Erasmus Experience in Kingston Upon Hull, UK by Pranitda

Why did you choose to go to Kingston Upon Hull in the UK?

I wanted to improve my English by doing a year abroad in England thanks to the Erasmus programme. Then I chose the University of Hull because my mentor who's now pursuing her master's in Applied Foreign Languages, told me that city was good. And I knew that I had a better chance of being accepted in a place off the beaten track.

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How long was your stay? How much financial help do you get?

10 months and I get around 300 euros from Erasmus and the help from Crous per month.

What's the student atmosphere like in Kingston Upon Hull?

There are loads of students and the campus had really good transport links, so the atmosphere is quite good.

Would you recommend the town and the University of Hull to other students?

Yes, why not, but you have to like the atmosphere in England. There aren't loads of places to go out apart from the nightclub on campus or in town. But you have to pay the taxi fare after.

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What's the food like in this country?

The food is quite unhealthy, there are fast food restaurants on every street corner, but then it's completely possible to have a balanced diet, you can find what you need in shops even if it's expensive.

Did you have any difficulties finding a place to live in Kingston Upon Hull?

Not at all, I arrived without accommodation and I searched directly there. My accommodation is really really good, and I was lucky to have stumbled upon it because the other student accommodation is good but it's generally quite old and dirty (according to those who live there).

What's the cost of living in Kingston Upon Hull?

Life is expensive, because a lot of the time you're thinking in euros so you tell yourself that it's not that expensive but, but in the end in pounds, it comes up to quite a lot. Even on campus, it's a bit expensive, but it's still accessible.

How was learning the language? Did you go to any languages classes organised by the university?

I study languages so yes, I had languages classes but not just in English. It's quite difficult for me because I've never been that good at English and my housemates are French too. But I hope that in a year I'll be better. It's my main goal for my year abroad, while getting through my degree.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Kingston Upon Hull from your town?

I live in Hull.

Which places in Kingston Upon Hull would you recommend for a night out?

Asylum, the nightclub on campus, The Sugar Mil in town, some small pubs but they close early, or house parties.

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And food in Kingston Upon Hull? Where are your favourite places to eat?

The Zachariah for a full English breakfast, the Boathouse for free pizza, or there's also El Chupitos for tacos or burritos.

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Which cultural visits would you recommend?

Honestly I don't know, I just went to the harbour or in town to go shopping. But other than that you need to go to the small cities or the large ones close by like Leeds or Bradford which are really pretty.

A piece of advice for future students at Kingston Upon Hull?

You have to love England to go there! Socialise with people, speak English, go out often considering the amount of hours you'll have, travel around a bit, take part in university events, try out all of the weird things that you'll come across!