First of all, you should think about where you would like to spend your theory semester abroad. For me, the language of the country and the language of instruction were primarily important. Since I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish and at the same time want to attend classes in English, I decided to go to the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL) in Lima.
Preparation of the stay
The actual preparation for the stay began about three quarters of a year before the start of the actual semester abroad. Since I am doing a dual course of study, the consent of my partner company was first obtained. Now that a registration form has been submitted to the DHBW, the application process at the foreign university started. Since there is no partnership between DHBW – Stuttgart and USIL – Lima and I started the upcoming semester as a free mover, the contact was established through MicroEDU GmbH. I was always supported in all aspects of the application process by MicroEDU and the relevant contact person and could contact me by email or phone on any matter, all services were completely free for me at any time.
Application
Various documents were required to apply to USIL. In addition to passport photos, a copy of your passport, a transcript of records from your home university and a certificate of enrollment for the current semester, a curriculum vitae and a letter of motivation in English had to be submitted to the foreign university along with the registration form. In addition, there was confirmation of an existing international health insurance and proof of sufficient financial means (3,000 USD) for the entire period of study. A preliminary course selection was made in the course of the USIL registration form. The exact choice of courses was ultimately only made on site, about a week before the start of the lectures, in person in the USIL’s international office.
Visa
A visa was not required, instead you received an ordinary stamp for a 90 day tourist residence permit upon entry into Peru in his passport. However, since the course lasted longer than 90 days, you had to leave the country in the meantime and then re-enter in order to receive a new 90-day residence permit. If you intend to stay in Peru for longer than 90 days, you can either apply for a paid student visa at the Peruvian embassy, for example in Frankfurt or Munich, before the start of the trip, or there will be a penalty for the final departure from the 91st day of € 1 per overdrawn day. The government is currently revising the legal situation and in the future a valid student visa may be required to register at the USIL.
Learning Agreement
At the same time as the entire application process, I agreed on a learning agreement with the responsible course director at DHBW, so that all of the courses I have taken abroad can be credited.
Commitment
After the tuition fees had been paid to USIL, the university received a written confirmation of acceptance into the international program within a few weeks.
Accommodation
Finding an apartment in Lima was n’t particularly difficult in the age of the internet. Together with a fellow student from my course at DHBW, who also spent a semester abroad at USIL, we did a little research and finally booked an apartment in close proximity to the university via AirBnB, in the La Molina district. As we weren’t sure about the location, we initially only rented the apartment for the first month. After a short period of acclimatization, we decided to move to the Miraflores district for the next three months, also an AirBnB apartment. This was very spacious, designed for three to four people and was closer to the center of the evening action. Depending on the traffic situation, it took us 20 minutes to one and a half hours to get to the university.
- Learn more information about Peru and South America on weddinginfashion.
Public transport takes the form of buses and so-called metro buses, but they are often very crowded. We drove almost exclusively with taxis and the Uber service, which when shared with other students were almost as cheap as the bus rides.
Costs and means of payment
Payment in Peru was mostly made in cash (Peruvian Nuevo Sol), and there are plenty of ATMs throughout the city for withdrawals. Alternative payment options were a VISA and Mastercard credit card, both were accepted everywhere without any problems.
Overall, the general cost of living and renting are relatively low in Peru compared to Europe.
Study in the host country
The Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola is a private university and belongs to the organization San Ignacio de Loyola, which includes educational institutions from kindergartens to universities and colleges. In addition to the USIL campus in Lima, there are other university locations in Cusco, Miami and China. My specialization for the fifth and sixth semester at the DHBW Stuttgart was ” International Technical Sales and Marketing “, so my selection was based on the German courses. The course I have chosen is briefly described below.
