Organization / application
When I decided to do a semester abroad, I found out about the various organizational options. Since I study dual studies, I had to find a university that is approved by my home university and my company. With the help of MicroEDU, everything went really well. When I got my application together, MicroEDU checked it again and then forwarded it to York St Yohn University.
Before my semester abroad, I bought a Visa card. I can really recommend this to everyone, as you can pay free of charge anywhere in England. I was also able to transfer my tuition fees and the rent for the accommodation in advance via “verfied by visa”.
Accommodation
During my semester abroad I lived in the student residence “The Grange”. There I was accommodated in a house with four other students (two British and two American). Everyone had their own room there and we shared a bathroom and kitchen. The room size was appropriate and there was an extra sink, wardrobe, bed and large desk in each room. When I arrived, sheets and bedding were also available in my room. In my first week in the new accommodation my heating failed and unfortunately it took a while to be repaired. Under no circumstances should the heating be switched off, otherwise it will take several days to warm up again.
There is a large refrigerator in the kitchen, but it is really small for five people if everyone wants to cook fresh. Otherwise you had to get all the kitchen utensils yourself if you didn’t bring anything. I was lucky that previous residents left some things there that I could use. But you have to buy some things in York after all. At the nearby supermarkets (Asda, Sainsburrys) and at Poundland you can buy pots, pans, etc. at a reasonable price.
Unfortunately, the apartment wasn’t very clean when I arrived in York. That’s why I cleaned everything thoroughly at the beginning. A vacuum cleaner and a wiper are available for this in every apartment. My roommates didn’t attach great importance to cleanliness, so I asked them every now and then whether they would like to clean up or take out the rubbish. Sometimes it worked. Otherwise the cleaning ladies come once a month and clean all common rooms.
York St John University
According to ehuacom.com, York St John University was about a 10-minute walk from my accommodation. The campus consists of a mix of old and new buildings. In addition to the lecture rooms, there is also a cafeteria, a large new library, a fitness studio, a pizzeria, several cafes and the Students Union. In the Students Union there is a Starbucks on the upper floor and a bar on the lower floor. There is karaoke every Saturday and a cider costs only one pound! In addition, the Global Cafe takes place there every Monday, where you can exchange ideas with other internationals and there are free snacks. The Global Cafe also organizes various day trips during the semester. For example, I went to Whitby with me. Whitby is a seaside town in England and definitely worth a visit.
Course content
I took the three modules “International Trade”, “Professional Project” and “Research Methods and Project Management” at YSJ University. In each module you have one lecture and one seminar per week. There are usually between 50 and 100 students in the lectures, while a maximum of 20 students are present in the seminars. The International Trade module brought me a lot. The professor always linked the theoretical topics with current events / situations and made the lecture so interesting. I can also recommend the Research Methods and Project Management module to everyone. In this module you did a lot of group work, but you also had to work on two small research questions individually.
In my opinion, the Professional Project module is not suitable for internationals who only spend one semester abroad in York, as the module includes a two-week internship. I also expected the module to have more IT content. However, a lot of emphasis was placed on the preparation of the internship. For example, it was discussed how to write a résumé, what to consider in an interview, etc.
Leisure
In York you have a lot of opportunities to spend your free time. Since YSJ University has a gym, you can work out there all semester for £ 60. In addition, there are really nice running routes in York, which also allow you to get to know York better. In addition to sports, you can also really celebrate in York. In the city center there are several clubs and of course a lot of pubs. We went to the Salvation to celebrate several times and luckily there was a McDonalds on the way back to our accommodation.
