Details

• Netherlands
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Travelling by train from Vienna Central Station to Utrecht Centraal is convenient and cheap if you book the night train early on. You do not have to change trains, you can take a lot of luggage with you and the mini cabin is affordable and cozy. Looking for housing early is important as there are not that many options. I can recommend SSH student housing. Be aware of the windy and rainy weather in the Netherlands and pack accordingly. Make sure to get a bike as soon as possible, this is the easiest way to go around in the city and everyone is biking! SwapFiets is a good option for renting but you could also buy a second hand bike in a bikeshop/ online market places.

2. Accommodation

I got a single room in the SSH student housing at Cambridgelaan, 15-20 minutes with the bike to the city center. I lived together with 3 flatmates, we shared a kitchen and bathroom but I had my own sink in my room. The application for the accomodation was a few months before I was leaving Vienna but the spots are limited so you have to be lucky to get in. The location is really safe as it is located in Science Park, a little outside the city, where lots of university buildings and other student housings are. It took me about 8 minutes to get to most of my university classes with my bike but some classes were located in other areas (15-20 min by bike). There is a bus stop and tram stop near the student housing and a Spar which is unfortunately very overpriced. There are lots of students living in this area so it was easy to connect, there is a student bar with cheap drinks and an affordable gym with many sports classes only 5 min by bike. I especially enjoyed walking and going for runs in the woods/fields behind the housing, it was also great for picnics and hanging out. The accomodation was expensive but it is also possible to choose a shared room which would be a lot cheaper.

3. Academic life at host university

Utrecht University has many campus buildings that are spread out across the city. I had most of my economics classes at the ICU/UCU campus (8 minutes by bike from my student housing, 10 minutes from the city center). One of my classes had a minmum attendance of 80% for both the lectures and seminars. For the other classes 80% attendance was required for the seminars but not for the lectures. The teaching style reminded me a lot of WU. The lectures typically included up to 100 students and frontal teaching. The seminars were a little more active, participation was required and there were groups of around 25 students in each seminar. The grading in all of my classes consisted of a group project (about 30%), active collaboration (10%) and a final exam (60%). The exams consisted of open ended questions, case studies to read and some single choice questions. I had to do 1-2 group presentations in all of my classes. The grading system goes from 1 (lowest) to 10 (best grade), you pass with a 5.5 but most Dutch students aim for a 7.5 as a 9 or 10 are extremely rare. Out of the 3 classes I took I would recommend Economics, Governance and Business Ethics and if you want to be more active and really invest time and energy in a creative project Essentials of Entrepreneurship.

5. Every day life in the host country

Utrecht as a city is very active and liveable. Having a bicycle is a necessity and the fastest/cheapest way to go around. There is also a tram operating from Monday to Friday and many busses (they arrive infrequently). There are a lot of students living in Utrecht (1/5 of the population) so the culture is very young. The city is very safe and I felt comfortable biking on my own at night. I would recommend joining the ESN introduction week to get to know other students and join fun activities at the beginning of the exchange semester. Utrecht has a lot of social/leisure activities to offer. There are many cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants, a lot of cinemas and museums. In the summertime you can swin in the canal/river, go canoeing, have picnics in one of the many parks. Getting an Olympass at the Olympos sports center is a cheap option to go to the gym and try out different sports classes (Pilates, Spinning, Yoga,..) I only paid 22€ per month for my student membership. Moreover there are a lot of free festivals in the spring time and enjoying Kingsday and Pride in Utrecht is a lot of fun! I would also recommend getting an OV-chipkaart and a season ticket if you want to explore other cities in the Netherlands by train. The Kastle DeHaar is impressive and close to Utrecht, there are also a few free lakes located in/ outside the city.

6. Testimonial

My exchange in Utrecht offered an ideal balance between academic and social life. The city itself is very liveable, combining a vibrant daytime atmosphere with an active, student-centered nightlife. At the university, the courses were consistently engaging and academically rewarding, making the entire experience both productive and memorable. Utrecht is really charmful and the cycling culture made me feel at home right from the very start.