The Dutch city Utrecht, a small version of Amsterdam, is a great university town for bike lovers
In Utrecht bikes dominate the streets, like it is also known for Amsterdam. Also in its appearance, the city could be the smaller sister of the Dutch capital, which is only located a 30-minute train ride away. Small cafés, bars and second-hand shops are lined along the Oude Gracht, which is the river flowing through the city center. A bike is the perfect vehicle to explore the beautiful surrounding of Utrecht. At Utrecht University you can chose from three different tracks. Some tips and tricks for your time in Utrecht can be found in the Q&A below.
How is Utrecht University generally? Which specializations are offered for the Sustainable Development mobility semester?
Utrecht University is a well renowned institution, with the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, where most of our courses took part, being one of the most recognizable institute in this field in the world. The University offers a vast campus with a vibrant student life and many offerings for an above average study experience.
The semester is split in 2 terms. So, you have two 7.5 ECTS courses (or one 15 ECTS) per term. There is the Earth System Governance (ESG) track and the Environmental Change and Ecosystems (ECE).
What is there to know about the Earth System Governance track?The ESG track starts out very theoretically, with two courses in Research Design and Research Strategies. You will appreciate the hard times you may feel later in your studies, believe me! The second term focuses more on deriving insights into the broad field of Earth System Governance with a lot of guest lectures (very interesting!).
What is there to know about the Environmental Change and Ecosystems track?
The Environmental Change and Ecosystems track (ECE) includes a more natural science focus of the three tracks to choose from at Utrecht University. The academic year in the Netherland is split into quarters and when studying this track, students are enrolled to three courses throughout the semester. In the first quarter of the mobility semester, students need to take the course Environmental Systems Analysis (7.5 ECTS). An introductory programming course, which uses the programming language Matlab and students apply it to numerous different projects which are related to ecological systems (e.g. groundwater flow, forestfires, …). In addition, a second course on academic writing called Research Design (7.5 ECTS) is part of the curriculum. During this course students get the possibility to write their own step-by-step project proposal with the help of a personal supervisor and several peer-reviews. Finally, the last quarter of the year is dedicated to the course Research Project in ECE (15 ECTS). Students get the possibility to conduct an individual project with the help of a supervisor, preferably based on the proposal of the previous course.
One needs to dedicate quite some time and effort into these three courses to pass them with a good grade. However, the course planner and materials provided at the beginning of the course make it clear, what assignments and work steps need to be completed to pass the course. The final 15 ECTS course is the only course, where students can work more flexible and the time and effort needed depends highly on the scope and extent of the project itself.
How is the workload and grading system?
The workload is high but manageable. At first it seems overwhelming, but the system works with many draft submissions and feedback rounds, so there is a lot of time to revise one’s work included in the workload. You will for sure have an awesome time at UU besides studying!
The grading system is a 10-point system whereas a 10 is “for gods”. Everything above 5.5 is a positive.
What should I prepare before the stay?
Sounds silly but prepare for the weather. Strong winds, storms and a lot of rain are daily business so make sure you bring your rain jacket, rain pants! And sunglasses, because weather changes quickly, so the next sunrays are never far 😉
The Dutch language is surely fun to learn but not mandatory at all. The level of English is very high wherever you go.
How do I find housing?
As there is a massive interest in attending Utrecht University, every year a large flow of international students come to the city. Therefore, the housing opportunities are not ideal. The rent is fairly high compared to neighbour countries, but more of a problem is finding a place, as student housing in the campus tends to be all rented out in the first minutes of it's listing on their website. If you get lucky, you will find housing with SSH, the national housing company that offers housing on campus. It is not cheap, so you might spend up to 550€ for rent. But the rooms are fine and you are in the lecture within 2 minutes walking. However, the demand for SSH housing is high so it is likely you will not get in. In that case, start early to look for accommodation through Facebook groups!
How do I get around in the city?
By Bike!!!! It’s so much fun to cycle in Utrecht, so make sure you get a bike ASAP! With it's incredible bicycle infrastructure, the city provides a seamless transport experience. There are a lot of secondhand shops for bicycles but it is also worth checking rental bikes. They often cost 12-15€ per month and they repair your bike for free (which is very useful!).
How do I meet people when I arrive?
As a Sustainer you are part of the Geoscience department, so there is EGEA, the geography association that organizes events such as pub quizzes, city tours etcetera. Moreover, ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organizes welcome weeks and game nights to meet fellow exchange students.
How are the living expenses?
Rather high. Living expenses are around 450-550€ per month. Food expenses are around 20% higher than in Austria. So, for living expenses you will probably need 750-900€ per month.
Which cafés, bars, sports centers can you recommend?
For Sports: Olympos – that’s a sport center at the UU campus where you can book A LOT of different sports classes. From yoga, to volleyball, to Zumba – there a ton of choices and it’s almost a must-do when coming to UU!
Cafés are spread throughout town – next to the oudegracht you can find many cafés and coffeeshops 😉
What is your ultimate tip to having a good time in the city?
Explore the surroundings of Utrecht by bike! Beautiful lakes, dunes, forests…
Utrecht University is a well renowned institution, with the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, where most of our courses took part, being one of the most recognizable institute in this field in the world. The University offers a vast campus with a vibrant student life and many offerings for an above average study experience.
The semester is split in 2 terms. So, you have two 7.5 ECTS courses (or one 15 ECTS) per term. There is the Earth System Governance (ESG) track and the Environmental Change and Ecosystems (ECE).
What is there to know about the Earth System Governance track?The ESG track starts out very theoretically, with two courses in Research Design and Research Strategies. You will appreciate the hard times you may feel later in your studies, believe me! The second term focuses more on deriving insights into the broad field of Earth System Governance with a lot of guest lectures (very interesting!).
What is there to know about the Environmental Change and Ecosystems track?
The Environmental Change and Ecosystems track (ECE) includes a more natural science focus of the three tracks to choose from at Utrecht University. The academic year in the Netherland is split into quarters and when studying this track, students are enrolled to three courses throughout the semester. In the first quarter of the mobility semester, students need to take the course Environmental Systems Analysis (7.5 ECTS). An introductory programming course, which uses the programming language Matlab and students apply it to numerous different projects which are related to ecological systems (e.g. groundwater flow, forestfires, …). In addition, a second course on academic writing called Research Design (7.5 ECTS) is part of the curriculum. During this course students get the possibility to write their own step-by-step project proposal with the help of a personal supervisor and several peer-reviews. Finally, the last quarter of the year is dedicated to the course Research Project in ECE (15 ECTS). Students get the possibility to conduct an individual project with the help of a supervisor, preferably based on the proposal of the previous course.
One needs to dedicate quite some time and effort into these three courses to pass them with a good grade. However, the course planner and materials provided at the beginning of the course make it clear, what assignments and work steps need to be completed to pass the course. The final 15 ECTS course is the only course, where students can work more flexible and the time and effort needed depends highly on the scope and extent of the project itself.
How is the workload and grading system?
The workload is high but manageable. At first it seems overwhelming, but the system works with many draft submissions and feedback rounds, so there is a lot of time to revise one’s work included in the workload. You will for sure have an awesome time at UU besides studying!
The grading system is a 10-point system whereas a 10 is “for gods”. Everything above 5.5 is a positive.
What should I prepare before the stay?
Sounds silly but prepare for the weather. Strong winds, storms and a lot of rain are daily business so make sure you bring your rain jacket, rain pants! And sunglasses, because weather changes quickly, so the next sunrays are never far 😉
The Dutch language is surely fun to learn but not mandatory at all. The level of English is very high wherever you go.
How do I find housing?
As there is a massive interest in attending Utrecht University, every year a large flow of international students come to the city. Therefore, the housing opportunities are not ideal. The rent is fairly high compared to neighbour countries, but more of a problem is finding a place, as student housing in the campus tends to be all rented out in the first minutes of it's listing on their website. If you get lucky, you will find housing with SSH, the national housing company that offers housing on campus. It is not cheap, so you might spend up to 550€ for rent. But the rooms are fine and you are in the lecture within 2 minutes walking. However, the demand for SSH housing is high so it is likely you will not get in. In that case, start early to look for accommodation through Facebook groups!
How do I get around in the city?
By Bike!!!! It’s so much fun to cycle in Utrecht, so make sure you get a bike ASAP! With it's incredible bicycle infrastructure, the city provides a seamless transport experience. There are a lot of secondhand shops for bicycles but it is also worth checking rental bikes. They often cost 12-15€ per month and they repair your bike for free (which is very useful!).
How do I meet people when I arrive?
As a Sustainer you are part of the Geoscience department, so there is EGEA, the geography association that organizes events such as pub quizzes, city tours etcetera. Moreover, ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organizes welcome weeks and game nights to meet fellow exchange students.
How are the living expenses?
Rather high. Living expenses are around 450-550€ per month. Food expenses are around 20% higher than in Austria. So, for living expenses you will probably need 750-900€ per month.
Which cafés, bars, sports centers can you recommend?
For Sports: Olympos – that’s a sport center at the UU campus where you can book A LOT of different sports classes. From yoga, to volleyball, to Zumba – there a ton of choices and it’s almost a must-do when coming to UU!
Cafés are spread throughout town – next to the oudegracht you can find many cafés and coffeeshops 😉
What is your ultimate tip to having a good time in the city?
Explore the surroundings of Utrecht by bike! Beautiful lakes, dunes, forests…