Erasmus Experience in Utrecht, Netherlands by Ana

Why did you choose to go to Utrecht, Netherlands?

I traveled to Utrecht because I studied Ph. D. training in gender studies at the Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies in the Faculty of Humanities. It is one of the largest centers on gender studies in Europe.

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

I did not get money to go. There are not many scholarships to study gender. I made credit in my country.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Utrecht?

Commonly students live in old houses shared with several students. Rents are expensive, but living with more people guarantees you in a certain aspect to have a social life, community life. Society in Holland is very lonely. Then students from many countries come together to form social groups to share. There are those who live alone, but that is very expensive. Although it is very cold in winter time in the evenings the bars are open, and it is possible to go there with your friends to spend some time together. Almost all students have a bicycle. It is super necessary to have your own bicycle. Public transport is very expensive. I recommend arriving in Utrecht and buying a bike.

In times of spring and summer everyone goes to the park with friends or alone, the environment is very nice. You can also see the change in the environment, in winter the streets are deserted, and in summer everybody goes out to the balconies of their houses, with music, drinks, and you see life!

As a Latina, it is very important to have people close to you, to live in community, and this is possible if you live with more people and you make a group that in time will be like a small family.

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

Yes. For me living in Utrecht was a beautiful experience. It was difficult because of the cold and because I had little money, but I learned a lot and met incredible people. I saw snow. And the city is very beautiful. I liked it a lot, and I would repeat it if I could.

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What is the food like?

mmmm The most common food for students are falafel and chips. Haha... I really liked it!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Utrecht?

Yes, I searched for a room 2 months before my trip. What I found was a room in one of the dozens of houses that a lady of china had. I will not say her name, it was a horrible experience. Then I wanted to get out of that dirty place and it was very hard to look for a house, because people make interview, and there are a lot of Dutch students in Utrecht that do not want people who are NOT from Holland! I think that this type of people make Dutch culture very bad. But I finally found a room again and I lived with two very nice Dutch girls.

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

It was a little complicated because in the Dutch "Academy" if you do not speak very well English you get less points, so you need a good level of English. I had no problem, but I saw the case of my Italian and Spanish friends. In my case I received free English classes to be in PHD training. I was very fortunate... I appreciate the management for the help I received.

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

I traveled from Mexico City direct to London. And in London I took another plane to Amsterdam. Then a train to Utrecht. That was the only way in which I traveled to Utrecht. A little far and expensive! But it was amazing!

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

Because of my personality, I always went to ACU. ACU is an anarchic space where all kinds of art are taught, there is music to dance and in the mornings you can eat vegetarian and vegan food. There are also bars with Latin music.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

ACU and Dome museum.

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

If you are Latin American you should be prepared for the cold and also to have your time alone. The clothes in winter are very important, you should have very warm jackets and boots.

You must be open-minded to the Dutch culture, they can be very kind on the streets as they can be very racist ("pegida" movement).