7 months in Eindhoven

Why did you choose to go to Eindhoven, Netherlands?

I chose this city because it has the best research group on my field of study in all Europe. As I wanted, with this Erasmus experience, to learn a lot and make the most of it, for me it was the best choice.

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

The scholarship was for 5 months. I received around 400 euros/month to help with the living costs.

What is the student lifestyle like in Eindhoven?

In the university where I was studying, I had to work hard to be successful in the courses. The lifestyle was pretty much the same, besides some beers on every Thursday night.

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

Yes, I would. I had a great experience there. I've learned about my studies and also about living. Always riding a bike to go everywhere.

What is the food like?

The food is not that good. It's impossible for a student to go out and have a dinner in the restaurant. The Dutch people usually get just one hot dish during the day at dinner (that they have at 5pm, too early for my normal time before going there). At lunch they usually get some sandwich. One good thing is that they have many kinds of vegetables available, for instance in the supermarket.

How did you find your accommodation?

I asked the university there about accommodation; I applied and they found it for me.

What are the accommodation prices like? What are prices like for other things in general?

The accommodation is not that cheap. I got a small room 6 square meters for 275 euros per month, 30min by bike from the university. Normally, you can get a room for 400 euros nearest the center and bigger then mine.

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

The Dutch language is difficult. And it's difficult to learn it because all Dutch people speaks great English and when we try to speak Dutch, they switch to English. There are several language courses available in the university, either with teacher or for self study.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Eindhoven from your city?

The easiest way to travel is the train. It's not that cheap but you can get a discount card for some amount of money and get a 40% discount in every ticket. Inside the city you have the bus, but everyone uses a bicycle to move around.

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

In Stratumseind: it's a street on the centre where there are several bars where you can experience several kinds of music. Besides that there are some student association parties at Bunker and then there is Effenar, where sometimes it's used as a disco and sometimes there are concerts.

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

As I said before the food in the restaurant is quite expensive. I went there once. I can't give a tip on this.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are two museums in town:

• The Van Abbe museum
• The modern art museum, where the collection changes every month

Besides that there are the Flying Pins, an art statue, and several park and green fields around which are beautiful.

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

Enjoy it. Go to the Borrel, every Thursday there is cheap beer on the student association bars in the TUE (university). There you can meet many nice people.