Erasmus experience in Leiden, Netherlands

Why did you choose to go to Leiden, Netherlands?

I chose to do Erasmus in Leiden because they offer courses in English.

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

The scholarship I've only received in December so I couldn't count on it during my stay in Leiden. I received 1200€ for the whole semester. The amount we receive depend on the life standard of the country, the more expensive the more scholarship we will get. 1200€ in Leiden is a good help!

What is the student lifestyle like in Leiden?

The student environment in Leiden is amazing! In 1500 after the release from Spanish domain, Leiden population had 2 offers: Get rid of taxes, or build a university. They chose the university! So Leiden has the oldest university of The Netherlands. Leiden is a city of students like Coimbra in Portugal, you only get to see young people on the streets and lots of international students from all over the world!

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

I would definitely recommend the city because it's really pretty, has beautiful landscapes, with canals, horses, cows, sheep, windmills. It's like a little village for a princess! Typically Dutch: Everything is organized, no traffic, only bikes, healthy lifestyle, and you can walk almost everywhere. I would also recommend the University because their courses are very very interesting, we can learn a lot from the classes, if you dont like to work in group/team Leiden University is the best place, they will only evaluate you through individual assignments and I must say these are quite few. So you will have maximum 3 classes per week and you should be able to manage the rest of the time as you wish, but there's nothing really to do in the city so sometimes it's boring.

What is the food like?

Dutch people are not famous because of their food. They are very healthy so if you are vegetarian you should be very happy in the Netherlands. They are crazy about french fries! You can find it in every station and in every Dutch city! In Leiden the famous dish is the Hut Spot in the 3rd October, the whole city will turn into a big party full of animation! It's amazing! Then you have the tasty Stroopwafels! Dont eat them to much! For lunch Dutch will only have a soup and a sandwich! They have dinner at 18h20. If you want to eat good food go to the canteen of LUMC (Medicine University/Hospital), cheap and good quality!

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How did you find your accommodation?

Housing is difficult to find in Leiden and expensive. I found my room through ICS Housing! But you have to pay 500€ caution, they will pay you back at the end of the contract.

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

I paid 330€ for individual room in DUWO houses. We had to pay to wash clothes (2x €0, 50 to wash and 2x €0, 50 to dry, at the beginning you pay 10€ for the card) and we didn't have a fridge, this means I would go to the supermarket almost every day, but this isn't a problem because with the bike you go everywhere easily and the city is small!

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

The language is very nice but I still prefer German. The courses are expensive but I think for Erasmus there is a free course starting in September and duration of 1 year, have a look on the website or ask at the university. There is also a free way of learning: join ISN-I for the language exchange partner and you will get someone to teach you Dutch and you will teach them your language!

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

From Lisbon to Leiden, fly through KLM (170€), from Lisbon to Amsterdam, and then have a train to Leiden Central (5€10) its about 15 minutes!

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

Einstein on Wednesdays! InCasa on Fridays! Odessa, LVC!

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

You definitely have to go to the Pancakes House! Near the Theater Lido. Just ask for the restaurant with pancakes, they have beautiful ceramic plates with Dutch paintings. It's well priced and good quality, you will love it! And for daily meals go to LUMC canteen!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Buy the Museum card for 20€ and you can visit all the museums in The Netherlands for free, it's worth it believe me, in Leiden you have a couple of them, they are really nice. Go for a ride in the canals!

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

Join sports centrum gym, it's cheap and you have millions of different activities. About travelling in Holland, Dutch cities are small. You can visit them in one afternoon, except Amsterdam because the museums take a while! Join Levitas association for kayaking in the canals. It's amazing! You have markets in the city center on Wednesdays and Saturdays, enjoy fresh food and fruits!