Preparation for the Year Abroad Experience
This activity is perfect for students considering and preparing for a year abroad.
Outline of Activity
This activity will involve taugh sessions including: General Introduction to the Year Abroad preparation programme: Making the most of the year abroad: duties and responsibilities, English Language Assistants Sessions (British Council representative), What is the EDGE Award? Dissertation, Diploma in Area Studies, International Academic Studies for Language Assistants, placement and Erasmus, Spain: the country, the universities, schools, dissertation preparation, France: the country, the universities, schools, dissertation preparation, Germany: the country, the universities, schools, dissertation preparation, Navigating university websites for online enrolment etc, Living abroad: problems and strategies, Role of the International Office. Erasmus grant applications - Submission date for the location choice forms, Surviving & Thriving (Health & Safety abroad) (LAs/ H&S staff), Online enrolment/ paperwork / EDGE Award coursework submission, Online enrolment/distribution of paperwork, TIDYING UP LOOSE ENDS - EDGE Award coursework feedback.
Learning Outcomes
- Have an understanding of the location options open to students from their area of study.
- Recognise the transferable skills that preparation for and experiencing the Year Abroad will give them.
- Know the processes they need to go through to secure grant-funding for their Year Abroad, and the negotiate the bureaucratic systems of the target country/ies, university/ies, and/or workplace(s) they will be visiting
- Understand the study and research skills required to prepare well for the dissertation/ study project they will be carrying out during their Year Abroad.
- Develop the study and research skills required for completion of a successful dissertation/ study project they will be carrying out during their Year Abroad
- Weigh up complex variables and their potential impact on future experiences
- Independently assimilate information to help inform decision-making and evaluate the possible outcome(s) of decisions.
- Reflect on and improve their own learning, decision-making and performance
- Ability to assimilate varied and changing information to help inform future planning
- Ability to liaise with employers and/or university coordinators in a foreign language/country.
- Ability to research requirements for living, studying and working abroad
- Ability and flexibility to negotiate the different bureaucratic processes of other EU countries
- Improve their IT skills by word processing, internet search, online form-filling.
Assessment Details
Reflective log to include evidence in appendices of the following:
- notes from briefing sessions
- choice(s) of destination with 200 word summary outlining academic and personal reasons for choice
- draft choice of modules to be taken and justification
- draft synopsis of two topics for their Dissertation (possible topics, sources, timeline, evidence of reading around the topic) - 2 sides of A4 in the target language.
Level of Commitment
50 hours:
14 taught sessions plus 34 hours of effort.
Related Staff
David Barr
TechnicianFaculty of Social Sciences
+44 28 9036 6627
d.barr@ulster.ac.uk
17J24 - Jordanstown campus