Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool

FACULTAD DE TURISMO Y FINANZAS GRADO EN TURISMO Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool Trabajo Fin de Grado presentado por Maria Teresa García Fernández, siendo la tutora del mismo la profesora Maria del Mar Torreblanca López Vº. Bº. de la Tutora: Alumna: D. D. Sevilla. Junio de 2018 GRADO EN TURISMO FACULTAD DE TURISMO Y FINANZAS TRABAJO FIN DE GRADO CURSO ACADÉMICO [2017-2018] TÍTULO: GUIDE FOR ERASMUS STUDENTS IN LIVERPOOL AUTOR: Mª TERESA GARCÍA FERNÁNDEZ TUTOR: MARIA DEL MAR TORREBLANCA LÓPEZ DEPARTAMENTO: FILOLOGÍA INGESA (LENGUA INGLESA) ÁREA DE CONOCIMIENTO: FILOLOGÍA INGLESA RESUMEN: Liverpool, como ciudad estudiantil, recibe en sus universidades un gran número de estudiantes cada año, muchos de ellos Erasmus. El proceso para organizar este intercambio con otras universidades puede resultar complejo para el alumno. En esta guía Erasmus todos los aspectos relacionados con él aparecen desarrollados desde varios puntos de vista: de las universidades implicadas así como de la propia experiencia como alumna erasmus en la ciudad PALABRAS CLAVE: Erasmus; movilidad; LJMU; Brexit; course; module TFG-TUR. GUIDE FOR ERASMUS STUDENTS IN LIVERPOOL -I- ÍNDICE 1. CAPÍTULO 1: INTRODUCCIÓN 1.1. INTRODUCCIÓN .............................................................................. Pg. 1 1.2. OBJETIVOS ....................................................................................... Pg. 2 1.3. JUSTIFICACIÓN DEL TEMA ............................................................. Pg. 2 2. CAPÍTULO 2: CONTEXTO POLÍTICO Y SOCIAL 2.1. APROXIMACIÓN A LA CIUDAD DE LIVERPOOL ............................. Pg. 3 2.2. EL “BREXIT” Y SUS EFECTOS SOBRE LA BECA ERASMUS.......... Pg. 5 3. CAPÍTULO 3: LIVERPOOL ERASMUS GUIDE 3.1. MOBILITY ARRENGEMENTS ........................................................... Pg. 9 3.1.1. BEFORE MOBILITY .................................................................. Pg. 9 3.1.2. AFTER MOBILITY ................................................................... Pg. 11 3.2. ACCOMMODATION......................................................................... Pg. 11 3.2.1. HALLS PROPOSED BY LJMU .................................................. Pg. 13 3.2.2. HOW TO APPLY FOR A PRIVATE HALL .................................. Pg.14 3.3. HOW TO GET TO LIVERPOOL ....................................................... Pg. 15 3.4. AT LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY .............................. Pg. 17 3.4.1. FACILITIES AT LJMU .............................................................. Pg. 19 3.5. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................. Pg. 20 3.5.1 HEALTH AND WELLBEING ....................................................... Pg. 22 4. CONCLUSIÓN .................................................................................................. Pg. 25 5. BIBLIOGRAFÍA ................................................................................................. Pg. 27 6. ANEXOS ANEXO 1 ............................................................................................... Pg. 31 ANEXO 2 ............................................................................................... Pg. 32 ANEXO 3 ............................................................................................... Pg. 33 ANEXO 4 ............................................................................................... Pg. 35 ANEXO 5 .............................................................................................. Pg. 36 TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -1- CAPITULO 1 INTRODUCCIÓN 1.1. INTRODUCCIÓN La beca Erasmus es un programa educativo que nace bajo el seno de la Unión Europea en 1987, dedicado al intercambio de estudiantes entre las distintas universidades europeas por un periodo comprendido entre tres y doce meses. La Comisión Europea es el organismo encargado de llevarla a cabo mediante la elaboración de distintos planes que contienen la financiación destinada a la movilidad. El plan de proyecto vigente recoge una financiación de 14,7 billones de euros para los años 2014-2020, bajo el término “Erasmus+”. El cambio de término se debe a que en dicho periodo no sólo se realizan intercambios de estudios, sino que también puede tratarse de prácticas, estancias relacionadas con el deporte e incluso movilidad docente para continuar su formación. De este modo, se busca sacar el máximo provecho de un sistema universitario similar (El plan Bolonia), con el que los estudiantes pueden disfrutar de la calidad y reputación de las distintas universidades europeas. Y es que muchos son los que reconocen los múltiples beneficios del programa Erasmus+. Por un lado, los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de aprender o mejorar un segundo idioma, así como otra cultura que les otorgará una visión globalizada del mundo. Por otro lado, a nivel personal, les ayudará a salir de su zona de confort y a obtener una mayor confianza en sí mismos y una mayor autonomía. Además, según el estudio de impactos de la beca Erasmus+ (Comisión Europea, 2014), muchas de las cualidades potenciales que se pueden obtener con la movilidad se caracterizan por ser las requeridas en el mercado laboral: “Conciencia intercultural, capacidad de adaptación, creatividad, productividad, flexibilidad, resolución de problemas, innovación y trabajo en equipo”, entre otras. Si nos trasladamos a Gran Bretaña, la agencia nacional en el Reino Unido para la beca Erasmus+ (https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk) lleva a cabo numerosas estadísticas, entre las cuales se ve como en el periodo 2014-2016 Inglaterra envió 18.855 estudiantes a otras facultades europeas bajo el programa. Por el contrario, el número de estudiantes que acuden allí para estudiar es de 30.183, según una nota de prensa del año 2017 del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España. Ocupa el tercer puesto por detrás de España y Alemania, y el primero si solo tenemos en cuenta países en los que la docencia es en habla inglesa. Liverpool recibe gran parte de estos estudiantes erasmus. Con sus cuatro universidades (University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Hope University y el Liverpool institute of Performing Arts LIPA), tiene merecida su categoría como ciudad estudiantil. Entre sus puntos fuertes, el diario inglés The Independent destaca que es una ciudad vibrante, con una gran vida nocturna y asequible para los estudiantes. De las universidades citadas anteriormente, Liverpool John Moores University será la universidad de referencia en esta guía erasmus, y la ciudad de Liverpool el escenario en el que se desarrollará. García Fernández, Maria Teresa -2- 1.2. OBJETIVOS Este trabajo persigue proporcionar una guía completa en todo lo relacionado con la beca Erasmus+ para aquellos estudiantes que cursarán el semestre o año académico en la ciudad de Liverpool. Para lograr este fin, esta guía erasmus tratará de:  Ofrecer una guía completa que cubra todos los aspectos de la preparación de la movilidad, con los pasos a seguir.  Complementar las distintas guías erasmus ofrecidas por las dos instituciones en cuestión implicadas, aportando experiencia personal.  Reducir la incertidumbre proporcionando datos útiles del destino.  Acercar la ciudad de Liverpool y su cultura al futuro estudiante erasmus, para obtener una percepción lo más completa posible del estilo de vida de los locales.  Contribuir a que el destino Liverpool sea la primera opción de los estudiantes erasmus, ensalzando sus cualidades como ciudad estudiantil. 1.3. JUSTIFICACIÓN DEL TEMA Al serme adjudicada una plaza en el año 2016/17 para cursar un año universitario en Liverpool, concretamente en Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), fui consciente de la necesidad de organización de los aspectos relacionados con la movilidad, así como la de compartir la propia experiencia personal para ayudar a los futuros becarios con este destino. Esa información acerca de la movilidad Erasmus+ se encuentra en las distintas guías de cada facultad o universidad, que desarrollan desde su propio punto de vista. Es por ello que esta guía erasmus busca unir estas dos instituciones y elaborar un procedimiento único para facilitar todo el proceso al alumno. Por esta razón, el trabajo consistirá en una guía erasmus que cubra qué pasos seguir en la universidad saliente de cualquier país europeo, y qué hacer una vez esté el estudiante en Liverpool. Además, como complemento, se tratarán aspectos sobre el estilo de vida de la ciudad y su población, para tener una visión completa de lo que Liverpool hoy día representa. A esta visión social, se adjuntará un acercamiento a la política actual del país, en estado de negociaciones por el “Brexit”. La finalidad de esta sección es informar al estudiante de cómo este acontecimiento puede afectar a la iniciativa europea Erasmus+, y si puede suponer su fin en el Reino Unido. El idioma elegido para esta guía erasmus será el inglés, haciéndola más accesible a otros estudiantes europeos. Por otro lado, al hacerla en dicho idioma el futuro becario se familiarizará con muchos términos que pueden resultar complicados en un principio, como, por ejemplo, a la hora de reservar alojamiento o en la web de la universidad. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -3- CAPÍTULO 2 CONTEXTO POLÍTICO Y SOCIAL 2.1. APROXIMACIÓN A LA CIUDAD DE LIVERPOOL Al preguntar acerca de la ciudad de Liverpool, es inevitable que la imagen del grupo musical The Beatles o The cavern (Lugar en el que solían tocar) nos venga a la mente. O que, por otro lado, los aficionados al fútbol la asocien con los dos equipos de la ciudad: el Liverpool y el Everton Football Club. Es cierto que estos dos elementos forman una imagen preconcebida de lo que es la ciudad; sin embargo, una vez que se visita Liverpool queda al descubierto su gran potencial y personalidad. Nos estamos refiriendo a una ciudad que en el año 2008 fue nombrada Capital Europea de la Cultura. Y no es de extrañar, como se destaca en la web turística Visit Liverpool: solo en el centro de la ciudad podemos encontrar múltiples galerías de arte, museos, teatros y edificios emblemáticos. La música juega un papel esencial en la vida de los habitantes de la ciudad; no solo por la influencia de los Beatles mencionados anteriormente. Al andar por las calles más concurridas se puede encontrar bandas callejeras, pubs y cafeterías con música en directo, o la “open-mic night” para los más valientes. La “Liverpool Philarmonic” acoge a la orquesta sinfónica de la ciudad y en ella tienen lugar diversos eventos del ámbito musical y del espectáculo. Imagen 2.1. The Cavern Club, antes y actualmente. Fuente: LonelyPlanet Los habitantes de Liverpool son conocidos como “scousers”. El medio de comunicación BBC esclarece su origen: al ser una ciudad portuaria, comerciantes de todo el mundo acudían a Liverpool, además de galeses e irlandeses. Como resultado de esta mezcla surge uno de los acentos más difíciles del Reino Unido, junto con el escocés. De carácter extrovertido y trato cercano, los locales disfrutan de su tiempo libre en la ciudad, ya sea con una pinta en un pub o de compras por el centro. Para entender actualmente esta ciudad situada a orillas del río Mersey, debemos remontarnos hacia atrás en el tiempo. Liverpool fue un punto estratégico en el país debido a su puerto, en el que se desarrollaba el comercio, tanto de bienes, como de esclavos, tal y como reafirma la UNESCO. Sufrió graves heridas por los bombardeos García Fernández, Maria Teresa -10- Secondly, the academic matters regarding the mobility are undertaken by the specific faculty at the home university; the process although is the same in all of them, no matter the duration of the stay, which comprehends:  An online “Application form” that the receiving university sends by e-mail to the student. Usually is the programme coordinator at LJMU the one who sends this file, so in case of doubt the student can ask him/her about the document. This application form asks for student personal data, language skills and a “Learning Agreement” table. Once the form has been accepted by the admission’s team, the student receives an e-mail with his/her ID Student Number.  The completion of the “Learning Agreement”: the number of modules (term used for the different subjects) that the student selects to undertake in LJMU within the course (or Degree’s name, e.g. Law). To do so, it is important to be familiarised with the European credit transfer system (ECTS) into LJMU credits. 60 ECTS are the equivalent to 120 LJMU credits; therefore, two modules at the home university convert to one at LJMU. Furthermore, the minimum of ECTS depends of the mobility duration: 60 ECTS for a year and 45 ECTS for a semester. When it comes to the picking of modules to validate at the receiving institution, they must have a similar content. The student must go into the LJMU website and search for his/her course and its script to have a look at the modules. Then he/she should compare it with the list of modules at the home university. The general frame of work to validate them is: if the home university module is a compulsory one then the module chosen at LJMU must be related in terms of contents; the module “English” at the home university can be validated for any in LJMU (due to the fact that lectures are given in that language); lastly, when the home university module is an optional subject, the validation is not so strict, it can be done with any module, always trying to validate those with similarity. To clarify these statements, the appendix number 1 shows a real “Learning Agreement” for the term 2016/2017 of the home university in Tourism (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain) and the Tourism and Leisure course at LJMU. For instance, on the one hand, the tourism modules “Art and cultural tourism” and “Sociology of tourism” at the home university may be equivalent to “Tourism, heritage and culture” in the Tourism and Leisure one at LJMU. On the other hand, the compulsory module at Seville “Touristic companies’ creation” was validated with “Enterprise and Entrepreneurship” at LJMU; it is possible to observe the strong similarity between these two. The filling of the two documents is part of the general procedure that all European universities follow and must be approved by the sending and receiving institution. There is the possibility to make some changes in the learning agreement by the time the student is already at LJMU, due to overlapping schedules, for example; to keep in touch with the home Erasmus coordinator will be helpful in this case, to resolve this kind of problems as soon as possible so the student can have the final learning agreement. Even so, other documents may be requested to the student, depending on the sending faculty. One of them is the flight ticket to Liverpool, for example. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -11- To conclude this section, the Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support (EOLS) sends the student a language assessment in English before the mobility, and another test at the end of it to assess his/her progression during the stay. It is an online test that should be filled before the journey to Liverpool. 3.1.2. AFTER MOBILITY Being aware of all the necessary documents to return at the home university signed and stamped is vital, due to the difficulty that may cause the lack of them and the delay in the process of asking again at LJMU for them. Hence, checking once more at the sending and receiving institutions’ website which these documents are is advisable. The student should not hesitate to contact again by e-mail to the home university Erasmus coordinator or to ask directly to the LJMU coordinator. The documents bellow are generally the ones required:  The last modification copy of the “Learning Agreement” signed by LJMU. If as it is the case, there has not been any changes at the learning agreement and the student had it already signed and stamped by his Erasmus coordinator at LJMU it can be used at the home university.  The “Transcript of Records”, specifically named the “Liverpool John Moores University Progress Transcript”. The document contains the different modules, the total mark obtained and whether the student pass the grade or not, as well as the assessment method. An example of a real transcript of records from de module “Tourism and Leisure management” is provided at the appendix number 2. It is also recommended to bring back the letter confirming the student has successfully passed the specific programme of study, provided by the module Erasmus coordinator at LJMU. Furthermore, some sending institutions demand their Erasmus students a “Stay Certificate” signed by the university, LJMU, to sustain that the stay period has been completed. Lastly, the process concludes with the e-mail from the Online Erasmus+ Linguistic Support containing the second test to assess the student’s evolution in the English Language from the first test done before the mobility. 3.2. ACCOMMODATION The right choice of accommodation may be one of the most significant worries among Erasmus students, because they are deciding what their future home will look like for the next semester or year. Fortunately, Liverpool, as a student city, has a wide range of options when it comes to it. As it is said in a Liverpool Echo article: “from the 50.000 students in Liverpool, 34.000 of them need a student accommodation”. Generally, students in Liverpool choose halls of residence to live in for the next term. The atmosphere is livelier and you can meet other university students, national or international. Universities provide students with accommodation halls on-campus, except for Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). LJMU has an agreement with many private halls of residence to secure flats to its students. Most of them are allocated in Liverpool city centre, which is very convenient due to the proximity to the main streets, city attractions, and university buildings by foot. García Fernández, Maria Teresa -12- These private halls are buildings with the following common facilities: a reception (in most cases a 24h front desk with security) and an area of couches, television and mailboxes. The latter is usually a Hub where the students can spend their spare time, and they may have a video-games room or a study room, for example. This spaces are beneficial for oneself to meet new people and to feel like home. Plus, they always provide a laundry room, with washing machines and dryers that can work with a card or a phone application, by charging money. It is necessary to buy the washing capsules at the supermarket (They are not provided by the accommodation). The cost of each service varies from 1,5 to 3,5£. Image 3.1. Hall’s front Desk Image 3.2. Laundry room Image 3.3. Student’s HUB in Vita accommodation private hall. Source: Unite Students Liverpool Regarding the different kinds of room available at the private halls, the student’s options are many. Firstly, there are flats for 4-6 people with a common kitchen and an en-suite or shared bathroom. Within these rooms it is possible to choose between a single and double bed which may change the price per week. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -13- Image 3.4. Standard room at The Arch accommodation Source: Downing Students website; The Arch Secondly, it is possible to pick a studio for one person, with a small kitchen and a private bathroom. All types of rooms feature a desk and chair, a broad closet and some shelves. Among the two options, sometimes it is possible to upgrade the status of the room obtaining some features; it usually appears a “deluxe/luxury” option. Image 3.5 Studio at The Arch accommodation Source: Downing Students website; The Arch 3.2.1. HALLS PROVIDED BY LJMU At the accommodation section in Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) website, a list of private halls or residences is provided for the student to pick as their next home for the coming term or semester. As it is mentioned before, the university has an agreement with these accommodation halls spread through the city centre to book a certain number of rooms for their students, giving preference to choose to first year students and international ones, where the Erasmus category is included. As it is the case, the best thing to do is to book the accommodation with the university’s given options due to the difficulty of García Fernández, Maria Teresa -14- searching elsewhere from the home country. The check-in date to the accommodation tends to be the 15th September, a week before the beginning of the academic term at LJMU. As it was said at the beginning of this accommodation section, walking in the centre of Liverpool is a factual option, due to the proximity of the main attractions. LJMU university buildings are situated at the very heart of this city centre, except for IM Marsh campus. The best accommodation choices regarding the distance to the three campus are:  City campus, in Byrom Street. The most recommended option by students would be the luxury hall “Vita Student”. Marybone buildings, with 3 residences are close to the campus library, Avril Robarts. “Liberty Atlantic Point” is the residence most remote to the heart of the city centre, although is close to this campus.  Mount Pleasant Campus counts with the most options. First year students tend to pick “Grand Central” hall next to Lime St Station, and it is famous for its parties and vibrant atmosphere. “St Luke’s view” is the newest accommodation, alongside with “The Arch”. In London Road it is possible to book at “Europa” accommodation and “My Student Village”  IM Marsh campus is the only LJMU campus outside the city centre. The university is aware of this, and therefore provides to its students a public transport card to use at the bus. The line 82 goes to Aigburth Road, 5 minutes away from campus, in a 20 minute journey. This public transport card must be asked at the campus library. The accommodation team at LJMU thus advices its alumni accommodation halls next or close to the line 82 bus stops. These could be “The Arch” or “Grand Central”, for instance. The appendix number 3 shows the complete list of halls proposed by LJMU, with its features and types of room, the contract length as well as the price per week and per year. 3.2.2. HOW TO APPLY FOR A PRIVATE HALL Applying online for an accommodation through the LJMU website is an easy process, convenient to do at the time the student receives the e-mail with his/her ID Student number and the application form previously mentioned is approved. This is due to the “first come, first serve” basis that the LJMU accommodation team follows; therefore, the most requested halls may not have flats left at the hall by time the student wants to book them. To start the booking process at the accommodation section in LJMU website, the first step is to click in “apply online” and to write the ID Student Number given by the admission’s team. Most probably, the university may have sent an e-mail with an invitation to choose an accommodation from the website; verifying the incoming e-mails as much as the spam folder is important to not miss any LJMU e-mail. In case of doubt the university accommodation team provides an e-mail address to help in the booking of residences: [email protected]. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -15- In this online application of residence, personal student details will be asked as well as a list of the halls preferred. The student must fill this list with three halls of residence from the list provided by LJMU, ordered by preference. Once the form is completed, the specific accommodation office will contact the student again, confirming a place at a requested hall of the student’s preferences list. In this second e-mail, all the information regarding the hall will be displayed, along with a tenancy letter attached. The tenancy letter is a document that includes:  The accommodation contract. Within the contract there is a terms and conditions form, with safety recommendations, student obligations and code of conduct, and the tenant obligations, among others. This information is vital for the Erasmus student to read carefully, because when it comes to a foreign country, there are many things taken for granted or that we do not realize about its importance at the future destination.  The payment schedule. At this document appear the number of instalments that we chose (usually there are two instalments for the academic year), with the dates in which they are charged, and the student’s payment details to confront these payments.  The deposit payment details. By the time the booking of the residence is done, the accommodation team contacts the student to communicate that a booking deposit must be paid: it depends on the specific hall of residence, but the amount may be either 100 or 150£. When filling this deposit form, it may demand the presence of a witness and his/her signature as well. Nevertheless, it is a booking deposit that later is transformed into a damage deposit, refundable at the end of the stay as long as the flat remains in the same condition compared to the beginning of it. By sending this tenancy letter back to the accommodation office they will be able to assess that the details are correct and send a confirmation e-mail with the check-in date for the student, and the confirmation of the deposit payment. 3.3. HOW TO GET TO LIVERPOOL Liverpool John Lennon Airport is located at the south of Liverpool, 7 miles away from the city centre. This international airport owes its name to The Beatles’ member John Lennon; once outside the airport, a yellow submarine is welcoming travellers, honouring the famous group’s song. With one terminal, there are plenty of shops and food and beverage establishments of all kind (Fast food chains, restaurants and coffee shops). Five is the number of Airlines flying to and from Europe in Liverpool John Lennon Airport: EasyJet, Ryanair, Blue Air, Wizz Air and TUI. Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is characterised by its accessibility, located at the outskirts of the city in a quarter called “Speke”. It is well linked to the city centre through the public means of transport: by bus there are stops for lines “500 Airport flyer bus”, “86A” and lastly “80A” which usually takes between 30 and 50 minutes to get to the main locations at Liverpool city centre. The bus company operating them is Arriva, whose working operators usually are available at the bus stops helping those passengers to get the best bus depending on their destination. The cost for a single journey is 2.20£, amount that can be paid in cash at the time to get on the bus (it is better if the passenger has spare change and not notes to give to the bus driver). García Fernández, Maria Teresa -16- Image 3.6. Bus stops at Liverpool John Lennon Airport Source: The Sun Newspaper In case the student wishes to travel from their city and there are no air connections to Liverpool, the Manchester International Airport may be another option. The journey’s duration is generally an hour, by train or by coach/bus leaving from Manchester Airport itself frequently (The ticket for both means of transport has the price of 10£ generally, and can be purchased at the ticket machine on-site or online through websites like https://www.thetrainline.com/). In addition to this, the airport is bigger than John Lennon Airport with two more terminals, and hence, with more flights to European cities. Moreover, a semester or year living abroad requires to check-in at least two pieces of luggage plus a carry-on luggage in cabin, this depending always on the preferences of each person. The best thing to do is to take with oneself the essentials: for instance, not to bring any bed linen or towels inside the suitcase because it is possible to acquire them at an affordable price in shops like Primark. When it comes to clothes, consider the ones that for sure you wear on a daily basis, comfortable footwear and mainly clothes suitable for Liverpool’s weather. Among the things to bring for sure is the plug adapter, along with an extension socket to connect more devices. If it is not possible to buy them before the journey it can be bought in Liverpool in establishments like Poundland. Organising the contents of the luggage is essential to avoid baggage excess at the airport. It is important to weight the suitcases once they are full at home and to make sure the dimensions are the appropriate ones for the Airline. Consequently, the appendix number 4 shows a comparison between the airlines offering more connections to Europe in John Lennon Airport, Easyjet and Ryanair. It contains the baggage allowance policy, in the hold or at the cabin, and the overweight expenses. It is important to highlight the new agreement between Ryanair and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). This benefits the Erasmus through advantages shown at ESN website, such as “15% discount on 8 single flights or 4 return flights, free check-in luggage of 20kg with each flight, weekly travel offers for Erasmus students and tailored Ryanair in-journey offers on the mobile app”. Getting the ESN card can be done online through “ESNcard.org”. Later on the Ryanair website there is an Erasmus tab where the student can introduce the ESN card details. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -17- Image 3.7. Ryanair website and the Erasmus Student Network membership Source: Ryanair.com If the student travels alone must be aware that he/she has to be able to carry all the luggage until they get to their accommodation by themselves from the airport. A recent alternative to this that is becoming popular is to send the luggage directly from the home country to the future accommodation through a company, like send my Bag (https://www.sendmybag.com/). The price depends of the suitcase’s weight: 45€ up to 20kg, 47€ up to 30kg, and three euros more for each additional kg. Checking the list of items not allowed in the suitcases is advisable to avoid trouble. It can take two working days for the collection of the bags and one is able to check where the luggage is at every moment, until it arrives at the reception of the accommodation hall where they will keep it for you. To continue the preparation of the journey to Liverpool, the student must be certain about what are the right documents that are asked at the U.K. airports: a valid passport and an identity card issued at an EEA country (The European Economic Area). The expiration date of the documents must be always check a few months before in order to ask for a new document before the Erasmus mobility. Thus, it is recommended to take as well the European Sanitary card, the use of which will be discussed in the following sections. 3.4. AT LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY By the time the Erasmus student has settled at the accommodation and has had a first walk around the city centre it is time to wonder what to do next, especially with the aspects related to the beginning at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). The good thing is, that LJMU (and generally all universities in the U.K.) has a fine reputation due to their close contact with the alumni. Most surely when the student was preparing the mobility and paperwork at the sending institution, the faculty Erasmus coordinator at LJMU had already established initial contacts with him/her through email. Thus, with the arrival to Liverpool, the student should receive a new e-mail with the events to come at the presentation week, or commonly called by the students as “Fresher’s week”. García Fernández, Maria Teresa -18- During the presentation week, LJMU also organises fairs in locations like St George’s Hall or the Liverpool Echo Arena. In this fairs volunteers help the students with issues of all kind, like how to access to the insurance health for example. There is too a fair dedicated to the society clubs at LJMU for the students to join: sports like rugby or football, musical and theatre society, law society, etc. The student can join none or more than one; in this case, the international society would be the best choice: many international students join this society and organise daily trips to other English locations. Different welcoming events will take place at the faculty for the students to meet each other. In particular for the Erasmus students, there will be for sure an encounter with other international students at one of the faculty’s cafeteria, usually at the Starbucks inside Redmond’s building in the city centre. Following this course of action, the Erasmus student should be active in social media, mostly at Facebook, where it is advisable to join Erasmus and international groups and all the different events are displayed. Furthermore, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) team is present in Liverpool organising some meetings and social events between the Erasmus. The academic term tends to begin the week of the 23 or 24th September, after the presentation week mentioned before. At the appendix number 5 there is an example of a real academic calendar for the term 2017/18. The Erasmus coordinator at LJMU will communicate when the presentation of the course is. The programme structure involves three levels which correspond to the course’s three years duration: level 4, level 5, and level 6. The different subjects of each level are called modules, mentioned at the chapter’s first section; generally there are six modules per level. Probably the Erasmus student will have modules of a specific level, although modules from different levels can be an option too, depending of the module choices at the “Learning Agreement”. At the presentation week the module leader is introduced, and he/she explains its contents, the module lecturers and the different assessments. Classes consist of “lectures” of no more than fifty students (in most cases), where the lecturer does a presentation with the theory aspects, associating them with many real and practical case studies. Assessments are generally the completion of an exam, an essay to submit and presentations (in groups or individually). Sometimes it may be an essay under exam conditions: an essay that the student does about a chosen topic from the proposed ones by the lecturer regarding the module, and writes down at the exam. Marks vary from 0 to 100%, being 40% the minimum one to pass the module successfully. Hence, the students can obtain the following average mark for the whole course:  40-49%, or third class degree.  50-59%, or second class degree (2.2)  60-69%, or upper second class degree (2.1)  70% or more. The so called first class degree. The appendix number 2, “Transcript of records” shows examples of all these kinds of assessments and their weight in the total or final module’s mark. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -19- 3.4.2. FACILITIES AT LJMU Every Liverpool John Moores building offers to its students facilities like a cafeteria, vending machines, study areas, etc. Each campus has a library, with silent zones, rooms designated to teamwork assessments, as well as areas with computers. This computers provided by the University log in using the ID student number and the specific password. As it was said in the accommodation section, LJMU does not have a campus where all the faculty buildings are reunited in a certain area, but it is spread all over the city centre. Hereafter are the three different areas where we can find LJMU’s buildings: City campus, in Byrom St. (its library is Avril Robarts), Mount Pleasant and the library Aldham Robarts, and IM Marsh campus. Sports, drama, dancing and events are some of the modules lectured in this campus, which is allocated in Aigburth, 20-30 minutes away from the city centre by bus. This campus has a library as well, where the Erasmus student can apply for the free bus card to use, so they can get to the university easily without an extra expense. The access to most of the buildings and to all the libraries is limited, and the entrance is permitted only using the ID Student Card. This card can also be used at the printers in the libraries: first year students and international ones have a complimentary 50£ available for copies, they only have to swipe the card on the printer’s sensor Inside each library there is a “Careers zone” with a professional team helping and giving advice to those students seeking for a job in Liverpool, displaying job offers suitable for the students. Whether the Erasmus students decides to search for a job or not during the mobility, it is highly recommended to get guidance when it comes to writing an English CV. In the future it may be quite helpful to know its basic guidelines and its writing style, which probably is very different to the CV style at the home country. Images 3.8 and 3.9. Redmond’s building on the left and the faculty of arts on the right in Mount Pleasant campus García Fernández, Maria Teresa -26- Por otro lado, en ese mismo capítulo dos, se ha profundizado sobre el “Brexit” y sus probables consecuencias sobre la beca Erasmus+, en un momento en que las negociaciones para llevar a cabo la salida de la UE están llegando a su fin. En primer lugar, para tranquilizar al futuro alumnado que tenga como destino una universidad inglesa; y, en segundo lugar, para mostrar la intención tanto de las universidades inglesas y europeas como del gobierno del país para continuar con el intercambio de estudiantes, con o sin la beca Erasmus+. Si se diera el caso de que el país no participara en el programa solo cambiaría el modo en que se financiaría un intercambio, mientras que los procedimientos se mantendrían por lo general. Es por ello por lo que la guía erasmus expuesta seguiría teniendo vigencia y podría ser utilizada como ayuda e información extra para el estudiante en el intercambio TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -27- Bibliografía Barlett, P. (2017): “Why Brexit won’t spell the end for our European exchange programme” Telegraph, 6 de febrero, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/02/06/brexit-wont-spell- end-european-exchange-programme/ BDP (2009): “Liverpool, regeneration of a city centre”, Building Design Partnership, recuperado de: http://www.bdp.com/globalassets/about/publications/liverpool_one_book.pdf Belger. T. (2016): “Liverpool is second best cheaper city to be a student”, Liverpool Echo, 28de julio, https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-second-cheapest-city- student-11673583 Belger, T. (2016): “How did Liverpool vote compared to other cities on the EU referendum?” Liverpool Echo, 24 de junio, https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/howliverpool-vote-compared-cities-11521041 British GQ (2018): “GQ City guide: Liverpool”, GQ Magazine, 13 de marzo, http://www.gqmagazine.co.uk/article/liverpool-city-guide-best-restaurants Burmeister, T. (2007): “Liverpool, Capital Europea de la Cultura 2008”, El mundo, 31 de diciembre, http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/12/31/cultura/1199117290.html Calder, S. (2018): “European Health Insurance Card: everything you need to know about EHIC”, Independent, 8 de mayo, https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/ehiceuropean-health-insurance-card-essential-guide-eu-eea-switzerland-medical-treatment- brexit-a7821261.html Cardwell, P. (2017): “What would a “no deal” Brexit mean for the Erasmus programme?” Prospect magazine, 21 de noviembre, https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/whatwould-a-no-deal-brexit-mean-for-the-erasmus-programme Comisión Europea (2017): “Erasmus+ Programme Guide” Version 2, 20 de enero, 4-24, recuperado de: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/sites/erasmusplus2/files/2017-erasmus-plus- programme-guide-v2_en.pdf Comisión Europea (2014): “Effects of mobility on the skills and employability of students and the internationalisation of higher education institutions” The Erasmus Impact Study, 61-74, recuperado de: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/education/library/study/2014/erasmusimpact_en.pdf Coslett, P. (2005): “The origins of Scouse”, BBC Liverpool, 11 de enero, http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2005/01/11/voices_liverpoolaccent_feature.sh tml DescubrirUK (2018): “Albert Dock de Liverpool”, https://www.descubriruk.com/albert-dock-de- liverpool.html García Fernández, Maria Teresa -28- EasyJet (2018): “Fees and charges”, https://www.easyjet.com/en/terms-and-conditions/fees EFE (2017): “¿Cómo afectará el Brexit a los alumnus Erasmus?”, ABC, 25 de septiembre, http://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-como-afectara-brexit-alumnos-erasmus- 201606241724_noticia.html Erasmus Student Network (2018): “Erasmus travel insurance through MAPFRE”, ESN, https://esn.org/news/erasmus-travel-insurance-through-mapfre Istudent, M. B. (2015): “Liverpool is the best student city in the UK, 3 reasons why”, Independent, 7 de diciembre, https://www.independent.co.uk/student/student-life/liverpool-is- the-best-student-city-in-the-uk-3-reasons-why-a6764001.html Garner, R. (2015): “Number of UK University students travelling abroad as part of studies soars by 50 per cent”, Independent, 27 de mayo, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/number-of-uk-university- students-travelling-abroad-as-part-of-study-soars-by-50-per-cent-10279358.html Gobierno de España (2013): “Recomendaciones generales para estudiantes Erasmus en el exterior”, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación, recuperado de: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/SalaDePrensa/ElMinisterioInforma/Documents/RECO MENDACIONES%20ERASMUS.pdf Koester, S. (2018): “Brexit may hurt popular Erasmus student exchange scheme, officials say”, Reuters.com, 30 de enero, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-education/brexitmay-hurt-popular-erasmus-student-exchange-scheme-officials-say-idUSKBN1FJ2N1 Liverpool John Lennon Airport (2018): “Airlines”, Liverpoolairport.com, https://www.liverpoolairport.com/airlines Liverpool John Moores University (2018): “Acommodation guide 2018”, ljmu.ac.uk, recuperado de https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/~/media/files/ljmu/discover/accommodation/accommodationguide.pdf ?la=en Met Office (2016): “North West England & Isle of Man: climate”, Meteorology Office UK, 10 de octubre, https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/regional-climates/nw NHS Choices (2018): “Apply for a free EHI Card”, National Health Service UK, https://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad/ehic/pages/about-the-ehic.aspx Ryanair (2018): “Erasmus Student Network”, https://www.ryanair.com/es/es/planearviaje/explorar/ESN Ryanair (2018): “Fees”, Bags, https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees The Erasmus+ UK National Agency (2018): “Statistics”, Erasmusplus.org, https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/statistics The Erasmus+ UK National Agency (2018): “Money and Insurance”, Advice for participants, Erasmusplus.org, https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/money-and-insurance The Erasmus+ UK National Agency (2017): “Brexit Update”, About Erasmus+, Erasmusplus.org, 21 de diciembre, https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/brexit-update Thomas, J. (2015): “Liverpool’s huge student populationin numbers”, Liverpool Echo, 25 de septiembre, https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpools-huge-student- population-numbers-10129826 UNESCO (2018): “Liverpool- Maritime Mercantile city”, World Heritage List, Unesco.org, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1150 TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -29- University of Liverpool (2018): “Living costs”, Life on campus, Liverpoo.ac.uk, https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/international/coming-to-liverpool/campus/living-costs/ Ventoso, Luis (2017): No temblar ni aunque te corten la cabeza, 103-135, Ediciones Encuentro S.A., Madrid. Visit Liverpool (2009): “Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy Strategy to 2020- A Summary”, recuperado de: https://www.liverpoollep.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpidvisitorecomonystrategysummary-03-2011.pdf Visit Liverpool (2018): “Music”, VisitLiverpool.com, https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to- do/music Vulliamy, Ed (2016): “Erasmus scheme may exclude British students after Brexit”, The Guardian, 24 de julio, https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jul/23/erasmus-scheme- exclude-british-students-brexit García Fernández, Maria Teresa -30- TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -31- Anexos  ANEXO 1: Ejemplo de acuerdo de estudios o “Learning Agreement” entre la Universidad de Sevilla y la de destino: Liverpool John Moores University, con las asignaturas convalidadas entre sí. Se corresponde con el grado en turismo en ambas instituciones. García Fernández, Maria Teresa -32-  ANEXO 2: ejemplo de un “Transcript of records”, concretamente del grado en Tourism and Leisure management por la LJMU. TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -33-  ANEXO 3: Listado de residencias o “Private halls” que propone la LJMU, a través de su página web. Contiene las características detalladas de cada una, como por ejemplo su precio por semana o por año. García Fernández, Maria Teresa -34- TFG-TUR. Guide for Erasmus students in Liverpool -35-  ANEXO 4: Comparativa de elaboración propia entre las compañías aéreas Ryanair y Easyjey sobre sus respectivas políticas de equipaje online al reservar el billete. En el aeropuerto estas tarifas pueden cambiar. EASYJET CARRY-ON LUGGAGE: 1 FREE BAG (56X45X25CM) UP TO 15KG SUITCASE: 8,99-29,99£ UP TO 23KG SUITCASE: 13,99-33,99£ EACH ADDITIONAL 3KG: 12£ RYANAIR CARRY-ON LUGGAGE: 1 FREE BAG (56X45X25CM) UP TO 20KG SUITCASE: 25£ ADDITIONAL KG AT THE AIRPORT: 11£