Erasmus Experience in Rotterdam, Netherlands by Alejandro

Why did you choose to go to Rotterdam, Netherlands?

I wanted to do my Exchange in the Netherlands and since Rotterdam was the only place I could join, I decided to go there.

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

Actually I didn´t receive any.

What is the student lifestyle like in Rotterdam?

Is excellent, the city is extemely well-structured with great facilities, sights and infrastructure. The public transport is very easy to use, so there will not be any problems for traveling around the city.

Is very attractive for students, because you get to know a lot of people which most of them are students, and that is how you hang out with them,going out to restaurants and to parties.

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

Totally.

What is the food like?

I used to eat bagels, dutch pancakes, lots of kebabs, hamburguers and pizzas.

I think the food in the Netherlands was okay, I mean not that bad but not delicious.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Rotterdam?

A lot, once I got to Rottedam, the moment most stressing and complicated was when I started to find for accommodation. It took me around 2months to find for accommodation.

How much does it cost to live in Rotterdam?

Around 100 to 150 euros per week.

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

I didn´t ask for language courses, but you must speak english in other to commmunicate with everybody in Rotterdam, because the main languages spoken in Rotterdam are english and Dutch. If you speak english, you will easily communicate.

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

I would say that the easiest way to travel to Rotterdam is by airplane since I live in Mexico, in the other part of the world.

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

On the nights go out partying to the clubs and bars in Rotterdam, such as Maassilo, Toffler, annabell, among others.

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

I would defenetly recommend the Market Hall as a place to eat, since there are several restaurans inside and you can find different types of food.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The first place you must visit is the Market Hall, the cube houses, the euromast, among others.

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

To find accommodation before getting there since is very complicated to find one once the classes started.
Other then that, I would say that you will have no regrets for going to Rotterdam, either to visit it or as an Exchange.