So, you have decided that you would like to spend part of your studies abroad, and you are considering cities, or you already know that Valencia is the place you want to be. Here you should find a lot of helpful information regarding how to turn this dream into a reality.
One important thing to note is that a lot of the steps involved in the Erasmus programme will be conducted through your university, and the best thing to do now is find out who the Erasmus Coordinator is, and get in touch with them to let them know you want to go abroad. Depending on your course and the nature of your stay, there will be different requirements, so make sure you communicate with the Erasmus Coordinator at your university and check what kinds of opportunities there are.
Once it has been confirmed that you are eligible to come to Valencia, you need to arrange something to do to fill your time. This can be a research project, or an industrial placement, or working in a company. All of these are possible but, again, it depends on your university course and what is required of you. Whatever you plan to do during your time here, a well-constructed CV will come in very useful, for applications to companies and industry, but also for research groups in a university. Before you make any application, double check with your university that it is an appropriate job/research group/placement. Make sure to tailor your CV to the application, including any relevant work experience, or modules you have studied in your home institution. You will also need to write a cover letter, explaining why you would benefit your host organization, and why you chose them specifically. The cover letter should certainly be written in Spanish, so try to have it proofread by a native if you can. All of this helps to create the best possible first impression and will hopefully lead to your application being successful.
Once you have a plan of action for your time abroad, you should endeavour to fill out your Erasmus Learning Agreement, provided by your host institution and have it signed by the Erasmus coordinators in both the sending and host institution (so that is your university, and the organization where you will be working) as soon as possible. In my personal experience, having it signed since August meant I was able to enroll in a course which was technically full in September. Some people leave this form until they arrive, but having it done and dusted makes things easier at the start. Remember, the form is a record of your intentions, and there is a space for any changes that might take place during your stay. You will need to go to the office of the relevant department with your Erasmus coordinator to enroll, so making sure that you have established a good working relationship with them via email is a good idea.
As a new student in Valencia, you will have to register on your first day, and you should have received email correspondence from your host institution about how to do this. In my case it involved a big introduction day with all of the Erasmus students on my campus. You will be provided with a lot of useful information, about how to complete the subsequent steps of enrollment and also the opportunities available to you as an Erasmus student, like trips and language classes, as well as extra-curricular activities.
The main piece of advice is to take everything as it comes, and avoid panicking. Take time to understand what is required of you, and what other people are required to do for you. It can seem quite overwhelming, but once you start to sort things out, step by step, you should be able to enjoy the process, and look forward to the exciting prospect of your months abroad.
