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Studying abroad

Most universities offer opportunities to study abroad, often through exchange programmes such as socrates-erasmus. Many students spend time in another country as part of a language degree, but there are also plenty of opportunities for combining study abroad with subjects such as business or engineering.

Study abroad is also available to students of any subject, providing they choose to go to a university that is part of a recognised programme and offers courses that are relevant to their degree. The US, Mexico, Brazil, France and Spain are just a few of the exotic destinations recent students have chosen.

Just think about all the different cultures you could learn about, for example did you know that:

For more information on studying abroad go to www.erasmus.ac.uk

Linn Dahlman graduated with a degree in Latin American development studies. As part of her degree Linn took a year out to spend a year in South America:

"I can say that without a doubt my time in Nicaragua has been the most exciting, memorable and fun experience I have had in my life and as I learnt to speak Spanish and because it is a quite a different year of study it is now a door opener for jobs and further studies, that makes me stand out when applying."

Do I have to go straight from college to university?

Not at all! You can apply to go to university at anytime whether you're 18 or 80. Some students prefer to take a year out to work and save some money or travel a bit before they start their courses. It's up to you when you start.

Why did you decide to go to university?

"I didn't want to go straight away - I worked for a few years before I decided that university presented a good opportunity to get some new experiences and meet some new people, as well as gaining a qualification that will hopefully lead to some new job opportunities."
David Mather, 27, student at the University of Portsmouth.