Ruprecht-Karls Universitaet: the oldest university in Germany

As a foreign language student, I have always considered going abroad as a fundamental part of my studies... and the University of Heidelberg didn't disappoint me at all!

The teachers were well prepared and incredibly easy-going. Coming from a country, where teachers are usually over 55, I was quite shocked at first to find teachers who were almost my age... but it worked and I learned much more than I thought (and my expectations weren't low), finding the passion they had for their job highly inspiring.

As for the facilities, I completely fell in love with the UB (Universitaet Bibliotek). Ubicated just 2 minutes from the university itself, it is provided with a huge choice of books, magazines and so on, easily rentable or that can be used online.

If you are sick and tired of sandwiches and coming home for lunch it seems like a waste of time: stop at one of the two canteens for lunch! Triplex Mensa is the biggest one and is situated just next to the bus stop of Uniplatz, but my favorite one was Marstall's Mensa. The cozy atmosphere and the low prices (you pay 0,80 euro per 100g ) make it the perfect spot for lunch, for dinner or if you just want to stop and have a beer.

As for the studies, passing the exams was more difficult than I expected. Well, I mean... the courses weren't particularly difficult and the teachers were mostly really helpful, but if your idea of Erasmus is just relaxing and having fun with your new friends, probably the Ruprecht- Karls Universitaet is not what you're looking for! You have to study hard in order to be prepared for the courses (and you are allowed to miss two lessons at most), but it is totally worthy.