Erasmus Experience in Rotterdam, Netherlands by Monia

Why did you choose to go to Rotterdam, Netherlands?

I chose Rotterdam because the Erasmus University is one of the first schools in the European ranking for Economics study. Also, it is one of the few non-English speaking countries where everyone has a good level of English, thus the language barrier does not exist.

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

My scholarship is for 4 months, because I am staying here for that period, and I receive 230€ per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Rotterdam?

In my course you have few classes per week, it means that most of the work is homework and also depends on what kind of classes you are following.

About the city, students have discounts for going to cinema or visiting museums but the public transport are quite expensive. One of the main disadvantages is finding a room where to live because it is very difficult to find an accommodation and for a nice room you may expect to pay a lot.

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

I study Economics and the grades in this department are very low but I can't say anything about the other departments. It depends whether the student cares about the grades or not because the average grade goes from 6.5 to 7.5 out of 10. The method of teaching is based on few classes and a lot of homework.

I would say that is really subjective and, for example, I am not used to that so I prefer a different way of teaching.

What is the food like?

You are going to find a lot of Italian and Asian restaurants. I have never tried Dutch food though.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Rotterdam?

It was very hard to find a place and I strongly recommend to find an accommodation in one of the dorms because they are near and you don't have to struggle as much as to look for a room in a private apartment.

How much does it cost to live in Rotterdam?

The city is not expensive except for the public transport. To have a periodically subscription for transports you have to have a Dutch bank account.

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

There are courses of several languages, included Dutch, but everyone speaks in English so it is not a problem.

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

I am from the south of Italy so I had to take a plain. There is an airport in Rotterdam but not many flight companies get there. The other two possibilities are the airports of Eindhoven and Amsterdam but I would recommend the latter because there is direct connection between the airport and the central station of Rotterdam.

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

One of the best part of the city is Oude Haven, one of the only spots that reminds to the Dutch traditional architecture, or Witte de Whitstraat.

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

I would recommend an Italian Restaurant in Blaak called "Opazzo".

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The several museums in the city and out of the city, The Haague that you can reach by metro.