What to do at the end of your time abroad

For all students who have undertaken a placement abroad, it is important that you ensure that you pay all outstanding bills, such as phone bills, library fines and clear any debts with your host institution/organisation.

If you have opened up a bank account abroad, you may wish to close it before you return, but be sure to check with your bank about any fees or charges you may incur. Also, if you choose not to close your bank account, please speak to your bank about any fees or charges you may incur by keeping it open and ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account to cover these.

Study

If you are undertaking an exchange at a partner university, please consult My Placement for all of the necessary steps you will need to take as you come to the end of your time abroad.

You will need to make sure that you clear any debts with your partner university as they will not be able to release your transcript to us if any debts are outstanding.

Before you leave your placement:

• Pay all bills to the partner university.
• Order a transcript, this should be sent to your placement office.
• Ensure a Grade Conversion Supplement Form has been completed by your lecturers for each of the courses you have taken at the partner university. These need to be returned to the Academic Exchange Adviser in your School in Manchester as soon as possible.
• Complete the online Evaluation form (you will be emailed the link through My Placement).

Exchange students in receipt of Turing Scheme funding:

• Ask the Exchange Coordinator at your host university to stamp/sign your Certificate of Attendance (which can be found on My Placement) and then upload a copy of this to My Placement to allow your final grant amount to be confirmed and any remaining funds owed to you to be processed.

Work and volunteer

If you are undertaking a work or volunteer placement abroad, please consult your placement office and My Placement for all of the necessary steps you will need to take as you come to the end of your time abroad.

Before you leave your work or volunteer placement, it would be useful for you to think about how you can make the most of your placement with regards to future employability.

Before you leave your placement:

• Keep a record of all the tasks that you undertake on your placement and any skills you may have gained or developed. This will enable you to write your CV more easily and accurately.
• Start to think about examples of using your skills which can be presented to employers at interview.
• Obtain a reference from your employer/placement coordinator which can be included in future job applications. (If you are working in a non-English speaking country, it is particularly important that you ask for this in plenty of time so that this reference can be translated.)
• If possible, try to gain feedback on your performance from your employer/placement coordinator. This can help you identify your strengths and skills and create a plan of how to continue to develop them upon your return to Manchester.
• Don’t forget that your personal interests and activities are also valuable skills which you can bring employers attention to. Think of ways to continue to develop these interests upon your return.
• If you have been working day-to-day in another language, keep a record of the new vocabulary which you may have picked up.
• Compile a list of the contacts you have made whilst working/volunteering abroad.

Work placement students in receipt of Turing Scheme funding:

• Ask your line manager at your host company to stamp/sign your Certificate of Attendance (which can be found on My Placement) and then upload a copy of this to My Placement to allow your final grant amount to be confirmed and any remaining funds owed to you to be processed.