The letter of motivation is a very relevant tool to assess your candidature especially as regards the spin off and sustainable development components. Before writing your letter of motivation please spend few minutes in considering the following questions we ask you to read with attention. Probably you will need more time to investigate all the facets of your mobility.
Motivation letter
Step 1 - Prioritise your requirements
What is most important for you?
- the subject I'm studying
- the qualification I will gain
- the language I'm studying in
- the languages I want to learn
- the country I will study and live in
- how much it will cost
- my career opportunities at home or abroad
- the social / scientific relevance of the subjects
- the way my know-how/future professional profile may influence local growth/development
You can use these hints to draw your letter of motivation taking into consideration the fact that sustaibale development will be an element of assessment of your candidature and that indications should not be generic. For any doubt you can consult the page on Sustainable development and/or contact the Coordinator.
We recommend you list these, and any other considerations, in order of priority before moving on to the next step.
Do you still need to choose the Hosting University ?
Did you already collect all the useful information?
- Home institution. Your home university should have information for students/applicants looking for an experience abroad within the EMECW scheme or about the hosting institutions. Education advisors and International officers can help clarify your further education needs and opportunities through one-to-one contact.
- Internet – all the participant universities and institutions have their own page on this website and relevant links to the Home websites with course, faculty and enrolment information. Details on services and deadlines are also provided in the section Useful documents and information
- Sustainable development page. You can find useful information on sustainable development and the way it may be present in almost all the cultural, environmental and scientific fields. SD is a very relevant feature of Bridging the Gap project thus this component will be evaluated in your application. You just have to investigate and expose it comprehensively in your Letter of motivation.
- Course prospectus – You can probably find in Partners a link to relevant pages, if not more info can be obtained from the university contacts, admission offices or downloaded from the university's website.
- Word-of-mouth - ask friends or colleagues if they have studied in particular institutions, or if they know someone who has. This is a great way of getting tips and tricks and a more personal feel for a course, a university or a country.
- Ploteus website - use it to learn about the qualifications you will gain, search for courses or programmes and to find out more about the country you may move to.
Start gathering information early. If you leave it too late you may run out of time, the quality of your research may be compromised or you may miss application deadlines.
Do you have problems in completing the On Line form or the Learning Agreement?
Narrow down your prospective choices to around six to eight exams (for exchange mobility) or one/two full courses and universities. Now you can draw up your final shortlist of preferences. Here are some guidelines:
- If you have not already done so, ask for the support of your home institution and if you already have special contacts or needs check it directly with the hosting university/institution - the admissions office, as well as the course director or professor.
- If you feel you are still missing some detail put the key words on this website search engine: it will bring you to the relevant Bridging the Gap pages or info.
- Do not take everything you read at face value: ask to the home university (if partner) or the Coordination Unit.
- Compare the courses carefully - they may have the same name, but the course content may differ substantially.
- Check other course information like the structure (compulsory and optional elements), timeframe, teacher-student ratio, etc.
- Check in the partners pages what academic support you can expect - library resources, Internet access, tutor availability, bursaries.
- Consider extra-curricular factors - language, costs, location.
- Consider the value of the course to furthering your career.
Through these measures you can draw up a final list of courses you are interested in. Apply for more than one - you must not assume that you are guaranteed a place, and it is preferable to have more options to choose from.
Step 4 – Apply
- Leave plenty of time for the application process but do not miss the deadline.
- Read the guidelines
- Print out the word version of the application form and check online any unclear detail
- Prepare the letter of motivation
- Check and prepare carefully the required documents to be uploaded
- Apply Online
- Take note of your ID Number and Pick password
- As regards sustainable development component just put few keywords online and comprehensive details in the Motivation letter
- Print the Application form after completing it
- You can renter in your application until the deadline to add documents or modify it.
After being been accepted, remember there will be few more relevant things
Step 5 – Move
- Application submissions are usually required in the first few months of the year in which you are to study, but the process of finding a suitable institution and supervisor and drawing up a good proposal can take more time.
- The mobility requires some documents and procedures to be respected, please refer to the officers in the hosting institutions and folo their instructions.
- Explore the financial aspects, procedures and timing with your future supervisor.
- Foreign nationals should also inquire closely about the immigration requirements to avoid difficulties at the consulate. The hosting institutions can usually help with this.
- Visa rules for studying and working can be quite strict, so do not assume you can legally take work during your spare time. On the other hand, research students can often conduct assistant research work (like giving seminars), so these possibilities should be looked into closely.
- Make sure you take into account the language of instruction. English and other languages are increasingly used for degree and coursework, but they remain minority languages outside the United Kingdom and Ireland. Make sure you have adequate language proficiency and, if not, look into the possibilities of acquiring it before or after you arrive in your host country. It will be useful in any case for your daily survival
- Do not forget to keep boarding passes and other evidences of your travel/stay abroad and be patient: remember there are documents to be completed upon arrival and before departure and that any change concerning your stay and study programme it must be promptly communicated to to the hosting and home institutions.