Fr om April to September 2021 I had an academic exchange in Germany at the University of Applied Sciences in Leipzig (HTWK Leipzig), at the Faculty of Computer Science. The impressions received from this exchange were absolutely positive; I am more than satisfied with the results I was able to achieve during the exchange semester. I liked the most the moment when I was able to participate in a project dedicated to software development. To my mind, that experience brought a lot of benefits for my professional growth. The result product from this project will be used in practice by real people. Therefore, it wasn’t just some abstract project, but a real task that needed to be solved. Moreover, while participating in the project, I gained the experience of teamwork, when everyone performs a specific partial task, which is important for the end-project, and then everything comes together and has to be combined. This process allows us to learn how to work together in a well-coordinated way and how to find compromises that meet wishes of all team members.
Among other things, I got the experience of collaboration and communication with students from all over the world. I think this is important to me not only professionally, but also personally.
In addition to the above mentioned, I had a great opportunity to recall and refresh the German language knowledge. I have learned German language some years ago and then sadly stopped to use it in my everyday life for a long period. Now I was able to widen and to supplement my knowledge of German. Occasionally, there was a chance or sometimes a need to communicate in English, so I could perfect two languages at once.
To be honest, I didn't face many difficulties at the preparation stage of my exchange semester in Germany. The most difficult thing was actually to choose the country wh ere I want to go for my semester abroad. Making an individual curriculum wasn’t that easy as well. I mean the process when I had to list the courses supposed to be taken at INRTU and match them with the courses I plan to attend at the University of Applied Sciences in Leipzig. What makes it tricky is the fact that it is necessary to study through the disciplines working programs carefully, for both INRTU and the host university. Not the least thing is also the ability to maintain a balance between the necessary and the most interesting courses.
In general, international office specialists at our university explained everything adequately to me and in a very understandable manner. They also helped me to fill out the documents for the exchange.
I want to say just one single thing to all future academic mobility programs participants – take your chance and go to study abroad for a semester or even for a year. Don’t be afraid. An academic exchange is always a useful experience and a good practice: you will for sure make many useful social contacts, get a lot of new interesting acquaintances, expand your horizons, acquire new skills and knowledge. Additionally, studying in a foreign country and speaking a foreign language could be a sort of challenge for yourself – especially for those who wants to find out what are they capable of.
Academic exchange programs at the University of Applied Sciences in Leipzig last about six months. Russian students, in order to be eligible to study at a university in Germany, have to obtain a D-type visa for a long-term stay, which is also called a "National Visa". To apply for this type of visa, the applicant is required to appear at the consulate in person and have all documents properly prepared and filled out. Unfortunately, an online application or application through a visa center are not possible. Residents of the Irkutsk region must submit documents to the German Consulate General in Novosibirsk. Prior to submitting your visa application at the consulate, you must make an appointment through the electronic appointment system. On the website of the German Embassy (https://germania.diplo.de/ru-ru) you can find a lot of useful information like viewing the visa application checklist or making an appointment at the consulate. The information is available in Russian and German languages.
The following documents are to be submitted in full with every application:
· Two (2) fully completed and signed applications (filled out in German).
· Three (3) recent biometric passport photos suitable for use in your visa documents (on a white background, 4.5 by 3.5 cm in size, should be taken no earlier than 6 month before the date of application). To each of the application forms has to be affixed one photograph, the third photo you just take with you to the consulate.
· Signed foreign passport (+ two (2) copies of it) with at least three clear visa pages and valid for at least six more months after the expiration date of the requested visa.
· Valid domestic passport with two (2) copies of the data page (passport biometric page) and two (2) copies of all pages that have some information about the applicant (you).
· Proof of admittance to the study course including information on the language of instruction (original and two (2) copies); you will receive it by post fr om your host university administration.
· Proof of adequate financial means. To stay in Germany the applicant must have at their disposal at least 861 € per month. Proof must be submitted with the application of financial means for at least the duration of your exchange that would be 10,332 € for one year or 5166 € for six months (one semester). I would recommend for everyone to open a blocked account, since it’s the most simple and reliable way to prove the state of your finances and therefore get your visa. A blocked account is a kind of guarantee that you will not spend all your money just in one day or month. List of service providers for opening a blocked account can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/sperrkonto/375488.
In the case of financing in the form of a blocked account: you should open the blocked account in good time before you apply for a visa. When applying for a visa, only the official confirmation of the account opening including information on the amount paid in and the amount available per month will be accepted.
If you are going to receive a scholarship in Germany in the amount of 861 € per month, then you need to provide a confirmation of receipt of the scholarship. You do not need to open a blocked account in this case.
If the amount of the scholarship does not correspond to the specified amount (is less than 861 €), the difference must be compensated according to the requested period of stay. One of the possibilities is to open a blocked account and transfer the missing amount to it.
· Current certificate of study with two (2) copies; you need to attach a certificate translation to German as well.
· Letter of motivation with two (2) extra copies (in German language or translated to German).
· Curriculum vitae with two (2) extra copies (in German language or translated to German).
· Proof of the language skills in the language of instruction for the study course (at least B2). Original and two (2) copies.
· Proof of adequate health insurance cover. However, the statutory health insurance can only be taken out after taking up residence in Germany. For this reason, further insurance coverage must be proven in the visa procedure for the period until enrollment (arrival to Germany). Preferably, a so-called “incoming insurance” should be taken out. Original and two (2) copies as well.
You should keep in mind that due to coronavirus restrictions the consulate has reduced the number of visitors per day. Therefore, it’s worth making an appointment not at the last minute but planning your visit to the consulate in advance. Usually it takes one to two months to process a visa, which depends on the amount of current applications. However, there might be some exceptions in terms of visa production time. The issuance of visa can be accelerated for some people if they meet the requirements (consulate staff will inform you if it’s possible for you to get your visa sooner). For instance, my visa was ready the next day I applied. The reason for that happening was that I have presented my certificate of German language skills from the Ministry of Education of Germany, called "Deutsches Sprachdiplom".
The consular fee for the national visa is 76 euros, but there are cases of exemption from its payment (including the case of receiving a scholarship from a German organization). The fee has to be paid in cash in rubles according to the current exchange rate.
I did not experience any serious difficulties or problems at the host institution or after arriving to Germany. Difficulties that could potentially happen (or happened to me) are usually caused by the lack of awareness of the rules, respectively rules of acting, and nowadays sometimes by restrictive measures related to the coronavirus. You can easily solve all problems of this kind just by looking for an answer or a problem solution on the Internet. If it is not enough for you, you can always establish contact with the international department staff of your host or home institution. They will be happy to help you and provide you with consultation advice. Moreover, to every incoming student on the university in Leipzig (including exchange students) is assigned a senior student mentor (tutor) who has been through all the steps of the paperwork, the process of university admissions and the adaptation period to a new life at a completely new place themselves. In some cases, it’s a good idea to ask your tutor for a piece of advice, since he/she has already faced all these problems and can help you using his/her own experience.
Nevertheless, I want to tell you about some difficulties that have arisen during my semester abroad.
1. Student dormitory Check-in. It was March 2021, when I took my flight to Germany. There were just few flights between Russia and Germany at that time – around two per week and just one at a day (again, it was so due to COVID-19 restrictions). I simply booked one of the available and most suitable tickets - hence I had to spend fourteen hours at the Moscow airport waiting for connecting flight to Berlin. Normally, the waiting time is no longer than three hours. It was not so pleasant and a little boring to spend so much time at the airport in loneliness, still I wouldn’t consider this situation as a problem. The actual problem was related to the check-in days of my student dormitory. Leipzig student dormitories are open for checking-in not every day, but on certain days of the week only (if we speak of foreign students). For my dormitory applied: check-in was possible Tuesday mornings or Thursday and Friday afternoons, yet my plane was arriving to Germany on Sunday. Germans always respect all the rules (it does not really matter how much sense these rules make), therefore, no one makes any exceptions. I called the student housing office willing to find out, whether I can get the key to my room on another day (e.g. on Sunday or Monday), and the person in charge said “no”, so I had to check-in on Tuesday. The arisen problem could be solved by booking a room in a hotel or hostel for few days. However, this would cause additional costs and, moreover, hotels might not accept visitors during a pandemic – you’ll never know for sure, because the rules and restrictive measures change day to day. I am lucky having friends in Berlin, so I was able to stay overnight at their place before heading to Leipzig.
2. Opening a bank account in Germany. It’s supposed to be a simple task to perform, nevertheless there are some disturbing issues for international exchange students. First of all, it’s really necessary for everyone to have a German bank account. I would even say it is mandatory, since you would be able to do nearly nothing without one. If you receive a scholarship – it has to be transferred to your German bank account. The money from the blocked account has also be transferred to this account every month, not to your Russian bank account. The most important payments like monthly payment for health insurance or the room in student dormitory will be made from this account (payments in cash are usually not accepted). A Russian bank account is not suitable for these purposes, because there exist a special transfer system, which is applied only in EU countries.
Here are some possible challenges worth highlighting, which you may face while opening a bank account in Leipzig:
* official city registration (registration of your place of residence) is required to open a bank account;
* not every bank is ready to accept an application for opening a bank account from a foreign student;
* opening a bank account can be a quiet lengthy process as in Germany all documents are normally sent by post, the answer also come back by post.
Before the coronavirus broke up, the easiest and fastest way to open a bank account was coming to the bank office in person. Yet I had to communicate with the bank through letters over the post. I got refused by the first bank I contacted, because I wasn’t German citizen and had no residence permit, just long-term visa. So I’ve lost some time writing letters to the bank staff and sending them all required documents, and received no expected result eventually. After that, I applied to another bank ("Sparkasse Leipzig") hoping I will not get the rejection again. Thankfully, they were able to open an account for me. I had to pay no fees, no annual or monthly servicing of the account. I also got a debit card absolutely free of charge. So the conclusion: one month later after arriving to Germany, I managed to open a German bank account.
3. Sorting rubbish for recycling properly. It may seem complicated and unfamiliar to many people and it is indeed, at least until the moment you finally realize how it works. Plastic, paper, glass, metal, organic waste and residual (non-recyclable) waste must be disposed of separately.
Prepare yourself, there are a lot of nuances. For example, a regular yoghurt cup has to be split into parts before ending up in a bin: the lid, the cup itself and the label go to the bin separately, not together. It is the basic rule to dispose of waste loosely. It also means that you are not allowed to stack anything inside each other.
Another example: clean napkin is classified as paper waste, while used napkin belongs to the residual waste that can be no longer reused or recycled. Glass packaging for food, beverages, medicines and cosmetics is disposed of in the bottle bank, depending on the glass color. Some plastic or glass bottles and jars shouldn’t be disposed of like a waste at all. There are many reverse vending machine in Germany. You can find them in every supermarket store. Reverse vending machine is a machine that allows a person to ins ert a used empty glass bottle/jar, plastic bottle or aluminum can in exchange for a reward. Bottles that can be disposed that way are specially labelled.
In addition to everyday household waste, special and hazardous waste also accumulates: e.g. batteries, electrical appliances, clothing and other textiles, furniture. These must be disposed of separately. Whether waste has to be disposed of at the bulky waste, recycling center or special landfill depends on the respective product.
In fact, it’s not that complicated to separate the waste correctly. There are plenty of schemes describing how you do it in the right and easy way. The main and most important thing is to figure it out as quickly as possible.
4. Knowledge gaps. I had to study extra at home after my classes a lot and put much effort in order to be at the same level with my coursemates. The thing was that a lot of lecture material given in the modules was based on the material learned by the German students during previous semesters. Since I arrived there for one semester only and just started my study at that university, I couldn’t know all the material my coursemates had studied before. The themes studied at INRTU and at University of Applied Science Leipzig differ a bit. This was further complicated by the fact that much of the teaching was done remotely.
I’d like also to tell about one curious situation happened to me, even though I doubt that the repetition of it is possible and anyone else would face the same problem. At the university in Leipzig in the first year of studies (I was in the second) there was one girl, which has the same first and last names as I do, so she was my namesake. Neither she nor I suspected the existence of each other. However, I had some problems with registration to my courses at the beginning of the semester and sometimes with accessing online lectures, e-mails from my teachers were frequently misled (teachers emails didn’t arrive to me, although I knew they have been sent). I could not realize why does it keep happening or what the reason could be. It has lasted for ca. one month until we (me and the other girl) have found out that there are two of us and the teachers just got confused.
I hope that someone else would benefit of my experience, too. In addition, I would like to remind you as well that there are no insolvable problems or unbearable difficulties, you can always ask people for help – everyone would be glad to support or advice you.
- Consular fee (for D-type visa = national visa) – 76€. It is good to know that in some cases, there exist a possibility of getting an exemption from paying the fee. For instance, if you receive a scholarship from any German organization, you do not have to pay the consular fee. In this case, the scholarship must cover at least 50% of all the obligatory costs for your stay in Germany.
- Blocked account - 49€ one time se t-up fee + 5€ monthly fee + additional 100€ buffer that is needed to cover potential transaction fees if such occur and will be sent back with the last monthly disbursement from the blocked account. The blocked account is a special type of bank account required by German law for internationals to secure their German visa. A blocked account allows you to prove sufficient financial resources during your stay in Germany. I’ve opened a blocked account at a company named Expatio, since I could do it fully online by that organisation and it is officially accepted by the German Consulate.
- Travel expenses to and from Germany. One-way plane ticket from Irkutsk to Berlin via Moscow and ticket from Berlin to Irkutsk via Saint Petersburg costed 50,000 rubles together. From Berlin to Leipzig I got by ICE train (20€ and one hour travel time). If buying a ticket for a train in advance, it might cost less (about 10€).
Round-trip train ticket to Novosibirsk to apply for a visa – 8,000 rubles.
- Health insurance. For studying in Germany, you are obligated to have an insurance, which would be health insurance and a liability insurance simultaneously. Such insurance is mandatory for everyone, but it can only be taken out after arriving in Germany (since registration of the place of residence in Germany and a German bank account are required for the contract conclusion). Usually, students pay for their insurances about 110 euros per month, no matter which company they’ve chose. Nevertheless, some exceptions are possible. For instance, I took out my insurance in a private insurance company “MAWISTA” that is focused on working with foreign students specifically, hence exchange students can obtain an insurance on more favorable terms there – the cost of insurance in my case ("Student Classic Plus") was only 40 € per month. This amount includes both costs for health insurance and for liability insurance as well.
The problem is that you can apply for that kind of insurance only when you are in Leipzig already, yet you will need an insurance certificate in order to obtain a visa and come to Germany in the first place. It seems to be a vicious circle, but it’s not and you can easily break it just by providing an additional type of insurance to the consulate, the so-called insurance for foreign nationals entering the country (“Incoming-Versicherung”). This insurance must be valid from the moment you enter Germany and at least till the day you get your long-term student insurance (recommended period would be two weeks). You can get an “Incoming-Versicherung” certificate at any insurance company in Irkutsk. Still I applied to the same German insurance company MAWISTA to be sure the consulate will accept my insurance. This visa insurance (MAWISTA Visum) for the duration of 15 days was 19€. To obtain it, all I had to do was completing an online form on the company's website; payment can be made with a regular debit or credit card.
- Studying at the university. German universities offer free education, no tuition fees has to be paid. HTWK Leipzig is not an exception, so you can spend your exchange semester studying there for free. However, every student pays a small monetary contribution to the university, from which he/she actually benefits in the future. It’s called a “semester fee”. The semester fee at the University of Applied Science in Leipzig is 237.60 € and includes a free public transport pass for the whole semester (semester ticket) as well as different administrative fees. The total amount of the semester fee depends on the number of various institutions cooperating with the university.
So, if you have paid the semester fee, you can:
* use public transport in Leipzig and the region without buying an extra ticket, as you already have your semester ticket,
* do sports at the university (gratis or at reduced price),
* go to any library in the city (also for free),
* have meals in student canteens at reduced prices,
* live in student hall residences at reasonable prices,
* visit museums, exhibitions, theaters and cinemas at great discounts,
* participate in student parties or other events organized by different student associations at no charge,
* etc…
- Accommodation in student hall of residence – about 180-250 € per month (including water and electricity bills). The final cost depends on the particular dormitory and the size of the room. Unfortunately, it is not possible to choose a dormitory resp. your own room – a special organization decides how to distribute rooms between students. However, the specialist working in this organization will take into account all your wishes according to the living place and maximal rental price you can pay, and will put all their efforts in order to sel ect for you the most suitable accommodation place out of all that are available. Those student accommodations are the cheapest form of housing in Germany and, therefore, a popular alternative to rented flats. In addition to the low rent, students particularly appreciate the proximity to campus and university and the many social contact opportunities.
I got the room in the student dormitory on Johannes-R.-Becher-Street, on the outskirts of Leipzig. Nevertheless, I could reach my university within 15 minutes (by bike or by streetcar). Streetcars run frequently, strictly according to schedule. For a room of 14 square meters I paid 230 € per month. In modern student halls of residence, every student has his/her own room, the door to which can be locked, and you share hallway, kitchen and bathroom with one more student, your so-called flat mate. Only your neighbor (flat mate) and you have access to those previously mentioned rooms. So it’s very similar to a regular apartment in an apartment building, just shared with someone else.
Room facilities are bed, desk, chair, closet, bookshelf, Internet line. Facilities in the kitchen: kitchen set, refrigerator, cooking panel, kitchen sink, sometimes also a small dinner table with two chairs. You should pay attention to the fact that there are no other things in the student dormitory rooms except as stated above: no pillows, no blankets, no sheets, no dishes, no cups, no kitchen utensils, etc. There is literally nothing, the rooms are empty and you have to fill them with your own stuff. In case you do not want to bring those things fr om your home in Russia and do not desire to buy those things in Leipzig for such a short period of use, there is a little tip on saving money. Time to time students leave in the common hallway some of their belongings that they do not need anymore (e.g. when moving out) and would like to give them away to other students for free. Dishes, cups, glasses, pots, pans and any other kitchen utensils can be borrowed for free as well from the special student organization “Tableware Exchange” (“Geschirrbörse” in German). After leaving Leipzig to return home, the borrowed utensils should be returned back to the organization.
There is a gym and a large party room wh ere everyone can spend time together with other students at the dormitory (you can use both rooms for free, still they were closed during my whole stay due to the pandemic issues). There is also a laundry in the basement, shared with other students, which can be used any day at any time. One wash is 2.30€ euros.
At the moment of checking-in in the dormitory, everybody needs to pay a deposit of 300€ that will be paid back at the end of your exchange semester, if nothing in your room, kitchen or bathroom was broken or damaged by you and the room was thoroughly cleaned (including all surfaces) before you left.
- Transportation costs in Leipzig. As I already have mentioned earlier, students in Leipzig receive a free travel card as part of their semester fee, which allows them to use any kind of public transport in Leipzig and in some neighboring cities as well (even during vacations). As long as you have not received your student travel card yet, or in case you have forgotten to take it with you on the bus, you have to purchase an “occasional travelers ticket”(e.g. a single ticket). This can be done either at special vending machines at bus stops or also at the vending machine right on the bus or streetcar. Tickets need to be validated by stamping them at the start of your trip, otherwise you will be charged with a fine.
Tickets prices:
* Short bus/tram/metro trip (no transfers allowed) – 2 €;
* Single ticket (valid for travel in one direction for up to one hour on any mode of transport) – 3 €;
* Day ticket – 8 € for one person, if you take more people with you, you have to pay an additional charge of 4 € for every additional person;
* Weekly season travel card – 28.30 €.
Leipzig is also a bicycle friendly city: you can find cycle paths and even special traffic lights for cyclists all over the city. Cycling is hugely popular here, hence you will very unlikely observe any traffic congestion on the streets. If you prefer to ride a bike, you can either buy an inexpensive bicycle (for 40-80 euros on average), as I did, or rent a bicycle every time you need one.
- Food/foodstuff and household goods – ca. 120-140 € a month. Germany is a quite expensive country, but I could observe that the prices of products in Leipzig are mostly comparable to the prices of similar products in Irkutsk, fruits and vegetables are often even cheaper than the ones we can buy in Irkutsk. Additionally, prices can differ slightly in different store chains. So the most budget-friendly supermarkets are Lidl, Aldi and Penny, more expensive ones, yet with a larger assortment along with it – REWE and Kaufland.
- During my academic exchange at the University of Applied Sciences in Leipzig, I was receiving a scholarship for international students provided by my host university using sponsorship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The scholarship was paid on a monthly basis (400€/month) for a duration of five months and amounted to 2,000€ in total. That amount should be enough (and it was enough for me personally) to cover most of the basic expenses while living and studying in Leipzig or even to cover the basic costs completely - it depends on the frugality of the student. By the «basic expenses», I mean such monthly payments like accommodation, health insurance, and buying foodstuff.
I have not only improved my level of Chinese, but also have gained invaluable experience of living abroad…
What are your impressions of the internship as a whole? What results have you achieved? What are the advantages of this internship for you, what impact did it make on your academic and personal level?
I only have positive impressions from the internship. My result is reaching the fourth level of HSK. Apart from improving my Chinese language level, this internship was useful because I also gained invaluable experience of living abroad, expanded my horizons, met many interesting people.
Difficulties during the preparation for the internship. Tips and tricks for future participants of the academic mobility program.
I had difficulties with the documents preparation for the scholarship, since the documentation package is quite large.
Tip: carefully read all the requirements for paperwork.
Can you describe the process of receiving visa and give any advice?
To obtain a visa in Irkutsk you need to come to the Consulate General of China and provide all the necessary documents.
Tips: call the consulate in advance and clarify the working hours, as well as a list of documents. It takes 7 days to receive a visa.
Challenges upon arrival to the host university. Tips for solving them.
It was challenging to buy a SIM card of a suitable data plan. Fortunately, senior students helped me to settle some domestic issues.
Indicate your expenses related to the participation in the foreign internship (visa, travel costs, registration fees / taxes / deposits at the host university, insurance / medical expenses, public transportation, food and accommodation). Give some advice on reducing expenses.
The cost of a visa is 3300 rubles.
Transportation — 3000 rubles (domestic train), 9000 rubles (train from Irkutsk to Beijing).
The cost of a residence permit and paperwork upon arrival is about 5000 rubles.
Health insurance — 8000 rubles (if included in the grant — free of charge).
Security deposit at the dorm — 5000 rubles (this amount will be returned upon departure).
Utilities (electricity, water) — about 2000 rubles per month.
Public transportation — 20 rubles (single-ride ticket).
Textbooks (for the entire study period) — about 5000 rubles.
Tips to reduce costs: textbooks are much cheaper to buy from senior students.
A lot of positive emotions, meetings with interesting people and the bright colors of the country, which fascinate...
Impressions fr om the internship in general. What results have been achieved? How did this internship turn out to be useful for you, how did it affect the educational and personal plan?
There were great impressions from the internship in South Korea, a lot of positive emotions, meetings with interesting people and the bright colors of the country, which fascinate.
I’m really thankful to be given an opportunity to study in Kangwon National University, Chuncheon city, Korea, I managed to enrich my knowledge in the professional field, as well as learn the basics of the Korean language.
Difficulties during the preparation for the internship. Tips and tricks for future participants in the academic mobility program.
Honestly, there were practically no difficulties during the preparation for the internship, it was necessary to collect documents and get a Korean visa. It all depends on the requirements of the particular organization in which you plan to study. As for my case, it was required to provide a motivation letter written in two copies - in Russian and English and certified by the dean of my school, as well as a resume. Further, it was necessary to choose the subjects of study at the host university and correlate them with the subjects of my course, then obtain the consent of the teachers for the subsequent receipt of tests in the selected disciplines.
Describe the visa process.
Surprisingly, the visa was made in a short time, it took only three days. Therefore, the Korean Consulate acted smoothly and quickly, there was absolutely no inconvenience. To obtain a study visa, you must provide personal information, fill out a form provided by the embassy, and pay a fee of $ 80.
Difficulties at a host foreign organization. Tips for solving them.
The university, wh ere I had a fortune to study, is perfectly systematized and perfectly functioning throughout the entire period of study. For check-in at the hostel, I would advise future participants in the program to carefully listen to the university requirements and try to follow them, as there is a point system that is strictly regulated in the rules set forth.
Your expenses related to participation in a foreign internship (visa, cost of travel / trip to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / pledges in the host organization, medical insurance policy / medical services, travel by public transport, meals, accommodation). Your tips for reducing costs.
As I mentioned earlier, the visa fee was $ 80, the cost of a round-trip flight - $ 450. The host organization also requires medical insurance policy in the amount of $ 70, and $ 470 was required for accommodation in a hostel for one semester of study. To reduce costs, I advise you to buy a food coupon for the entire semester of study, which will be about $ 450 and will help you to significantly reduce costs.
Not only to study hard, but also to live interesting...
Impressions from the internship in general. What results have been achieved? How did this internship turn out to be useful for you, how did it affect the educational and personal plan?
My impressions are the most positive. Based on the results of studying in Konkuk University, Korea, I reached level 5 of the Korean language skills. I learned to understand Korean speech and talk with Koreans, met new people, and also made new friends. And I also realized that it was necessary for me to go abroad for an internship and not only to study hard, but also to live interesting.
Difficulties within the preparation for the internship. Tips and tricks for future participants in the academic mobility program.
I had no particular difficulties arising. I recommend you to check all the necessary documents carefully.
Describe the visa process.
As soon as I received an invitation from Konkuk University, I immediately went to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk. Then I went to do fluorography test in one of the checked outpatient clinics and hospitals in order to give the consulate officer for confidence in the good health of the visa recipient. Then a week later I filled out a visa application form and gave it along with my passport to the Consulate. A week later, the visa was issued, I arrived, paid the visa fee and took the passport with the visa. The process of obtaining a visa is very simple, there was not any problem arising. If something is not clear to you, do not hesitate to ask the secretary at the Consulate, do not be shy.
Difficulties at a host foreign organization. Tips for solving them.
I had no difficulties. As soon as I flew to the Republic of Korea, Konkuk University students picked me up and other exchange students. We were fed, and all together with other exchange students went by bus to the university. At the university, the international office staff more clearly explained to us, with the help of a Korean student studying Russian, what needs to be done and what expenses are required of us. We were checked in our dorm rooms. We were taken care of very well.
Your expenses related to participation in a foreign internship (visa, cost of travel / trip to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / pledges in the host organization, medical insurance policy / medical services, travel by public transport, meals, accommodation). Your tips for reducing costs.
Visa-80 $ (about 5000 rubles)
The cost of a flight to Korea was about 17,000 rubles. (I don’t remember exactly, the ticket wasn’t preserved) and the cost of the ticket to Irkutsk was about 24,000 rubles.
Transfer from the airport to the Konkuk University was free of charge (we were picked up by university students)
Registration fee — 3000 rubles.
Medical insurance policy — 6000 rubles.
The cost of buying books for training — 9240 rubles.
Accommodation — free
Meals — free
Traveling by public transport — I don’t remember (expenses were small but frequent)
Also, I spent a lot of money on joint parties with my Korean friends.
I advise you not to buy food in stores unless you have to, but to eat tightly in the university canteen.
The internship was successful; at first, it was difficult, as always, when you start something new and unfamiliar, especially in a country completely new to you. My level of Chinese has grown significantly, now I can talk with native speakers and even understand them. In fact, the Chinese language as a result is not as complicated as it was at first. In the modern world, the Chinese language goes international; knowledge of the language will greatly simplify job searches, especially in our hometown, as we are in pretty close to the Chinese border.
The difficulties mainly consisted in collecting documents, since you need to be very careful, and any mistake can zero out your application for approval of a grant. My recommendation is not to delay the collection of documents, do everything on time, and, of course, be patient.
In Irkutsk, obtaining a visa is quite easy, because we have our own Chinese consulate; it takes about 5 business days. Also, do not forget that this is a temporary visa to enter the country, then you will have to renew it in China. Usually, university staff helps with this.
I arrived with complete ignorance of the language; it was difficult enough to get to the university. First of all, I advise you to figure out how you will go, it is better, of course, by a direct flight, and see on the map how to get to the university. If they will meet you, it will be generally wonderful. Secondly, you need to know at least a little the most basic phrases to explain where you need to get.
Plane tickets cost about 20,000 p., Extend a visa in China 4,000 rubles, Taxi ride about 100 yuan (1,000 rubles). Accommodation at the dorm is free, but you need to leave a deposit of 500 yuan (they give it away upon departure), and every month you had to pay about 100-150 yuan for utilities (electricity, water). Food is not very expensive, in the dining room you can eat well for 10 yuan; it is more expensive to eat out, somewhere around 15-20 yuan, groceries are at prices similar to those in Russia.