Erasmus Experience in Oldenburg, Germany by Jorge

Why did you choose to go to Oldenburg, Germany?

I wanted to go to Germany and I didn´t have many other options. However, I will recommend it to anyone. It was the best choice of my life.

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

The funding depends on your home country and university along with other private scholarships you could get.

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The fees that the university of Oldenburg charges for the matriculation include the "Semesterticket". The University of Oldenburg doesn't give any economic help though.

What is the student lifestyle like in Oldenburg?

The main feature of Oldenburg´s student lifestyle is the bike. You should buy one during your first two weeks (2nd hand ones are really cheap). Students, specially foreign students usually meet in the pubs of the Student residences, called Pinte. Each of them has an specific day of the week, when there is always party. In addition, Wednesdays are the "Studentennacht".

If you like sport, the university has good facilities that include an indoor swimmingpool and a gym. The membership fees and swimmingpool tickets are quite reasonable. If you don´t want to pay, there is a group cardio-training activity called tempodrom, which takes place in the gymnasium every day. It´s free if you show the student ID.

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

Yes, I will strongly recommend it to other students for several reasons. First, is not too big. For this reason you can ride your bike everywhere, even at night when bus lines don´t work and you don´t have to worry about getting lost. Second, there are quite a lot of students and this fact creates a comfortable environment for new people. They will always help you (and speak English) if you have any kind of problems.

Finally, I will recommend it because I spent there the best year of my life!

What is the food like?

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You can find all kind of food. For lunch, don´t think about anything else but the Mensa (in the main building of the University). They provide variety of meals and really good price. (2-3, 5 € for a whole lunch). You don´t have to concern about your food tastes.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Oldenburg?

The life in this town is very cheap, and I will strongly recommend to hurry up to get a room in one of the public "Studentewohnheim". They belong to a public organization called Student Werk and they have the best locations and prices (150-200€/month).

How much does it cost to live in Oldenburg?

Around 500€ per month or even less, accommodation included.

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

It's a foreigner-friendly university. There are several international programmes that make Universität Oldenburg a multicultural place. The university provides FREE German courses for all international students during both semesters.

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

I would recommend to take a low cost flight to Bremen. If you don´t have that opportunity you can fly to Hannover or Hamburg. Once you are part of the university community you will be able to go from all these airports to Oldenburg thanks to your Semesterticket without paying a single €.

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

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Pintes of the Students residences during weekdays. Innenstadt (pedestrian central area) on Wednesday on the student night or at weekends. There are several clubs there: Amadeus, Loft, Umbaubar...

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

For lunch, don´t think about anything else but the Mensa (in the main building of the University). They provide variety of meals and really good price. (2-3, 5 € for a whole lunch).

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There are many places to eat in the centre of the town. You can have Italian, Chinese, Japanese and of course northern German Food. The prices range a lot depending on the restaurant.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are several monuments in the Town Centre. Schlosshoff, Pulverturm, Lappan, Schlossgarten... but what shouldn't be missed is Bremen. One of the most beautiful old Cities in Germany. It´s just 45 min by regional train to the east of Oldenburg.

There is also a great Lake in Bad Zwischenahn, 14 kilometers west of Oldenburg. Planning a bike excursion there is completely worth!

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On the way to this lake, there is an Lake-bathing area. It´s called the WoldSee and is the best place to enjoy the few warm and sunny days in Oldenburg.

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

Enjoy your experience!