Everyday Life Changes Amongst Erasmus Students in Durham, England, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This thesis explores the transformations in the everyday lives of Erasmus students during their study placement in Durham in the academic year 2021/2022. The aim of the thesis is to explore whether and to what extent the Erasmus students' departure and everyday lives were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, how and through what strategies they coped with the changing conditions and anti-coronavirus measures in the UK, and what other risks they experienced during their stay. The theoretical part firstly focuses on everyday life, then on migration, its types and migrant students, and finally on international education, also its types and where Erasmus mobility fits into international education. The thesis is based on ethnographic research, especially participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and auto-ethnography. The interpretation of the data thus suggests that Erasmus students were in a way affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during their arrival in the UK. Their actual stay was not so much affected, as there was first an acceptance of the measures and then a loosening of the antiviral measures. In addition to Covid-19, their stay was also significantly affected by gender- based violence. Key words Erasmus, Migration, Mobility, International Education, Covid-19, Erasmus..