When I decided on my course at the time, the compulsory semester abroad was a decisive reason for me. Since my options regarding Erasmus didn’t appeal to me very much, I found out how to go abroad as a free mover. I discovered MicroEDU by chance and asked how the application would go. After a little thought, I decided to go to York St John University. The application process was completely uncomplicated and I had the confirmation at the end of May.
University life
The choice of course was just as easy as the rest of the planning. In the business school, as a study abroad student, you have to take three courses, which then amount to a total of 30 ECTS in Germany. I was lucky that I was able to get credit for all three courses. My modules were: Marketing Principles (Year 1), Management and Leadership (Year 2), Strategic Marketing Planning (Year 2).
The modules were put together in such a way that I each had a lecture and a seminar. Personally, I couldn’t do much with the seminars except for a seminar in SMP, which I liked the most of all. I can only recommend the course, because David makes the lectures and seminars interesting and you also have practical relevance during the semester. Ultimately, I found that YSJU places a lot of value on supporting the studentslays. For the seminars you usually had to have read something or, for example, bring a few hundred words of the required housework with you. The seminar leaders then checked whether one was on the right track, gave feedback and answered questions. The scope of work was okay, I had fewer courses than in Germany, but I had to do more for the modules on the side. In the end, I had to hand in an (online) exam, a group presentation and three term papers. I spent most of the time at the end of the semester in the well-equipped library.
Accommodation
During my time in York, I lived in Limes Court. Instead of a large residential complex, everyone lives in row houses, which in my opinion gives a completely different feeling of neighborhood than other dormitories. I was in a shared apartment with five people on two floors with a large kitchen and two bathrooms. Usually it is a mixed flat share, internationals and Britons live together. From the Limes to the university you walk 15-20 minutes, to the city about five minutes more. There are many shopping opportunities. Very close to Limes Court is a co-op, which is enough for the most essential things, if you want to shop a little cheaper and bigger, Asda, Morrison’s or Sainsbury’s are worthwhile.
Leisure
According to Anycountyprivateschools, the focus of recreational activities in York was definitely the Students’ Union. This offers everything from a sports program to a pub quiz. The SU is simply a meeting point for everyone, including a bar and café. (If you don’t have any plans on Saturdays: I can only recommend karaoke / pound a pint!) The societies provide further activities, these will be presented at the Fresher’s Fair (so be sure to go there!). Otherwise, York offers a beautiful city center with many shops, museums and other places that you have to see. The people in the north are very open and personable, I immediately felt welcome and would have loved to stay longer. York is relatively central, so taking the train to Manchester and Leeds was no problem either. The coast can also be reached within two hours with the Coastliner. The International Student Support also offers the Global Café and excursions. I can only recommend the trip to the York Maze during Bonfire Night. A unique experience that I will hopefully be able to repeat at some point.
Conclusion
On arrival in Manchester we were received by the Study Abroad Team, were able to make initial contacts and were then taken to York by bus. So the journey was a little more relaxed than alone. Studying in England is a little different, but basically it wasn’t a big change for me. The advice from MicroEDU and the support at York St John was great. Any questions were immediately helped. With regard to the tuition fees, I can hardly say anything, as the semester was made possible for me with the help of the international training grant. However, you have to say that you realize why you pay so much in tuition fees, because the support, equipment, etc. is very good. I was happy with my accommodation, it was okay for the price and for the few months. The good weather during these months was especially great, even if you don’t expect that from North England. My time in York was wonderful and I would always choose to study abroad at YSJU.
