit his bank account.

The funding confirmation is excellently timed 👍

Good luck to all. DD is back from her year abroad which she says was genuinely the best year of her life 'so far'.

I have no idea if dd has applied for Turing funding.

DS Is in the US for a year. Arrived last week.

DS arrived back from his year in the US this summer, and is about to go into his final year. He had the most amazing time and, quite unexpectedly, got awarded Turing funding via his UK uni - around £400 pcm for the States - which was an absolute godsend! It was an incredibly expensive year. Missed him like crazy whilst he was away, but between FaceTime audio and a trip home at Christmas, it actually flew by. University starts early in the US (mid-August) and signing up for relevant subject modules was a bit of a minefield, but he got some great grades, made some fabulous friends, and travelled up the east coast on his way back home.

The German uni has insisted on a German bank account. Luckily these things can all be done online nowadays.

@BiancaBlank I wish someone would tell the French that things can be done online 😭