Coventry University, 2015-2016
At a glance
Where & when
Full name of the host university: Coventry University
City, country: Coventry, England (GB)
Homepage of the host university: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/
Degree programme at FH Aachen: Mechanical Engineering, Faculty 8
Start and end of the semester abroad: 21/09/2015 - 29/02/2016
The semester abroad was completed in: 5th subject-specific semester (mobility window)
Assessments
- Quality of the programme content: 2,0
- Study conditions / facilities at the host university: 1.0
- On-site support and assistance: 1.3
- Campus: 1.3
- Transport links to the campus: 1.0
- Food on campus (dining hall (Mensa), etc.): 4,0
- Sports facilities: 1.0
- Leisure activities: 1.3
- Bars / discos / nightlife: 1.7
- Quality / cost of living: 3.0
- Contact with locals: 2.0
Preparations
- When did you start the preparations? Nine months before the start of the stay.
- How does the application process work and what documents are required? All the documents required by the Department of International Affairs were needed. It took a very long time to receive the final confirmation from Coventry University (only about 5 weeks before the start of the semester).
- Does the host university require a language test? No.
- Useful tips or further information on preparation: Once you have been accepted by the university, you can apply online for a place in a hall of residence. Once you have been allocated a flat, you must agree within three days. The problem is, however, that as a foreigner you have to pay the entire rent within these three days and can only pay with a credit card. So make sure you get a credit card with high cover in good time.
Formalities
- Do I have to pay fees at the host university? No.
- Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? Yes, the Erasmus scholarship.
- How do you recommend travelling to the host university? What are the approximate travelling costs? If you have a lot of luggage, you can also come by car (9 hours journey, about 100€ one way).
- Did you have to take out additional health insurance? I took out voluntary international health insurance for €16 per month, but never used it.
- Is further insurance necessary? No.
On site
- What formalities have to be completed after arrival? "Enrolment in the first week, when you will receive your Student ID Card.
- Where is the best place to live and what are the average housing costs? Compared to private flats, halls of residence have the advantage that it is easier to get a place. However, they are usually more expensive than private flats (~£480/month). I myself lived in a hall of residence (Singer Hall) and was quite happy there. In this hall of residence, 6 students always lived together in a shared flat (there are also halls of residence where this is not the case), so I shared a kitchen and two bathrooms with 5 other students, and twice a week a cleaning lady came to clean all the communal areas. My flatmates were also all exchange students, which was very good as it made it easy for me to make friends quickly.
- What was it like looking for accommodation? Once you have been accepted by the university, you can apply online for a place in a hall of residence. Once you have been allocated a flat, you have three days to agree. The problem is, however, that as a foreigner you have to pay the entire rent within these three days and can only pay with a credit card. So make sure you get a credit card with high cover in good time. Private flats are very popular as they are often cheaper than halls of residence, so it is difficult to find something from Germany, but you can try!
- What is the average cost of living? 700 pounds / month
- What is cheap/expensive? Everything is about twice as expensive as in Germany (but depends on the exchange rate).
- What are the shopping facilities like? Very good, the city centre is not far away.
About the host university
- Briefly describe the host university! Very modern, teaching level rather lower than at home.
- How was the quality of the courses? Quite good, but it depends a lot on the subject. In general, the standards didn't seem to be as high as at home.
- How are the facilities at the host university? Perfect, there are computers everywhere for the students and there are sofas and seating on every corner.
- What are the opening hours on campus, how are the libraries, are there lecture notes? There were no lecture notes in my lectures, but that's not the case in every subject. The Library is very large and is almost always open (even at weekends), it is very good for studying.
- How many hours a week did you have on average? I only had an average of 14 hours of lectures and tutorials per week, but you have to write a coursework assignment for each subject during the semester and then submit it, which then counts towards your final grade. This ensures that you have to do something for the university in addition to your lessons right from the start.
- Did the professors prepare you well for exams? Did you also receive help from them outside the lectures? Yes, the preparation was good. I never tried to get help from the professors outside the course.
- Are there special introductory courses for visiting students? Yes, there are, but not many.
- What needs to be considered when the certificate is issued at the foreign university? The final certificate is only issued in the summer, after the summer semester.
- Who was the contact person at the foreign university? There is no real contact person for Erasmus students. It is always very difficult to clarify organisational matters with the university, as nobody is really responsible... A big minus point.
- What did you like / dislike about the campus? Not so good: See previous point. Good: The good facilities, the convenient location next to the city centre, the easy opportunity to take part in university sports.
- How are the transport connections? What do you need to consider? Everything is within walking distance (if you live in a hall of residence).
About the courses and lectures attended at Coventry University
- Course attended: Control Systems Engineering
Lecturer: Keith Burnham
Course duration & scope, teaching form: 3 hours per week, lecture/exercise
Keywords for the course description: Building on the fundamentals of control engineering
Form of assessment: Coursework + written examination
Is the course recommended? Yes - Course attended: Vehicle NVH
Lecturer: Bill Dunn
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 3 hours per week, lecture/exercise
Keywords for the course description: Highly demanding (difficult), but you learn a lot
Form of assessment: Coursework + written examination
Is the course recommended? Depends on your own requirements. - Course attended: Cross functional new product development strategies
Lecturer: Tim Girling
Course duration & scope, teaching form: 6 hours per week
Key words for the course description: A lot of work for the coursework, difficult written examination, not much benefit
Form of assessment: Coursework + written examination
Is the course recommended? No - Course attended: Intermediate English: Academic Writing for Business
Lecturer: James Henry
Course duration & scope, teaching form: 2 hours per week, exercise
Key words for the course description: English at a not too high level, easy to earn credit points
Form of assessment: Coursework + written examination
Is the course recommended? Yes
Leisure activities
- What is the range of sports on campus? Almost all sports are offered by the university sports centre.
- Do I have to pay for the sports programmes? Most of them are (affordable).
- What recreational sports opportunities does the place of study offer? Almost none, the city itself is not beautiful.
- What sights are there locally? Birmingham is nearby, but doesn't look much better than Coventry.
- What tourist attractions does the surrounding area have to offer? Nothing worth mentioning, not a nice city.
- Are there organised (possibly subsidised) excursions for visiting students? Yes, there are.
- Are there many good restaurants and bars nearby? What do you recommend? There are many bars that are popular with students.
- Are there any special features of the local cuisine? Fast food is available on every corner and is sadly cheaper/equally expensive as cooking it yourself. The dining hall (Mensa) is simply too expensive and consists mainly of some restaurant chains that offer their food there.
- Where do you go in the evening (pubs, bars, discos, cinemas) and what do you recommend? I mostly went to pubs, but also occasionally to clubs. There is a good selection of both.
Final considerations - Conclusion
- How would you rate your stay abroad overall? Good, it was fun.
- Did you choose the right time for your semester abroad? Yes.
- What will you never forget? It's hard to say, I think the whole semester was a great adventure and will therefore always remain in my memory.
- What advice would you like to give to other students on your degree programme who decide to spend a semester abroad at this foreign university? The first impression of the city might be a bit shocking, but with all the students there it's actually quite good.
