Leiden, the Netherlands- Forever My Second Home Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses are set up to start at different times during the semester. Most only meet once a week. Typically, your only grade for a course comes from a final exam, which can actually make it difficult to pass the course. If you fail the final exam, you do get one retake. For most of my courses, there weren't many assignments due during the semester, but just a bunch of reading. The courses I took were good, but they certainly weren't exceptional and I didn't come away with a substantial increase in my knowledge. The grading system can be a bit harsh at times, as the professors pretty much say that it is impossible to get a 10 (which would of course translate to an A+). I didn't feel all that challenged, but that's not necessarily something I'm complaining about because it allowed me to spend more time experiencing the culture itself. Fortunately I wasn't overrun with reading assignments.

On-site administration of your program

Whenever I needed to have something done, it took forever to get someone to do it or to get a response. The admissions people were quite difficult to actually get in contact with and weren't available very often.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I arranged housing through Leiden University's housing office. The whole city of Leiden is very nice and very safe, and most of the international student housing buildings aren't that far from the university buildings. I didn't really have to buy much stuff for where I lived, because most everything was provided for already. The rent is quite high for all international students, especially in comparison to the typical cost of rent for Dutch students, but it's difficult for non-Dutch-speaking students to arrange housing elsewhere.

Dutch food is actually generally quite bland, but there are still plenty of good things to eat. There's plenty of international food available to make up for that. Most of the food is made with a lot less preservatives and chemicals than American food, so in my opinion it was of much better quality.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living in Leiden was amazing, and it was without a doubt the best experience of my life. It really is a student town, and you'll see your fellow international students all over the city as you're biking around. There wasn't a whole lot of stuff arranged by the university itself, but it's still quite easy to socialize.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never once felt fearful for my safety in Leiden. It is a very safe city. The most common crimes are probably related to bike theft. I never had to go see a doctor or anything, but from what I understand it's a bit more difficult of a process than simply dropping in at the hospital. You can't just go to the emergency room for more minor emergencies as easily as you can in America, but I never actually had any experience with this. There weren't any major prevalent health issues though.

(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