Hogeschool van Utrecht

99% of people both in the community and at school speak english, thus communication was nearly never an issue.

Financial surprises: if you want to deposit money into your account, you have to go into the actual branch to do it, you are unable to do it through a banking machine (as is possible in Canada or the USA). If you're looking to save money on transactions, etc. then you should get yourself a bank account here. This is much more conveniant since you can use your chipnit card for nearly anything.

Upon arriving, if you plan to travel throughout Holland make sure you get yourself a discount card for the train, it costs 49 euros, but it pays for itself after only a few trips to Amsterdam, etc. you save 40% on all your rail travel. Also, see about getting yourself a bike as soon as possible, since the majority of people ride bikes. But if you don't live that close to the school, or you don't want to get wet when it rains, get yourself a bus pass. This allows you to take any bus a certain amount of "zones" any day of the week.

The housing arranged through this school is for the most part terribly expensive. For the 2nd half of my stay here I arranged my own living arrangements and this had made my stay both much more affordable as well as a much better experience overall.

The best place to go in Utrecht is along the Oudegracht...it's lined with shops, cafes, night clubs, restaurants, pretty much anything you would desire and it's right in the center of the city. The rest of the center is packed with all types of stores, etc. and is right next to the Hoag Catherine, which is an indoor mall connected to the Central Station as well as the central bus terminal. Also, on weds., friday, and saturdays there is an outdoor market with fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry products, fish, as well as other things you might need.