Nizozemska/Netherlands
Osnovni podatki/Key Facts
Fakulteta/Faculty, Department: Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs
Erasmus koda/Erasmus Code: NL LEIDEN01
Možne vrste izmenjave/Exchange programme: Erasmus+
Možna izmenjava na stopnji študija/Cycle: 2. stopnja/Master
Število mest za študente/Number of students: 2
Izkušnje študentov/Experiences of Students:
Leto izmenjave: 2021/22
- General information about the exchange:
| Country and university where the exchange took place: | The Netherlands, Leiden University |
| Faculty/department where you took exams: | Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs & Faculty of Science |
| Exchange semester and academic year: | 1st semester, 2021/22 |
| Approximate number of foreign students (how big a group of foreign exchange students): | Around 50 |
| Language of lectures and exams: | English |
- Purpose of the exchange:
Completing part of study obligations in form of lectures and exams at Master’s level.
- Which subjects would you recommend to students who decide to study at the above mentioned institution (please, add website links to the subjects, along with subject names)
Leading and Managing People (Faculty of Science): https://studiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/en/courses/105119/leading-and-managing-people
EU Policymaking and Implementation (Faculty of GGA): https://studiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/en/courses/105463/eu-policymaking-and-implementation
- How does studying at this institution differ from studying at the Faculty of Public Administration?
In my opinion, students have much less supervision and fewer tasks that actually make up the bulk of the final grade than at FU. The methods of instruction differ greatly from course to course though – I sometimes had to do a lot more work for a 3 ECTS course than a 10 ECTS course.
- Which positive experiences could be trasferred or introduced to the teaching process at the Faculty of Public Administration?
Being part of the English version of the MSc in Administration which consists of a very small number of students, we were able to shape our own experience at FU a lot more than my Dutch counterparts did, so nothing in particular stood out. The atmosphere of the campus, on the otherside, is something very positive but impossible to replicate – the facilities leave a lot of physical space for students to study and socialize, which, in turn, benefits the overall learning experience.
- Which extracurricular activities do you recommend (sports, travel, courses, meetings, …)?
Leiden University has two campuses – one in Leiden and another one in the Hague. As an exchange student, you get access to facilities on both campuses, and if you end up living in Leiden, the univeristy sports centre has a lot of very affordable leisure activities on offer, whereas the Hague only had a gym. ESN is not very active in the Hague, but each respective study program usually has its own student association, so whatever you study at FU, try to find an appropriate student body at Leiden Uni and you’ll have a great time.
- What do you recommend about (please, add website links if possible):
- accommodation: *Important: the Netherlands is in the middle of a major housing crisis and the Hague is no exception. Please try to organize accommodation well in advance and, if you’re unable to do so from abroad, try to come to the Netherlands for a few weeks to try and look in person. A huge number of both exchange and full-time students had to quit their programs because they couldn’t find any affordable housing, and many times landlords or agencies don’t want to rent properties to international students or people without a Dutch rent guarantour. It’s a difficult situation but not an impossible one. I rented my room through the following agency: https://www.studenthousingthehague.com/ but I would only recommend them as a last resort because their properties are not well-maintained and they have a history of ridiculous deductions from security deposits. You can rent some nice studios from the following agencies, they won’t be that more expensive than rooms if you’re not looking for housing with a partner:
https://www.geste-students.nl/
https://holland2stay.com/residences/kanonstraat-104.html
All the other major suppliers of accommodation are advertised on the University’s page: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/international-students/prepare-your-stay/housing/finding-housing-yourself#step-3-try-commercial-housing-agencies-and-search-engines
- transport: If you want to be a true Dutchie, you need to do all of your daily travelling by bike. Most exchange students rent a swapfiets bike from https://swapfiets.nl/ – it’s a monthly cancellable bike rental that goes from 17 euros per month to 22, 35 and onwards depending on the model. Public transport is great, efficient and expensive. They have their own version of the Urbana that covers the enitre country and charges you per mile travelled : https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/ – if you get the personalized one, you can buy different discounts and monthly plans. Transport for non-Dutch students is only free if you are an EU national that works for over 56 hours per month and can prove it through payslips or a work contract – in all other cases, there are no special discounts.
- food: Leiden University doesn’t have a caffeteria and street food can be pretty expensive – try to do your grocery shopping in advance and Lidl and Aldi are much cheaper thant Albert Heijn, which is the most common supermarket chain.
- Average monthly expenses:
| Study materials | Eather made available online for free by the lecturers or can be found online through various academic channels. One textbook did end up costing me 50 euros, so just keep that in mind. |
| Accommodation | 450-850 EUR (For short-term rentals that do not come through the University’s limited supply, prices generally gear towards 850 and sometimes higher) |
| Public transport | Approx. 30 euros per month if you do a few day trips and cycle as much as possible |
| Food | 350 EUR |
| Social life (e.g. fitness, field trips, etc.) | 150 EUR |
| Other | 50 (phone supscription, monthly bike rental) |
| Total | 1000-1200 EUR |
- You will never forget your time studying abroad because …
Because of all the amazing people I met.
- We will be glad if you share with us an anecdote or an interesting adventure …
Dutch food products usually only have labels in Dutch, so it took me 3 trips to the grocery store to buy a version of milk i can actually put in my coffee.
- You can contact me for further information about studies abroad at:
alecksandar.j@gmail.com