ERASMUS+ AND ITS CHALLENGES

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ERASMUS, I think It doesn't need an introduction. Everybody does know 
what it is, right? Well, okay. I tell you what, it is an exchange program 
organized by European Union. Since Turkish education has an agreement 
with European Union, universities in Turkey have their own quotas and 
the status is like bilateral program. If your university has relation with 
one of universities in Europe then you can dream to go there, for max 
2 semesters. Normally there are more than three universities on the 
list for each department. Just check them all in your university website.

It doesn't stop there, you have to know one more thing, Erasmus+ also 
gives you a great offer that you can do your internship in European 
countries. Better yet, even if you have done Erasmus for learning, 
you can still go the next year for internship. Yes, you can do that. 
And, they give you some fund. Not big, but what the hack. Why don't 
we try to be grateful on what we get. 

All of the processes of ERASMUS

1. Take the exam "English Proficiency exam"

Your exam result contributes 50% of the total score. The other 50% 
comes from your GPA. So, the formula will be like [50% of Proficiency 
Exam Result + 50% of GPA = ()] That number you get will determine 
your luck either you will get the chance to experience Erasmus or not. 
Either you will get a country that has been haunting you all this time or not.

2. Accepted/ Not Accepted

It takes months to find out the result. In the meantime, you are just 
allowed to know your EPE score. But again, it doesn't give a hint at 
all of either you are accepted or not. The only thing you would do, 
is to fantasize about it. (dream on…. Dream on…)

About the English Proficiency Exam in Celal Bayar University,

It's not exactly an English exam. It's like, of all the questions, 
ten to twelve of them contain "translation question." In the 
question part will be the Turkish version of the sentence, and 
you are expected to find the correct translation in the answer 
choices that have been written there. Or the other way around.

For foreign students, get ready with your Turkish! Otherwise, 
you EFE might turn out bad too.

3. When your name is finally written on the list, you will be
   asked to attend a meeting which they call as "Erasmus
   Orientation"

During this meeting, (in Celal Bayar it went two days) you 
will be given information about Erasmus and "what to do" 
"what not to do" lists. The step of Erasmus processes. 
Basically all what I am writing now. And also, games. 
It's like Leadership Training sort of thing. But I suggest 
you to come, if you happen to be on the list. It will be hell of use.

4.  To be Nominated

In the announcement table, your will be put side by side with 
the university the has been chosen for you. So, now you can 
do a lot of research about that university, the city, the country 
etc. Make sure you note the deadline for Erasmus nomination.

5. Your nomination is responded

Now you will be given a lot of homework to do. There are pages 
of paper need to be filled. You have to meet Erasmus coordinator 
in your department to talk about the courses. You have to choose 
them with her. She knows which course fits with which course.

6. Send the signed Learning Agreement to The receiving
   university

This one is rather not too difficult, at least in my case. My host 
university doesn't  want me to send the original version. They 
just want me to scan the documents and send to them just that.

The documents are :

-Learning Agreement

-Erasmus Form

-Accomodation Form

-Passport

-Student Identification

-Transcript

7. Waiting for Invitation Letter or Acceptance Letter

It won't take longer to get the Learning Agreement signed by 
the host university, and they directly send it back to my email; 
meaning that they have decided to accept me. So, I won't need 
the acceptance letter. Instead, they give me "invitation letter."

Acceptance Letter will be of use for processing visa. In my case, 
again, my invitation letter consists of information about me being 
accepted, the aims of the letter (to make the visa process easier), 
and it also states that I am hosted at the university which means 
it is also the letter of accommodation.

8. Finally, when invitation letter arrived, you can start preparing
   the documents for visa application.

Next: Romanian visa processes