Erasmus Experience in London, United Kingdom by Reinout

Why did you choose to go to London, United Kingdom?

I don't know where to start. I'll just say that can't see why you would not want to go to London for Erasmus. It's exciting and it's even better than it sounds. It not sunny and it's expensive, duh. It went in the fall but if you can go there in spring that's better of course.

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

Mine was 5 months for an internship. I received like 200 euros a month erasmus and another 300 state grant (I live in the Netherlands). I loaned a lot and dipped into my savings. Didn't have a penny in my pocket when I returned. No regrets though.

What is the student lifestyle like in London?

It's got everything. 5 Million freaking people you can always go somewhere you will like. I enjoyed Camden and Shoreditch but I didn't even get close to seeing everything.

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

There's all kinds of people in London. Yes, I would recommend it. If you don't have a lot of money that's OK but you're gonna have to settle for a shitty accomodation that's all. I don't know about the Universities though.

What is the food like?

I seriously can not believe this is a relevant question. You can have everything and if you look good enough, of course there's good food that's cheap. If not, learn to freaking cook.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in London?

Yeah, that was a bit tricky. I stayed in a hostel for 2 weeks untill I found something. Don't book something ahead if you haven't seen it. Just figure out what kind of accomodation you want and where, don't run all over town like some idiot like I did. It's huge. Look into the areas you want to be close to. Agencies are not to be trusted, try gumtree.

How much does it cost to live in London?

More than you think.

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

Yeh, there's language courses. British people can be hard to understand because of the accent and the metaphors, but half of the people you'll meet are foreign anyway.

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

You can get returns from Holland for 50 euros. Trains are expensive in the UK, book a coach.

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

Clubs: go to the City. Pubs: go anywhere. I don't know just find something you like, since you people are on this forum that shouldn't be too hard.

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

Get a curry. Stay away from cold sausage rolls.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Get a lonely planet.

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

Save Money. Find roommates. Don't only hang around with people that have the same nationality. I you don't know, ask. Get a map, put it on your wall. Go crazy but don't be stupid. Don't overspend you'll regret it at the end.