92% of students would recommend studying abroad to their friends. This is one of the findings from the research study conducted by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), to identify the motivations and learning experiences of international and exchange students. The questionnaires were filled out by almost 8.000 international students aged between 18 and 30 who spent an exchange semester at European universities. The following are some of the key findings:

• Students involved in activities of student organisations such as ESN, are more satisfied with both their stay abroad and their studies;

• This in turn is linked with mobility, as students showing greater satisfaction with their stay abroad are more likely to be mobile in the future;

• Students are more satisfied with their stay abroad overall, than with their studies while abroad

The report also indicates that student mobility across europe still differs remarkably. There is a big gap between students from Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe in terms of family status, financial issues and even motivation.

For further information, please contact Ewa Krzaklewska, ESN Survey 2005 Coordinator, at vicepresident@esn.org