Netherlands
Examples of universities in Netherlands in which you
could go as a visiting student:
* Universiteit van Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
(History, Medieval Studies, Women's Studies)
The UU is (arguably) the best university in the
Netherlands, so that should definitely appeal to those thinking
about studying abroad! Holland is a great place to be as it has a
great culture, open minded character and friendly people. The image
quite a lot of people have about Holland is that it is very laid
back and liberal (take drugs legislation and euthanasia for
instance), but there is more about the country than just mills,
tulips and marihuana. For instance, Holland used to be one of the
main European powers in the 17th century, and you can still see
what kind of effect this has on the Dutch culture. So if you are
interested in early modern and modern history, the Netherlands is
definitely worth a visit!
Utrecht itself is an ancient city, as it was founded by the
Romans, and it has over 600,000 inhabitants, making it the third
largest city in the Netherlands. Utrecht is situated in exactly in
the middle of the Netherlands, and it is easy to get to other
places like Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam. There are
over 30,000 students living in Utrecht, and therefore it has a
pretty vibrant nightlife, so you can go out every evening of the
week (if you want).
The university has a campus south-east of the city, but the
Humanities Department is situated in the city centre itself. It
really depends on the subject your studying and your modules
whether the seminars and lectures are presented in Dutch or
English, and it might be worth looking into that before you apply
for this university. Dutch is an interesting language to learn, but
it does take a while to get used to it. In the Netherlands,
however, most people (especially in the big cities) speak English,
so that is a good thing to know in case your stuck with your
Dutch.
If it comes to living expenses, you will find out that, as soon as
you know where to go for cheap food, the prices in the Netherlands
are similar to the British prices. Alcoholic beverages, however,
aren't cheap. Something that is good to know is the fact student
accommodation in Utrecht usually include all the bills in the rent,
so that makes life slightly less complicated. The rent is usually
between 220 and 350 Euros a month, depending of the size of your
room and the location, and you should be able to have a good time
for under 1000 Euros a month.
The one thing I can recommend to do is to get used to the bike
traffic as quickly as possible. In the big cities in Holland, bikes
are the most common way of transportation. It is quick, cheap and
reliable, and as cyclist often behave as kamikaze pilots on wheels,
it is useful to know how to dodge them. The best way to solve this
problem is easy, get a city bike yourself!
For more information about the city or university, feel free to
contact me.
mvs501@york.ac.uk
* * *
Studying in Utrecht
In the heart of The Netherlands, Utrecht offers the biggest
university of the country, regarding the number of students. That
does not mean however that Utrecht is swamped with students, but
the city has enough venues to go to and enjoy your stay to the
fullest. A convenient note; trains to Amsterdam go 24/7.
The university buildings are grouped in two centres. Humanities,
Law, Economics and the School of Governance are scattered in old
buildings in the historical city centre. All the other faculties
are put together in the architectonical both impressive and
horrible designed De Uithof. There are two main libraries, one in
the city centre, one at De Uithof. They are both very new and very
attractive to either study or try to study but instead work on your
social life.
For international students there is plenty on offer in Utrecht.
First of all, there is always the possibility of applying to the
University College Utrecht (UCU). Due to the differences between
the Dutch and Anglo-American University system, UCU is a bit set
apart from the rest of the university. Nevertheless, everything is
in English there, while at the rest of the university not all
courses are in English. If you choose to enroll in regular
university courses, you can join one of the organizations in town
that focus on international students, like the ESN and AEGEE.
Housing in Utrecht is arranged for international students. The
upside is that you get a fully furnished home for a reasonable
price. You will be sharing these apartments with other
international students, so you have people to hang out with
immediately. The downside however, is that international students
have been complaining that they did not meet that many Dutch
students. Therefore you could try to obtain a room in the Dutch
way, applying directly at homes were a room becomes vacant.
Otherwise, just put more effort in meeting people.
Studying in Utrecht is fun. It is a nice historical city, with
open minded people everywhere. You will have no problem finding the
right kind of parties for you, as there is plenty on offer for
everybody. Still, the city is small enough to really get to know
every hook and notch of it. As I can say now already, you are
welcome to join us either at uni, or having some drinks along
Utrechts famous historical wharves.
Frerik Kampman is 22, student of History and Arab Studies in
Utrecht.