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Studies > Netherlands > Utrecht > Universiteit Utrecht > Review by twistyc
 
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Universiteit Utrecht

Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 Cs Utrecht, THE Netherlands
3.96 / 5 based on 270 reviews.
Description:
Utrecht University has deep historical roots. It offers a broad curriculum, including a number of unique programmes. Utrecht University's wide variety of programmes allows many extra, interdisciplinary programmes which integrate contributions from various fields.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
89% of students recommend
270 reviews
Housing
3.8/5
 All experiences (270)
Student life
4.3/5
 5 stars (90)
Academic
4.1/5
 4 stars (114)
Languages
4.3/5
 3 stars (60)
Expenses
3.2/5
 2 stars (6)
Overall
4.5/5
 1 star (0)
“Do things with the ESN group there, get a mentor...its a great way to meet people at the beginning of your stay. Don't stick with people from your own country- go meet other international students if you can! You went there to get away from your own country and culture, meet and integrate with others! As far as traveling, train is great...but check out cheap airlines: easyjet, ryanair, etc...and Eurolines bus lines.” Read Review
twistyc, United States

Universiteit Utrecht review by twistyc

Review by twistyc, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
Geography, University Agreement
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? Although living on campus is a great way to meet people, living on campus is mainly with other international students. I would like to get out into 'society' and integrate with Dutch people.
Personal comments:
I stayed at the UCU in Utrecht. It was a nice campus, a lot of green space, right in between the city center and the University. It was a nice way to meet people, but it was very expensive compared to other places within Utrecht.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community
Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal comments:
Tivoli, de Velour, Belgian Cafe, and Mick O'Connels on Tuesdays nights for meeting other international students.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC       3.0 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
The School of Geography has a lot of good classes.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
Don't over-schedule yourself!

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Was learning the local language a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my knowledge
How much did you improve your local language?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Basic phrases
Personal comments:
I had previous experience with the German language, and that helped me out a lot with understanding written and spoken language. I still cannot speak Dutch much at all, but I could a little bit if I had to, enough to get by. Take a class offered to you if you can. The Dutch love it if you at least try to learn their language. It was a problem sometimes, not to speak Dutch, but just about everyone in Holland speaks English fairly well, especially the students.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Government assistance
Other sources of funding:
Family
Personal savings
scholarships
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits:
I spent so much more on accommodation in Utrecht than I do in the US. I traveled quite a bit, and of course that adds up to a lot of money. Food is about the same, at markets they are usually less.
Travel, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Food: was the same price as at home.
Telephone: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
There are always fees no matter what you prepare for or think, it will be more.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
At least some basics of the Dutch language (although I survived fine without knowing too much).
In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
This was the best 6 months of my life. Get involved with things, go out and meet people, take classes with Dutch people...you will not regret it if you study here! It is such a beautiful city and country and there is a lot to do and the people are great.



FINAL COMMENTS

Do things with the ESN group there, get a mentor...its a great way to meet people at the beginning of your stay. Don't stick with people from your own country- go meet other international students if you can! You went there to get away from your own country and culture, meet and integrate with others! As far as traveling, train is great...but check out cheap airlines: easyjet, ryanair, etc...and Eurolines bus lines.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No


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