Details

• Netherlands
• BaWiSo-19
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 6 months

1. Preparation

The admission process has changed from the years before, so I think you should research the universities you'd like to attend and prepare a little bit for the interview, but that's basically it. Start looking for an apartment in April. I would recommend applying for student accommodation at SSH. SSH is easy to book and the buildings are in solid condition. Also try to find accomodation near the city center; it is not far from Zernike Campus and it would have made my experience so much better if I didn’t have to go 15 minutes by bike every time I wanted to do something. Another important aspect of preparing is that you shouldn’t worry too much about the things you take with you, because everything you need you can buy there. But note that if you go to Groningen during the winter semester, there are times when it gets really cold and windy, so be prepared. However, the weather can be quite similar to Vienna. Another important thing is to make an appointment at the municipality of Groningen in advance. The appointment will take at least half an hour in total. Also, don’t forget to do the Online Learning Agreement and enroll in the courses you want to do. I met many people who missed the deadlines for their enrollments and they struggled afterwards to find the right courses.

2. Accommodation

In general, finding accommodation in Groningen is quite difficult. I would definitely recommend applying for SSH, since only exchange students stay there. Therefore, it is very easy to make friends. Other than that, I would look for shared flats on Facebook Marketplace or rent a room at The Village. If your budget is high, you can easily find a room at The Social Hub or XIOR, but it is way more expensive for a mediocre room. I stayed at SSH Cornus (Kornoeljestraat 2), which was in solid condition and clean in my opinion. The kitchen is shared between seven or eight people and overall, there weren’t many problems with the other people staying there. However, sometimes people complain about too much noise and also the security of the building can be strict, but that depends on their mood, I guess. The student residence is located about 15 minutes away from the city center and ten minutes from the Zernike Campus (which is the Economics Department of RUG) by bike. In terms of safety, I must admit that Groningen is a very safe place and I can’t think of a situation where I felt uncomfortable or unwelcome.

3. Academic life at host university

The university has many different departments, most of which are in the city center, this includes the main library and other faculties like law. My campus was Zernike Campus, which is located on the outskirts of Groningen. The Zernike Campus is pretty modern and includes a lot of lecture halls and very large exam halls, where exams are held digitally. At first, it can be a little bit overwhelming because it is quite hard to find the right lecture hall, therefore I would recommend going early to find the right classroom. There is also a food court, which can be better and cheaper than the WU Mensa, depending on what you get. In my opinion, the lectures are not that important, because the professors like to read off the slides, so I don't really recommend attending them. However, it is important to start studying early, because in most courses there is a lot of content and it is nearly impossible to learn it in a few days. Additionally, the tutorials and practices are really helpful, especially if you don't fully understand the course content. There you'll have group projects and individual assignments, which will have a significant impact on your grade. Subsequently, I would suggest attending them, and most of the time attendance is mandatory. What I didn't like about the courses are the lack of material provided by the teachers. Usually, they don't provide much material except for the slides, which made learning much harder for me. At the welcoming ceremony, they told us that punctuality is essential in the Netherlands. To be honest, the teachers were more strict about that at the WU and nobody cared if you were late. One thing that I didn't like about the university was the university's homepage, because it is very confusing and it takes some time to figure it out. In my personal experience, the courses are harder at WU and it is particularly hard to get good grades.

5. Every day life in the host country

Regarding public transportation, there is not much to say about Groningen. There are a few buses that people use to go to the campus or to the city center. However, most people use bikes every day and at any time, which means public transport is not very important. Apart from the buses, there are several train stations in Groningen, from where you can reach all the big cities in the Netherlands, although you will probably have to transfer at least once during your trip. As already mentioned, you will feel safe everywhere in Groningen and also in the Netherlands in general, so that should not be a concern. Most activities include drinking, so if you are looking for a city with a lot of cultural activities, Groningen might not be the place for you. However, if you like to party, you will have a nice time, since there are a lot of pubs, bars, and clubs in Groningen. There is also a cinema, some parks, and in winter a Christmas market. In the summer they also host some small festivals, so I think you won’t get bored during your stay. I also recommend buying tickets for the ESN Introduction Week, which takes place in the first week of your studies, because it is a good opportunity to make friends in the beginning. Additionally, I really suggest buying an ACLO subscription to play any sport you can imagine with friends for €60 per semester. To get a good bike, I recommend Swapfiets, where you can rent bikes for your short-term stay, which is essential because everybody uses a bike.

6. Testimonial

Personally, I had the time of my life, and I would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a small city to study in. It is full of students and there is always something going on. Even though Groningen is up in the north of the Netherlands, you can visit other Dutch cities in two to three hours by FlixBus or train. I really think that my experience was very valuable for my future career and that I was able to improve my English skills.