Details

• Netherlands
• MASozÖk-10
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Tips for the application process at WU for future outgoing students: The application process at WU was very positive. I think the most important things here are to pay attention to the deadlines and make sure to submit everything on time. I would recommend thinking early about which destinations you are really interested in and why you want to go there. For me, the Excel list with all the destinations helped a lot to first think about which cities I would like to experience, figure out which courses I want to take there and then rank the universities based on that. The information session offered by WU was also very helpful to get more information about the whole process. After that, it was mainly about ranking the partner universities and completing the application. I would also definitely recommend taking care of the English certificate (for example the TOEFL test) as early as possible. This was something I underestimated, both in terms of time and costs. I did it quite late and it became stressful in the end, so looking back, I would have planned this earlier. Tips for preparing your semester abroad After being nominated for Rotterdam, the next big topic was housing. The Netherlands have a serious housing problem, especially in bigger cities like Rotterdam. There are not many rooms available and prices are quite high. In this case, the information provided by WU about student dorms was very helpful and I was able to apply for student housing and got a room in a student dorm directly on campus (Hatta Building by SSH). This made the preparation much easier and reduced a lot of stress. The room was also affordable and the location was very good. My main advice here is to start looking for housing as early as possible and to use the information and platforms recommended by WU. Overall, the preparation for the semester abroad worked very well and everything was organized in time.

2. Accommodation

The accommodation search in Rotterdam is definitely not easy. I first started looking on HousingAnywhere, but the prices there were very high and the rental periods were often not very flexible. Many rooms start earlier than the semester or do not last for the full exchange period, which made the search quite difficult. Through the information provided by WU, I then found out about student housing via SSH. The application process there works on a first come, first serve basis, so it is very important to know the deadlines and follow the instructions on the website exactly. I logged in on time and was able to secure a room without major problems. I lived in the Hatta Building. I had my own room and shared the apartment with two other students. We shared a common kitchen and dining area, as well as the bathroom and toilet. The building has 13 floors and is fully occupied by students. It is located directly on campus, which was very convenient. Everything was close by, such as the library, a gym and supermarkets, and the campus itself is quite large and very well equipped. The rent was around 800 euros per month, which was significantly cheaper than most options on HousingAnywhere, where prices were usually above 1,000 euros. In retrospect, I also learned that there are several other student residences in and around Rotterdam, such as The Social Hub, Xior or the F-Building. I did not live in these places myself, but I would still recommend future students to mainly look for student residences rather than private housing, as they are usually easier to organize and better suited for exchange students.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus in Rotterdam is very large and offers many different buildings and facilities. The whole Erasmus University Rotterdam is located on one campus, not only the business school, so there is always a lot going on. The campus infrastructure is very good. There is a library that is extremely well equipped. You can book study places online, and many desks have screens that you can use, which I found very helpful. The booking system worked very well and people respected the reservations. There are coffee machines and snack options everywhere, several food places and a food plaza. There is also a gym, beach volleyball courts and tennis courts directly on campus. In addition, there is a campus bar with very cheap drinks, where many students meet on sunny days. The campus area itself is very nice, close to parks and water, and well connected to the city by metro and tram. The academic culture in Rotterdam is very ambitious. The semester is structured in blocks, which means that courses are very intensive and compressed. You usually take one course at a time, for example a 6 ECTS course in only three weeks. This leads to a very high workload in a short period of time. Compared to Austria, where you often study for one exam or paper over the whole semester, learning in Rotterdam is much more continuous and intense. Personally, I sometimes found it a bit overwhelming, as there was little time to process the content and it felt like constant studying. The teaching style is very interactive and practice-oriented. There is usually no strict attendance requirement, and lectures are not mandatory. However, there are many group assignments, presentations and continuous assessments. Most of the work is done in groups, which makes it easy to meet new people. All courses are taught in English, which I found very interesting but also challenging. One positive aspect is the close contact with lecturers. Because you have the same course several times a week, it is easy to ask questions, get feedback and interact with the teaching staff. Another interesting difference compared to WU Vienna was that group members also evaluate each other’s contribution, which helps to make group work fairer and more transparent. Academic life in Rotterdam was more intense and demanding than at WU Vienna, but also very well organized. The semester started earlier and ended much earlier as well, so I was already finished with all my courses by the end of November.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport in Rotterdam is very well organized. The metro and tram network are extremely well developed and easy to use. You simply check in and check out when using public transport, which also works very well when you have visitors. However, public transport can become quite expensive over time, which is why most people use bicycles. Cycling is very common in the Netherlands, and I would strongly recommend getting a bike. Not only because it is cheaper, but also because everyone uses one. When going out with friends, for example to a bar, everyone usually goes by bike, so having one makes everyday life much easier. Many students use Swapfiets, where you pay a monthly fee and get a bike that is repaired or replaced if something breaks. In my case, Swapfiets was fully booked, so I bought a bike via Marktplaats for around 60 euros, which worked very well. I always felt safe in Rotterdam. I lived on campus in the area of Kralingen, which is a very nice and safe neighborhood. Of course, there were a few situations that felt slightly uncomfortable, but nothing more than you would experience in other big cities. Overall, the safety situation felt very comparable to Vienna. In terms of social and leisure activities, Rotterdam offers a lot. There are many bars and cafés, including a campus bar where many students meet. On campus, you can go to the gym, play tennis or take part in various sports courses. The city is also great for running and cycling, and there are many interesting museums and art exhibitions. There are also many opportunities to travel. Cities like Delft, Haarlem, Gouda and Utrecht are very close and easy to reach by train. The train system in the Netherlands is excellent, and you can also travel to other countries like Belgium or France very easily. This makes it great to explore Europe together with other exchange students. For events, I would especially recommend ESN (Erasmus Student Network), particularly the introductory events at the beginning of the semester. These events made it very easy to meet new people and form friend groups early on. There are also many concerts, festivals and parties in Rotterdam and other Dutch cities, as well as university and student events throughout the semester. So Rotterdam offers a very active and diverse student life with many opportunities for social activities, sports and traveling.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It showed me that the world is much bigger than Austria and how easy it is to adapt to life in another country. During my time abroad, I met people from all over the world, including friends from Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Uruguay and many European countries, some of whom I am still in contact with today. This experience really broadened my horizon, both personally and academically. It made me more open, independent and curious, and it showed me how valuable it is to step out of your comfort zone. Overall, the exchange was an incredibly enriching experience that I would highly recommend to every student.