Experiencing ERASMUS: Reflections on Integrating Polish Psychology Students onto a Year of a Degree in the UK

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) supports students to pursue temporary periods of study in other European universities. During the academic year 2007/08 the UK received 15, 975 ERASMUS students. Although much research exists about the experiences of international students less attention has been given to the specific disciplines of study and the ways this might mediate the experience. With this in mind this paper is based on a piece of work currently in progress with ERASMUS students from Poland who have engaged in an exchange onto the final year of a UK Psychology degree course. Observations are made about the relative compatibility of Psychology in Poland and Britain by considering the course structure, curriculum and modes of assessment. Interview data is drawn on to explore the students' accounts of their experiences of studying Psychology in the UK. Findings indicate that that there are some contrasting pedagogical and epistemological areas within the two systems which make integrating them a challenge for students. It is suggested that flexibility is required in order to better accommodate the students prior learning experiences. (Contains 1 table.)