Erasmus Experience in Utrecht, Netherlands by Barbara

Source

Why did you choose to go to Utrecht, Netherlands?

I chose Utrecht because it has one of the highest ranked universities in Europe.

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

My exchange is for a semester (5 months) and in total I receive 1, 050 euros from my university, which is not even close enough to cover living expenses, so you really have to have extra cash with you.

Source

What is the student lifestyle like in Utrecht?

The student lifestyle here is very interesting, a lot of activities, very active ESN community, a lot of trips organised, etc.

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

Of course, but be prepared for not so nice weather, except from that, everything else is amazing

Source

What is the food like?

Coming from a country with a diverse culinary tradition, food here is, in the lack of better term, tasteless. But there are a lot of different cuisines, so the lack of Dutch food is well compensated.

How much does it cost to live in Utrecht?

Living here costs between 300 and 550 euros, depending on the location, and the number of people your share your accommodation with.

Source

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

There is a lot of language courses offered, but since everybody speaks English, there is no pressing obligation to learn Dutch. That being said, German speaking students have it easier in understanding the language than the rest of us.

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

It's definitely by plane, bus it's a long journey.

Source

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

I recommend going to any of the bars along the canal or at Neude, Tivoli during good parties (depending on the type of music you like), house parties or coffee shops if that is your thing.

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

I recommend going to Eazie, a student restaurants with good prices that is located in the city centre. I also recommend going to Sumo to eat awesome sushi for a little bit more of money, and Florin, on Mondays and Tuesday, to enjoy their student lunch.

Source

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Since Utrecht is so well connected with trains and Netherlands is a small country, you can travel anywhere in under an hour basically. In lees than three months, I visited Den Haag, Amsterdam, Rotterdam a couple of times, and also Delft, Almere and Einhoven.

Source

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

Pack warm clothes, rent a bike and travel as much as possible.

Source