EXCHANGE STUDIES PRACTICAL INFORMATION

1. EXCHANGE STUDIESPRACTICAL INFORMATION Mari Peets Erasmus coordinator for outgoing students

2. THE BEGINNING • STEP 1 Selection process – Completed! • By exchange committees in Faculties • Now you are the representatives of TUT (and of Estonia) • How to represent our university? • Know the facts – presentation of TUT • Distribute the materials – brochures for the host university coordinator • Study hard, behave well!

3. NOMINATION • STEP 2 – Nomination • First contact between the two universities • by the Erasmus coordinator • Your personal information (name, date of birth, e-mail address, study field and level) is sent to your chosen partner university • Confirmation in some form is expected

4. APPLYING • STEP 3 – Applying to the partner university • Application form online or paper application • Supporting documents: • Transcript of Records – in English, signed/stamped • Language certificate • Copy of ID document • Copy of EU Health Insurance card • CV • LEARNING AGREEMENT

5. LEARNING AGREEMENT • MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT (Includes courses that you will follow) • Consists of 2 documents - “Official” Learning Agreement form and it’s Annex (lisa). • Official Learning Agreement • Places for 5 signatures - student’s signature + 2 from home university and 2 from the receiving university • Signed by your academic adviser and the Erasmus coordinator • Sent to the receiving university for signing

6. ANNEX TO THELEARNING AGREEMENT • BASIS FOR THE CREDIT TRANSFER (YOUR INSURANCE POLICY between you/TUT) • Two columns to indicate the transfer plan • Signed by your academic adviser • Stays in the Dean’s Office • Used in the credit transfer process after your exchange

7. STUDY LOAD • The rule of the ERASMUS programme (applies for other exchange schemes) is to complete at least 15 ECTS (EAP) credits per semester. • You also have to follow the TUT requirements according to your student status • 22.5 EAP per semester for students on RE places • 15 EAP per semester for REV students • NB! Finnish students: • KELA has their own requirements! • Talk to your Dean’s office to make sure you fulfill all requirements!

8. STEP 4 -SENDING OUT THE DOCUMENTS • Documents are sent out by the ERASMUS COORDINATOR (not the student) • At least a week before the application deadline • Copiesof all application documents are kept in the International Relations Office • It’s also a good idea to keep copies for your own use, please keep a separate folder for your Erasmus documents – the Learning Agreement, the financial agreement, the confirmation letters etc.

9. STEP 5 – ACCEPTANCELETTER • In return you should get a • CONFIRMATION OF ACCEPTANCE in the form of: • Official Acceptance Letter by mail • Pdf copy of the official acceptance letter • Confirmation of acceptance via e-mail • Signed learning agreement • The acceptance letter is a basis for signing the financial agreement • If you don’t receive the official acceptance letter, you need to present the academic calendar of the receiving university.

10. STEP 6 – FINANCIAL AGREEMENT • Financial agreement states the amount of your scholarship • Calculated according to your study months at the receiving university • Dates from the acceptance letter or the academic calendar of the receiving university • If your scholarship is for 5 months, you cannot return early, or you’ll pay some money back! • Financial agreement is signed shortly before the beginning of the exchange • NB! Do not wait with making travel plans, the money will come last minute!

11. STEP 7 –REGISTERING IN ÕIS • Register in ÕIS by the “red line day” • Go to Applications (Avaldused) and fill out an application to a VISITING STUDENT PLACE(KÜLALISÜLIÕPILASEKS SUUNDUMINE) • Enter the name of the host university and the duration of exchange • Some faculties require to submit a study plan, others don’t – please ask your Dean’s Office • Students studying on REV places pay 64 EUR semester registration fee

12. CONTACTSin Dean’s Offices • Ehitusteaduskond – Betra Leesment • Mehaanikateaduskond – Jana Saidla • Energeetikateaduskond – Ülle Valtna • IT– Merike Siidoja • Keemia – Raili Klesment/Kadri-Ann Matson • Mat-Loodus – Aili Hirvesoo • Sotsiaalteadused – Elve Vunn/Archil Chochia • Majandusteaduskond –Tiit Randla (LA) • Kolledžid – oma Erasmus koordinaator

13. STEP 8 - CHANGING THELEARNING AGREEMENT • Within one month from the beginning of studies • Fill out“Changes to Learning Agreement” form and it’s Annex • Sign the official form and get signatures from the receiving university • Send back ALL THREE: • The original Learning Agreement (sent with application) • The changes to Learning Agreement • The Annex to Learning Agreement

14. STEP 9 END OF PERIOD • CONFIRMATION of STUDY PERIOD • Document that confirms your ACTUAL study period • NB! Dates have to show the same amount of months than on your financial agreement (not the exact same dates, but the NUMBER OF MONTHS) • STUDENT FINAL REPORT • Within one month of your return

15. STUDY RESULTS • TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS – Official document will be sent from university to university. (Original belongs to the student, copies to Dean’s office and Erasmus coordinator) • Find out WHEN the results will come • NOTIFY YOUR DEAN’S OFFICE if they won’t come by the end of June

16. STEP 10 CREDIT TRANSFER • Once you have the Official Transcript • Fill out the credit transfer form in ÕIS • Names of courses both in the original language and in English • Print the form out • Get a signature from your academic adviser • Hand it in to your Dean’s Office along with the copyof your Official Transcript

17. REQUIREDDOCUMENTS • You have completed your exchange when you have presented five documents: • 1. Financial Agreement • 2. Learning Agreement + Changes (if needed) • 3. Confirmation of study period • 4. Transcript of Records • 5. Student Report • 6. EILC completion certificate (if applicable)

18. LANGUAGE PREPARATION • Practice your English, but also use theopportunities to learn the local language • EILC - Erasmus Intensive Language and Culture • Offered only for smaller, less spoken languages of Europe: • Belgium (Dutch), Bulgaria, Cyprus (Greek), Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta (Maltese), the Netherlands (Dutch), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (for the languages Basque, Catalan, Galician and Valencian), Sweden and Turkey. • Fun and useful, great orientation, one extra month of scholarship, Application deadline 20.05 • Alternative methods of language learning

19. LANGUAGE PREPARATION (2) • Campus Europae Hook-up! online languague courses FOR FREE (A1 and A2 level) • Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxemborgish, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish • Check it out, register and take a course at: languagelearning.campuseuropae.org • No need to register as CE student.

20. CULTURALADJUSTMENT • Adjustment process has 5 stages: • Honeymoon • Culture shock • Initial adjustment • Mental isolation • Acceptance and integration

21. STAGES • HONEYMOON • Initially students are fascinated and exited by everything new. • The visitor is elated to be in a new culture. • Making new friends, going out, partying • CULTURE SHOCK • The students are immersed in new problems: housing, transportation, shopping and language. • Get mentally tired from continously straining to express yourself in a foreign language.

22. STAGES 2 • INITIAL ADJUSTMENT • Everydayactivitiessuchashousing and movingaround are no longer major problems • Places, faces and studyenvironment are gettingmorefamiliar • AlthoughstudentsmaynotyetbefluentinEnglish, basicideas and feelingsinthesecondlanguagecanbeexpressed

23. STAGES 3 • MENTAL ISOLATION • Students start missing family and friends • Stress from not being able to express themselves as well as they can in their native language. • Frustration and a loss of self-confidence. • ACCPETANCE AND INTEGRATION • A routine has been established. • Acceptance with the habits, customs, foods, and characteristics of the people of the new culture. • Students feel comfortable with new friends, school, and the language of the country.

24. REENTRY • READJUSTMENT – just as difficult as adjustment, only UNEXPECTED • Students change while they’re abroad • New friends vs old friends – who are my friends now? • People at home can’t understand the inner changes and new connections • Home environment also changes – political events, music, TV shows • Students feel “lost”

25. CHANGES • Students become more tolerant, open-minded, patient, undestand different cultures better • Widens perspectives • Learn more about themselves • Gain self-confidence • Loss of friends • Loss of “position” • Loss of belonging • Grieving process • Life style • Experiences • Friends POSITIVE NEGATIVE

26. INSURANCE • REQUIRED: EU Health Insurance Card • Easier access to medical services, but it does not cover all medical expenses • Additional insurance – Highly recommended, required by lots of partner universities

27. AON StudentInsurance • To top up EU Health Insurance benefits • www.aonstudentinsurance.com • Offers insurance packages specially for students • Easy online application • Everything you need during your stay abroad: • Medical expenses • Dental expenses (!) • Accident insurance (Accidental death, permanent disablement) • Emergency Assistance (inc. transportation home) • Travel insurance • Legal expenses

28. That’sit, thankyou! If you have any questions, please contact Mari Peets, IRO III-210 620 3542, mari.peets@ttu.ee