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A third year abroad is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills, to meet new people and to travel and experience new places. Yet it also means living away from home and a university environment that you have become familiar with. Homesickness, loneliness and lack of confidence in the local language can leave students feeling isolated during their third year abroad, which means they may not make the most of the experience. Try not to let that happen to you. Have a look at Send My Bag's top tips for a third year abroad to help you maximise on your experience from the outset.

You don’t have to be part of a scheme like Erasmus+ or the Language Assistantship to enjoy a third year abroad. Instead, you can plan your own activities, like taking on full or part time work, or jobbing as you travel around different locations. While taking an Erasmus+ course or being a language assistant gives you invaluable transferable skills, you will get more immediate experience of a working environment if you choose to work ‘in the real world’, which will have direct impact on your employability.

Instead of studying at a European university as part of the Erasmus+ scheme, you could spend your third year abroad as a British Council language assistant. Assistantships operate in numerous European countries, run by different organisations in different countries. If you are studying at a UK university, you will apply through the British Council for an assistantship position in another European country. The British Council Language Assistantship scheme allows you to spend an academic year abroad helping to teach English to schoolchildren, in either a secondary or primary school.

There are a number of ways that you can spend a third year abroad but one of the most popular is the Erasmus+ programme, which allows you to work or study abroad. Read on to find out what the Erasmus+ programme is, who is eligible for Erasmus+ and much more.

Studying in the UK on a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

If you are a foreign resident (not normally resident in the European Economic Area or Switzerland) wishing to study in the UK, you will need to obtain a Tier 4 (General) student visa. To apply for this visa you must:

• be a resident in a country outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland 
• have secured a place on a course of study at an eligible institution (a licensed Tier 4 sponsor)
• be able to speak, write, read and understand English
• be able to pay for your course of study, as well as living costs.

Study in the USA on an F-1 visa

If you wish to study in the USA, you will most likely require an F-1 visa. This visa allows you to study at an academic institution in the US, such as a university or secondary school, or to take an English-language course. This is different to a J-1 visa, which is for participants of work- or study-based exchange programmes. The F-1 visa is also distinct from the M-1 visa, which is for international students taking a vocational or non-academic course.

Day trips from Paris are a great idea if you want to discover more of France and experience an alternative way of life to that of the big city. Why not take in one of the smaller towns or villages on the outskirts of the city, go for a hike in the surrounding hills, or visit an out-of-town activity centre? This will allow you to create a visit that is different to everyone else’s experience of the city. You can take a break from hectic city life and experience a slower-paced version of the country you are visiting.

In a new series, Send My Bag takes a look at some of the best day trips from a number of Europe’s capital cities. This week, we explore the top five day trips from Paris.

Shopping trips are for many the ultimate way to experience another country and have great fun at the same time. While many global brands can be found in almost any city, there are still many retailers that are unique to their own country. A shopping trip to foreign country is a chance to sample the local wares and gain fascinating insight into the country’s culture and people. The spread of global brands also means that shoppers have to travel further afield and beyond the high street to source unique items. A shopping trip abroad can be extremely enjoyable, but there are a few things to be aware of to ensure your trip runs smoothly. Following on from our guide to the top European shopping destinations, Send My Bag has put together some tips to help you plan your shopping trip abroad.

Checked baggage is a significant revenue stream for airlines, with customers often being charged to check in bags in the first place, being stung for excess and oversized baggage and frequently forced to check in overweight hand luggage at the gate. Despite the high price of checking baggage for the customer, there is no guarantee that their baggage will arrive at their destination at the same time as they do. 

For some, group travel is the perfect way to experience another country, while socializing and making friends. For others, it is the definition of a holiday from hell. Indeed, group holidays seem to have just as many benefits as they do disadvantages. On the one hand, group travel means that you are never lonely, and that there are a wide range of conversations to be had. Yet, on the other hand, group holidays mean that you can’t do exactly what you want and that you must cater to or, indeed, put up with, other people’s personalities.