Erasmus in Nijmegen

What is it like to live in Nijmegen? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Nijmegen is an old and beautiful city, and a really nice place to live. There are a lot of things to do, and places to see and to visit whether you're there during the warmer or the colder months. I would definitely recommend living in Nijmegen.

What is the student lifestyle like in Nijmegen?

The student lifestyle in Nijmegen is a lot of fun. There is an orientation week, and an after-orientation day so it's easy to make friends, and a lot of activities are organised. There are also a lot of clubs and venues, whether you like raving, chilling or just going out and dancing, plus they don't close until very late/early morning. Many students also throw parties during the semester. If you aren't into partying though, there are other things to do like the cinema, an ice-rink, shopping, and nice places to eat or to drink coffee.

There is also a sport centre at the university which is cheap to enrol in and has a lot of quality equipment and many interesting exercise classes to choose from.

For health conscious students there is also a supermarket called Ekoplaza with a range of foods for special dietary needs.

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How much does it cost to live in Nijmegen?

Rent is quite expensive. I lived in Vossenveld with 8 other students, a shared kitchen and toilet, but my own shower and bedroom. This cost €385 a month and was about 20 minutes from the university and almost 30 from the city centre but accomodation can range anywhere from about €315-450, or more. It's difficult to find anything cheaper.

Alcohol is cheap (well, compared to Ireland), and food is of average price. You can find good offers in Aldi, Lidl, and Jumbo but places like Albert Heijn can be quite expensive.

Most clubs and concerts are either free or inexpensive.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Nijmegen? Is there any advice you can give?

It is difficult to find accommodation by yourself but through the SSHN who will contact you, you can find the cheapest and easiest accommodation. The main ones are Hoogeveldt (15 people), Talia (4 people), and Galgenveld (about 6 people), which are all close to the university and the centre and have a shared bathroom and kitchen. Galgenveld does not have a common area, however, and there is also Vossenveld which I spoke about above. Sometimes the SSHN will also assign you to a sub-let accommodation.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

I did not try much Dutch food as it is not that special.

What places would you recommend visiting in Nijmegen?

Doornroosje for concerts, Ndrgrnd for good music on a night out, and to just walk all around the city in general as it has a lot of beautiful architecture and everyone will find something that interests them. Also check out the "beach"!

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Is the nightlife good in Nijmegen? Where is good to go?

On Tuesdays there are International Nights and every other night there will be some sort of event of party on so there is a lot, even too much to choose from!

What advice would you give future students heading to Nijmegen?

Join the Orientation Week, my one regret is not doing the Orientation Week and only doing the after-orientation day because people who were there for the week made very close friends with their groups, and it also gives you a chance to get to know the city a whole lot better! Also make sure to visit as many other Dutch cities (and even German and Belgium ones) as you can.