Two things that really get us at Leaving School excited are great study opportunities and learning new skills. Hey, we never claimed we were cool.

But we most certainly are always on the lookout for schemes that will let you experience these two things. And in that spirit we’d like to tell you about the Erasmus Programme, a study-abroad initiative for undergraduate students that lets you experience life in a university or workplace at one of a huge range of exotic and intriguing destinations across the European Union.

Now, you may be reading this as an undergraduate, in which case this information is of prime relevance to you. However, you may also not yet be at university, and so wondering why you should be interested in thinking about things that you won’t get to do until you’re twenty or twenty-one years old.

Well, secondary-level naysayers, the answer is simple: because different UK universities have different levels of involvement in the Erasmus Programme, meaning that your choice of UK university could have a big effect on whether you could enjoy the scheme.

And were you to participate in it, enjoy it you would; the Erasmus Programme is legendary among Europe’s young folk for the excitement, adventures and experiences it offers. Oh, and did we also mention that not only is it free, and not only does the EU provide you with a grant to spend as you please, but you also don’t have to pay UK university tuition fees while you’re on the scheme.

So, more interested in the whole thing now? Of course you are. So let’s tell you all about it.

First started in 1987, the Erasmus Programme has seen literally hundreds of thousands of students from all across the EU spend time either studying in a university in another EU country or taking up a work placement there. Although it’s named after the sixteenth-century philosopher Desiderius Erasmus (known as Des to his pals), the name also stands for EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, which nicely summarises what the scheme is all about: letting students experience life in other places in the EU.

The majority of Erasmus students go and study at another university, though there are also possibilities for completing a work placement instead. You can go away for anywhere between three months and a full academic year.

Now, you may think that this all sounds like fun–and believe us it is–but are also discounting getting involved because you don’t speak any foreign languages. Well, guess what: you don’t have to! Well, not yet at least. Because picking up a new language while you’re away is what the scheme is all about, with Erasmus students being given free language classes at their chosen university in addition to taking courses in their chosen subject. And English being the dominant tongue that it is has also led to many European universities offering many of their courses in English, so for some destinations there’s even less of a language barrier.

The life of Erasmus students is famously shall we say “relaxed,” with the emphasis being on cultural experience rather than frantically studying. As a result Erasmus students tend to spend much of their time hanging out with fellow Erasmus students from other EU countries, converging in an enormous polyglot friendship group of partygoers and travellers.

But the fact that an Erasmus exchange is a lot of fun certainly doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Far from it. Future employers will look on your bold decision to study abroad as a sign of ambition and drive, and those language skills you picked up while there will also be viewed as a clear plus point.

The Erasmus Programme is structured in the form of exchanges between different universities. So if University A in Country X sends fifty students to University B in Country Y, then University B sends the same number of its own to University A.

And this is something that is worth bearing in mind if you think you’d be interested in the scheme but aren’t yet at university. Each university on your shortlist will have different exchange agreements, meaning that each one will offer a different range of options for where you can go, which are also conditioned by the course you are studying.

So, for example, if you are going to do Business Studies, the Erasmus links that the University of Manpool has will be totally different to those of Glasburgh University, with one offering only options to go to Italy, France and Germany and the other offering Poland, Czech Republic and Portugal. (Note: do not apply to either of these universities. They are made up.) Some universities have loads of exchanges set up, whereas others have very few.

Therefore if you want to do the scheme and are still thinking about which university to go to, go and have a look at their website (you’ll be able to find the links to it from our university guides section), which should give you more information about where they would be able to send you on the Erasmus Programme.