Year Abroad Briefing for First Year Students Dr Vicky Turner SoML Year Abroad Convenor vct2@st-andrews.ac.uk

Where can I find information?

Year Abroad Handbook http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/modlangs/undergraduatestudents/ Your first port of call for information on the year abroad, or on who to contact for further information.

Year-Abroad Co-ordinators 2017-18 Arabic Dr Elmaz French WIYA Dr Turner French UP Dr Laügt German Dr Osborne Italian Dr Triggiano Russian Dr Opitz Spanish Dr Anipa Comp Lit Dr Jones Year-Abroad Co-ordinators 2017-18 Deal with: Allocating and liaising about study placements (the ‘School Exchange’ programmes) Support and advice regarding work placement applications, suitability and timetables Module choices, learning agreements, and grade conversions (study) WIYA projects Essentially: Academic matters http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/modlangs/undergraduatestudents/yearabroadhandbook/contacts/

Collaborations and Study Abroad Team http://www. st-andrews. ac Deal with: Finance Documentation (e.g. Erasmus+, Work placement forms...) St Andrews Abroad programme CSA consultation hours Registry St Katharine’s West, 16 The Scores Monday-Friday 2:00-4:00pm during term time

Timeline Summer 2018: start thinking! October 2018: ALL students attend Intentions meeting and submit Intentions form Autumn 2018: seek independent work placement (if relevant) Autumn 2018: Apply for St Andrews Abroad programme (**if Comp Lit/NON Modern Languages placement**) Jan 2019 (TBC): British Council Applications due Post-Jan 2019 Exam Boards: Erasmus offers made Around late Spring 2019: British Council Replies April 2019: ALL outbound students attend Pre-departure briefings (School of Modern Languages AND Study Abroad) April-May 2019: Complete Pre-departure documentation

What are my options?

Four Year Degree (Study) Five Year Degree (WIYA) St Andrews Abroad

Four Year Degree (non-WIYA): Two years sub-Honours: Year Abroad = Junior Honours One Year in St Andrews = Senior Honours

Five Year Degree (WIYA): Two years sub-Honours: [Year Abroad] Two Years Honours in St Andrews

What will I do?

Four Year Degree (non-WIYA) = university placement in France, Germany or Austria, Italy, Russia, Spain or Uruguay, Morocco (Arabic)

Five Year Degree (WIYA) = work placement English language teaching assistant or industrial work placement anywhere in the world deemed appropriate where the language is the language you study.

Working as an English Language Assistant (WIYA) British Council Working as an English Language Assistant (WIYA) Professional and transferable skills (N.B. not just for teachers!) Paid placements Time to explore Be part of a recognized and well-respected network https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/english-language-assistants Placements are not guaranteed and are competitive.

Industrial Work Placements (Internships) Responsibility for arranging internships rests with you! Start researching your internship now! The University Careers Centre provides advice on placements: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/administration/careerscentre/ Aim to have made contact with prospective employer by the end of semester 1 of second year! Work Placement Agreement form must be submitted by the end of the semester prior to your placement abroad! Placements are not guaranteed and are competitive.

Exceptions: In Russia there are no work placements. All outbound students to Russia participate in a study programme organised by our partner organisation, RLUS. Comparative Literature (through St Andrews Abroad)

St Andrews Abroad Programme The St Andrews Abroad programme is run by Collaborations & Study Abroad NOT the School of Modern Languages Use the CSA website and check with your Study Abroad Coordinator that the appropriate courses are available for your degree! Students must apply in the first semester of their second year with a view to spending their Junior Honours year abroad. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/studyabroad/outgoingstudents/opportunitiesabroadandhowtoapply/standrewsabroadprogramme/

Am I eligible?

Academic Eligibility ALL need Honours Entry (minimum mark of 11) University Placements: minimum mark of 14 in exchange language module, 13.5 in other honours language module. University and St Andrews Abroad placements are competitive! ALL Joint/Triple Honours: permission needed from other Departments outside of Modern Languages (e.g. History, IR, English etc.)

British Council Criteria https://www. britishcouncil British Council Criteria https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/english-language-assistants/eligibility Note: this is a JOB APPLICATION!

FAQs

Can I split my Year Abroad? Not generally recommended. But common with Russian Settling in takes time! British Council placements are whole year. Don’t forget about the summers!

Can I go for less than a year? WIYA: placements must add up to at least 7 months Single-semester university placements are possible for many combinations of subjects.

Can I go for more than a year? Can I go away twice? You can do WIYA first and then apply for a semester of university placement. You must spend Semester One of Junior Honours in St Andrews. The University Placement semester should not be in the same language area as your WIYA.

What are the financial implications?

Money (out) Most programmes mean paying a tuition fee to St Andrews The fees vary depending on your nationality and status. Most host institutions do not charge a fee. Study Abroad host a Finance meeting in Semester 1 of your second year. https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/study-abroad/finance/

Money (in) Teaching assistants and (most) interns get paid for their work. Students who spend a semester or year abroad in the EU may be eligible to participate in Erasmus+. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/studyabroad/for details of the Erasmus+ programme and scholarships.

Erasmus+ and the EU Referendum The government has confirmed that it will underwrite successful bids for Erasmus+ that are submitted while the UK is still an EU member state, even if payments continue beyond the point of the UK's EU exit date. As such, we are applying for funding for Erasmus+ activities for 2018-2019 and expect to participate in the Programme as normal for that year. We continue to monitor the progress of discussions on UK involvement in the project for the 2019-2020 year and hope to be able to apply as usual. The UK Government has said that it expects that UK institutions will remain involved until the end of the current Erasmus+ project in 2020, but a final settlement depends on wider negotiations. See https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/study-abroad/erasmus/ for further information. The University of St Andrews is unable to guarantee Erasmus+ funding in any given year. 

Why should I go? Linguistic benefits Confidence, independence and character building CV development and employment prospects Experience another culture New friends, places, activities New perspectives!