Queen’s student Emily Woods gives advice on organising accommodation for studying aboard based on their experience of studying in France and Portugal in the same year.
“During my year abroad I was fortunate enough to experience living in both France and Portugal, so I know more than most how moving away can be daunting, and full of paperwork. Despite this, I had the most incredible time abroad as I took every opportunity that was available to me, and said yes to new experiences and adventures.”
“Once you have been assigned your host city and university, I recommend looking for accommodation as soon as possible. Before leaving Belfast, I contacted the international student’s office of my French university by email, and again by telephone call to get information about accommodation. Calling someone in your second (or even third!) language can be intimidating, but in my experience they are kind and patient, and in many cases, they also speak English!”
“In France, there is a national system of university accommodation called CROUS. You can apply for accommodation through their website, and it’s basically like living in Elms. They’re located close to the university, run events, and have a reception, so it’s super safe and convenient.”
“I accidentally left it too late to apply for university housing in Portugal, so I recommend doing this before the academic year starts, even if you’re travelling there for semester two. I was fortunate enough to find accommodation through an ESN WhatsApp community, and found an Erasmus House. These are houses with anywhere between four and (in my experience) seventeen people living there, and they provide short-term room lets for periods of five or six months, all the way up to a year.”
“Another great thing to do is to follow the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) in your new city before you get there! They will have Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as WhatsApp communities, so you can get to know people and keep up to date with events before you even arrive.”
“My best piece of advice is to put yourself out there as much as you can from the moment you arrive. The first few weeks are very overwhelming so don’t let this get you down, in my experience, everyone feels just like you, they just aren’t letting on.
“Remember that there is support through Queen’s available to you – and don’t forget that your friends and family at home are only a phone call away!”
