There is lots of rumors about the crazy amount of paperwork before leaving to study abroad, specifically Erasmus. I would like to write now a bit about my experience and the general stuff you can meet during preparations. I feel kind of strange to write about these feelings now because everything hapenned so long time ago. And maybe this is the post which should have been the first one on my blog. So let's start and firstly deal with not so funny stuff.
Paperwork
Before going to study abroad, you need to do some paperwork. It is good to start early. (Booooooring, I know). Make sure about the dates you need to fulfill. At my university in the Czech Republic we have really good website of student's mobility office where they will give you detailed step by step guide. I guess every university has something like this. But watch out, there can be special documents required only by the other university. At Queen's I didn't have any problem. Sometimes it just take them long time to send you something back, but if you adress them again, they are very helpfull and they admit when something is their fault, which was nice. I think I took care just about 3 or 4 documents, 6 mails. It costed me 2 visits to mobility center and 1 to my faculty. So no big deal. Don't worry. If you do everything like you should, there will be no obstacles between you and your studies in foreign country.
Studies
Unfortunately you firstly need to do well with your studies, so that you are able to leave your university and study elsewhere. For me this was pain. Last semester I had quite some problems with finishing few of my courses so I had one exam even in the afternoon before night leaving to the airport. I got the exam only because of mercy of the teacher. Otherwise I would never be able to finish the course thanks to the crazy requirements. So this part of your life can get very tricky and it only causes stress in time when you would rather be peacefully preparing for your trip. Try to plan the exams ahead if you have the possibility. And prepare for them really well.
Other preparations
You will need to settle other things before leaving like visa, health insurance, making a bank account or finding an accommodation. Also it is good to find some free time when you will search for the minor things like different outlets or daily usage objects you could need but they are not obvious in the place you are going to. On the other hand, if you won't be prepared, sometimes it is challenging, sometimes it is funny, sometime the preparation is not needed and sometimes the surprise can be just really really bad. But some people enjoy all of these possibilities and it belongs to the experience of moving abroad even for a short time.
Feelings
I have to admit it wasn't so easy to leave. I was leaving to very new environment for quite a long time. I also put a lot of effort to find an accommodation, I was hoping everything will be fine, but in lots of things there is still high level of uncertainty. And the accommodation in my case didn't went well. I was leaving my family, also the long distance is not much profitable for relationships. So I was a bit nervous. I was also nervous from preparations, the exams weren't going well, that made me nervous and this nervousity was influencing my preparations and learning for other exams and my behavior and so on. I saw exams home are not going in the best way and I was nervous how it can go abroad. I was nervous if I will understand the people, if I did everything alright in advance, if I packed everything important. Lot of things to worry about obviously. But I have to say. Even though first days here were kind of crazy, when you adjust a bit and solve the rush and chaos in the beginning, everything is fine. Even when I sat in the right airplane, my nervosity was much better. And then I gradually found my way to have comfortable and nice life here. And it is hapenning :). So if you are freaking out during such moments like me, take in mind that the nervosity is normal. There is a lot of things which you don't know how they will end. But when they start hapenning, they will also pass and mostly with only good outcomes :). The best really is if you have some place where you can safely return in any time and you feel there kind of home. Then you have really the best circumstances to survive your studies abroad.
Motto of the day: Try to prepare for maximum of issues in advance. In the era of internet there's only few things which you can't solve from home.
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