Yes! There it is – the notification of admission to my master studies.
However, the first mood of celebrating the placement is gone fast: I have to move to another country… I have to organize a lot of things! But what exactly? All those thoughts come up when thinking about the master placement a second time, less emotional.
What exactly should one consider when moving from one EU-country to another in order to complete one’s studies there.
The following things came up to my mind when I got the notification of admission to study my masters in Madrid.
First of all: Where shall I live? And how?
– Do I want to live near to the University or better more in the center of the town, where something is going on and I can enjoy my leisure time?
– Do I want to live in a shared flat or do I want a small apartment for my own? Do I need other people around me or do I prefer time and peace for me?
– Do I want to have a furnished room or do I want to bring my own furniture?
Once I settled these questions, another one arose: HOW do I get infos about flats, rooms etc. and HOW do I find one?
– The easiest way for me: Facebook and friends which might know someone who knows someone etc… Social media helps a lot! Ask you friends to ask their friends, search for housing groups or groups of your study in Facebook. You might get extremely helpful hints and get to know some nice and helpful people!
Other thoughts, which might not be that obvious in the first case:
– What is about my health insurance? Does it cover a longterm stay in another EU-Country and what are the conditions? Is it better to sign up for a foreign health insurance, or to make a contract with an on-site health insurance?
– What is about my mobile phone contract? Do I have the same conditions as I have at home?
All these thoughts came up to my mind when I received my master placement in Madrid.
In my opinion most of the questions depend on the period of your stay in the city/country. It might not be that reasonable to rent an unfurnished apartment when you are staying for one year only. However, if you will stay at least 3 years in the city it might be nicer and more comfortable to have your own furniture in your ‘home abroad’.
Additionally, all these questions depend on personal circumstances and desires.
My hint: Visit blogs and website, and search for Facebook groups to get to know the possibilities you have. Once you know your possibilities you can decide what you want.
Many online-portals provide a lot of infos about housing, electricity, water-suppliance, about health insurances as well as mobile phone contracts.
Gohelpy is a wonderful example of these online-portals comprising a lot of information about the big German cities.