How to Prepare Students for Erasmus+ Using Pre-Departure Meetings

Before students leave for their exciting Erasmus+ exchanges, most schools organise pre-departure meetings. These meetings are meant to prepare students for life abroad, but their quality tends to vary considerably. Some of these meetings are practical and engaging, while others just feel like long lists of rules and reams of documents. The difference between these approaches has a real impact on how students experience their first weeks abroad.

For many students, going on an Erasmus+ exchange is the very first time they live outside their usual environment. They suddenly need to communicate in another language, manage daily routines in a new system and build a social life from zero. Due to all of this, preparation should not just be about giving information, instead it should be about preparing students for how the experience will actually feel.

1. Information Is Not the Same as Preparation!

A common problem with pre-departure meetings is that they focus too much on logistics. Students receive details about documents, schedules, transport, rules and even practical tips. These are useful, but they only cover the surface of the experience.

What’s often missing is preparation for real-life situations. Students are rarely guided through what it feels like to arrive in a new place, where everything is unfamiliar and even simple tasks require extra effort. Without this type of preparation, the first days abroad can feel overwhelming, even if everything is technically “organised.”

2. Preparing for Real Situations, Not Theory

A more effective approach is to move beyond explanation and into experience-based preparation. Instead of only talking about challenges, students should actively practice them in simple ways.

This approach might include role-playing situations such as a student introducing themselves in another language, asking for help when they’re confused, or solving everyday problems like missing transport or misunderstanding instructions. These exercises aren’t about perfection. They’re about helping students get used to feeling slightly uncomfortable and still being able to cope. When students practice how to react to situations before they go abroad, they are less likely to freeze in real situations later on.

3. Normalising the Emotional Side of Exchange

Many students expect Erasmus+ to feel exciting from day one. In reality, the first phase is often more complicated. Students might experience a level of confusion, tiredness from the constant changes, and encounter moments when they feel distinctly disconnected.

If this isn’t explained in advance, students may think something is wrong with them! However, if it’s openly discussed beforehand, they understand that it’s a normal part of the process. Knowing this doesn’t remove challenges, but it does make them easier to handle. A good pre-departure meeting makes it clear that discomfort isn’t failure, it’s part of adapting.

4. Social Readiness is a Practical Skill

Being told to “be open” or “be social” is not enough. Social integration is a skill that can be trained. Effective preparation includes simple but realistic guidance such as how to start conversations, how to join groups that already exist, how to handle awkward silences and how to continue conversations without overthinking. Students often don’t struggle because they are not sociable, but because they don’t know how to start. Once they have basic tools, the barrier becomes much smaller.

5. Understanding Culture Through Patterns, Not Facts

Cultural preparation is often reduced to lists of facts about food, traditions or general etiquette. While interesting, this doesn’t fully prepare students for daily life. What students actually need is understanding of behaviour patterns. For example, how direct communication is in everyday life, how students interact with teachers and how friendships usually develop.

Learning to observe and interpret behaviour helps students avoid misunderstandings and adapt more naturally. It also reduces the feeling of constantly “doing something wrong” in a new environment.

6. The First Week Mindset

The first week abroad shouldn’t be about performing well or fitting in immediately. Rather, it’s about orientation and stability. Students benefit from knowing simple strategies before they arrive, such as how to ask for help in basic situations, how to create small daily routines and how to manage confusion without panic. When students understand that the first goal is stability, not success, they feel less pressure and adapt more smoothly.

7. Connection Before Departure

One of the most effective but often overlooked elements is early connection between students. Even a small introduction before departure can make a big difference. When students already know a few names or faces, the first days feel less isolating. They aren’t completely alone in a new environment, which reduces anxiety and increases confidence in social situations.

8. Personal Goals Instead of Generic Advice

Instead of giving all students the same advice, it is more effective to guide them in creating their own goals. These goals should come from reflection and focus on real behavior. For example, instead of aiming to “be confident,” a student might aim to start one conversation per day. Instead of “improving language skills,” the goal might be to use the local language in daily interactions. Having a small set of simple, specific goals are easier to follow and more meaningful during the experience.

9. Rehearsing Real Life

A more innovative approach to pre-departure preparation is treating it like a rehearsal. Instead of just discussing situations get students to actively experience them in a controlled environment. For example, try to go through realistic scenarios such as confusion using a new transport system, misunderstanding instructions or feeling excluded from a group. After each scenario, students should reflect on how they reacted to each situation and what they could do differently next time. This approach trains response, not just knowledge, which is much closer to real life abroad.

Summing Up

Effective pre-departure meetings for Erasmus+ are not about giving more information but about preparing students so they know how best to adapt in reality. When done well, students leave not only knowing what to expect but also how to respond. They understand that confusion is normal, that discomfort is part of learning and that adapting is a gradual process. Erasmus+ stops being something students simply attend and becomes something they’re actually prepared to experience and grow from. Talk to us about preparing students for Erasmus+ here.