Exchange Report

The most important tip is to read through the emails from your partner university. That’s where you’ll find the most important tips and information you should keep in mind before the exchange. For me, travelling to Rotterdam was pretty easy because I’m originally from Cologne: I went home for the Christmas break and, right after the break, took the train from Cologne straight to Rotterdam. If you’re traveling directly from Vienna, the easiest option would be to fly to Amsterdam and then take the train to Rotterdam from there. Alternatively, there’s a Nightjet that runs from Vienna to Amsterdam. However, that’s very likely to be more expensive and will take longer.

As I mentioned before, the most important tip for preparation is to read carefully through the emails you receive from the partner university. They contain a lot of useful information and advice for the upcoming exchange. The key emails concern housing. As in other Dutch cities, there is a housing shortage in Rotterdam, so you should start looking as early as possible. Erasmus University works with several student housing providers and introduces them in the emails sent to exchange students. There is also a fixed date on which the application period for these rooms opens, so you have to act fast and register right away. If you do, you should be able to secure a place. Most of the other exchange students I spoke to found a room this way.

The campus is very big and can be a bit confusing in some areas. Some buildings are very modern and beautiful, while others can seem old, quite large and overwhelming. In addition, there isn’t a detailed interactive map of the campus, as you’re used to at WU, so it can be difficult to find the right room. That's why I would always plan to allow more time at the beginning to find the right room before classes start. The food options on campus are plentiful, but not really affordable. There isn’t a traditional cafeteria: instead, there are many individual food stands and canteens. There’s also a supermarket on campus, but it’s quite small and has a limited selection. The courses available are traditional lectures, seminars, or a mix of both, so similar in structure to those at WU. I’d say that grading is generally stricter than at WU. Getting a sehr gut (9 or 10) is very difficult to obtain.

Public transportation in Rotterdam is usually very good and easy to use. All you have to do is check in with your credit card when you board and check out with the same card when you get off. It’s also a good idea to rent a bike from Swapfiets. It’s straightforward, but it’s not exactly cheap monthly. It’s also worth taking the train to visit other cities in the Netherlands, because the cities are very well connected and it’s a great way to explore the country as a whole. Rotterdam itself has plenty to offer in terms of leisure and activities. The city isn’t particularly large, so it's easy to explore by public transport and bike. There are many good restaurants and cafés, movies in the theaters are mainly shown in English, and the city centre offers great shopping opportunities. Not far from campus is also a large lake, which is perfect for relaxing and enjoying nature. You can also take one of the metro lines directly to the beach for a walk.

My exchange program in Rotterdam was a great experience that I would do all over again in a heartbeat. What I remember most are the many international students I quickly became friends with, and everyday life in a city that you can explore in no time at all by bike or metro. Highlights for me included weekend trips to other Dutch cities and afternoons by the lake near campus. The exchange was also a good experience academically: The university was more challenging than I expected, but that’s exactly what helped me to challenge myself and to deepen my knowledge.