Life in Leiden Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The major differences between school in Holland and school in the US is that you go to class a lot less (once a week) and your only grades are your exams, and sometimes just one final exam at the end of the semester. You work independently and do a lot of reading at home since you are not in class very often. The grades take some getting used to. There is no grade inflation which is common in the US. Grades are on a scale from 1-10, but hardly anyone ever gets a 9 or a 10. 8 is considered very good. 6 and 7 are good. 5 and under is failing. Again, it's weird to get a grade of 6 and see "good job!" at the top. It's challanging but definitely doable!

On-site administration of your program

Everyone at ISEP in the US were very helpful, as was my ISEP advisor at my school. Things were a bit different in Holland. I learned very quickly that they are not the most efficient, and sometimes hard to get in touch with. Their working hours are very weird as well; in the US we are used to offices being open Monday-Friday, 8-5, but that is not the case in Holland. They are a lot more laid back and don't always get things done as quickly as we'd like them to. Everything did get figured out though, it just took some time. I loved ISEP though, since it gives a lot of flexibility and makes you be very independent which I loved!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Once I was accepted, I arranged housing directly through the University. I paid a housing deposit to them and filled out a housing preference sheet based on prica range, location, etc. I was placed in a single bed room with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities in a building on Kaarsenmakersstraat (K-Straat!). Furniture and basic bed linens were provided, but I ended up buying more things to make the room feel more comfortable. Things were very cheap to buy though. I really enjoyed living there and became friends with everyone on my hall very quickly. It was a short walk to the main shopping street, bars, and grocery stores. It was a short bike to the train station and my school building. It was expensive, but since I was not comfortable with finding housing on my own, it was worth it for me. I paid rent monthly from the stipend that ISEP gave me.

I cooked many of my meals in the shared kitchen since it's kind of expensive to go out. People don't dine out a lot in Holland as it is. The grocery store was a bit overwhelming at first; I definitely recommend going with a friend the first time. Also, people in Holland only buy things for 2 or 3 days at a time (since it all has to be carried home while riding a bike!). I quickly got used to the grocery store and figured out what everything was and made a lot of simple meals.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Leiden is an AMAZING little town. It's got all the culture of Amsterdam without the tourists! It's absolutely beautiful and the people are friendly. There are nearly 20,000 students so it's definitely a University town. The intertational student network (ISN) organized a lot of outings for international students and had weekly nights at a local bar (Einsteins!) and monthly themed parties at the one club in town, inCasa. Every year on 3 Oktober the entire town goes crazy for the Leids Ontzet (when they defeated in Spanish in the 1500s) and also on 30 April there is a huge celebration for Koninginnedag (Queens Day!).

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Leiden is a very safe city and not once did I feel unsafe. I almost always stayed in a group though, which is always the best way to go. There are no "no-go" areas in the town. Just use common sense and you'll be fine! I did not have any health issues so I cannot comment on that. Over the counter medicine was easily accessible in stores like Etos.

(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
• Americans

• Independence
• Location
• Price - ISEP is SO affordable!

• Host universtiy communication