Erasmus Experience in Bonn, Germany by Marta

Why did you choose to go to Bonn, Germany?

Among the possible choices, Bonn was the most renowned city and the most appealing.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The total scholarship amounts to 1150 € for 5 months.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Bonn?

The student lifestyle in Bonn is the most difficult as well as funniest one. You have to take care of yourself, you are responsible for everything that is up to you and you have to study. However, you will always find a way to party and have fun, even if that means that you go to bed at 5am and you wake up at 7am 'cause you have lecture. It's important to find balance between duty and fun!

Would you recommend the city and the University of Bonn to other students?

Definitely! Bonn is a beautiful city and the university is majestic as well as good organized.

What is the food like?

In Germany, people is used to eat a lot of "Würste". I really like them! There are so many types! Anyway, you can find food from several different countries in the supermarket.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Bonn?

I had some problem with the accommodation. I had submitted a request in a study dorm but I didn't pay enough attention to the instruction, so my request got ignored and I needed to find a flat by myself. The rents are a bit high, but if you are lucky, you can find something cheap. The study dorm rent amounts to 200-250 € more or less. My advice is to start the research as soon as you can.

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How much does it cost to live in Bonn?

The prices in supermarket (such as Netto, Aldi Süd or Penny Market) are pretty low. It can be expensive eating out everyday with Brezel and Bratwurst (by Kamps, Lubig, Schnell or in Marktplatz). On the other hand, public transport is a bit expensive, but you will get a card (valid as student card as well), which will allow you to take every mean of transportation (except IC trains) without payment in the whole Westfalen.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The university offers a wide range of language courses (most of them taking place in Sprachlernzentrum SLZ). I love German and I have studied it for more than 6 years so it wasn't difficult to understand people and make them understand me. In Bonn people speak an average German and not some kind of strange dialect (such as Cölsch in Cologne).

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Bonn?

Actually, I prefer to spend nights out in Cologne because there are more discos playing my favourite music genre. Anyhow, Bar Ludwig is quite good playing commercial music. I would recommend to download some phone app to be aware of every type of event in Bonn (VirtualNights is awesome! ).

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Bonn?

Dreesen is a really good typical restaurant!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There's the Beethoven's House.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Bonn in the future?

Just to keep yourselves constantly informed on university stuff and, if possible, get over with accommodation and living issues as soon as you can.