Rotterdam: Exchange student Paradise! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors have no problem failing half of the class, but if you're a native english speaker it is less likely to happen. The classes are taught in english, though there are very few options, so they are fairly easy if you're native because 95% of the class will have english as a second language. They procrastinated on accepting my application until the last minute, so it is important to bug them constantly until they answer, because i did not and ended up finding out only one month before school started. If you take classes in different faculties the time periods don't line up. So I took some history and arts and then 2 weeks before it ended i started sociology(4 weeks long) and then 2 weeks before that ended i started a new history class. (there is no break for history and arts in the spring except one day in may) Classes are only for 2 hours one day a week in history and arts, 6 hours of class a week)

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

GET AN APARTMENT! Stadswonen suckss!!! They rip you off big time, no oven, no mirrors the rent ranged from 400-600 euros. At first i got stuck in the south(because i had so much trouble getting erasmus to reply to my acceptance that i was one of the last to get rooms) at the Africa Inn and it is in what the rotterdamers told me as "the worst part of rotterdam" and it was really dirty and disgusting and far away. Only older quite students living there. Then after a lot of yelling about getting ripped off at their office they agreed to help me through email and i moved half way through to a new place called Touwslagerflat, and it is between school and downtown. The location really mattered! Most students lived in stadswonen accomadation so it's a good idea to either live near the other students or to live downtown. You would be really popular if you have a flat downtown to pre-drink at then go out(cause you do that all the time!)

Groceries are less expensive, but they do not sell all the same foods. No box mix food with english instructions. and they do not have some vegetables and other things. Dutch food is a lot of fried cheese!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did not have a program

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Only had my bike stolen! But you havent lived in holland until your bike gets stolen! But you must get a bike otherwise transportation is too expensive!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Dorm

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• International Students