Field of study in Wageningen: Nutrition and Health
Study period exchange: 31/01/2022 – 17/06/2023
Country (exchange): United Kingdom
City (exchange): Nottingham
University (exchange): University of Nottingham
Faculty (exchange): Biosciences and Psychology
2. Motivation for exchange
Why did you choose to go on study exchange?
I wanted to experience a new environment, new people, new cultures, a new student life, different courses.
What is the reason you chose for this country/university?
I preferred to go to an English-speaking country cause that makes it easier to make friends and to join societies or associations, participate in activities, etc. Besides that, England has always attracted my interest because there are a lot of different nationalities in this country, I had never been to this country and the British accent also sounded really cool to me.
3. Accessibility to reach destination
Do you have any tips to reach your exchange destination?
I took the ferry from Hoek van Holland to Harwich and then the train from Harwich to Nottingham. I would recommend to buy a Railway card. You get 1/3 off the price of any train ticket and it is valid for a year, so it’s also useful for any trips you may want to do during the semester. On the way back home I took the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam. That was also a pretty pleasant journey.
4. University and studying
Could you provide some general information about the followed courses?
How is the study formalized?
The academic level and workload were a bit lower than what I was used to at WUR. The examination was also a bit different; the grading system works differently and there are no periods like in Wageningen. I had four courses during the whole semester and at the end of the semester, they were all graded in the exam weeks. One of the modules only had coursework, so no exam. Lesion material for me were just lectures and for HPHP there was one discussion session a week. But that differs per course and per school.
What is the culture of the university?
This is a bigger university than WUR. UoN has three campuses and the biggest one (university park campus) is the main one where most of my lectures/classes were. Close to the main campus there is David Ross, which is the sports centre. The culture at UoN is quite sporty, a lot of students walk around in their sports clothes bc they play sports after classes for example. The lecturers are very approachable and very kind, in my experience. They are open and willing to help you. Engagement with local students can be a little hard in the beginning bc British people might be a little reserved at the first moment of contact. But later on, they become more welcoming and open.
What does the university offer the student additionally?
Laundry facilities were present in my accommodation (a catered hall, Willoughby hall). you had to download the app and load money onto the app (was quite expensive in my opinion). There was a massive sports centre at the main campus and also one at the other two campuses. The university is very beautiful and there is so much space to just sit down and chill with friends. There is a beautiful lake in front of the main building that is perfect for a little walk-around during a study break. There are cafes in a lot of university buildings, so it is easy to grab a coffee in a study break. The uni has a lot of libraries that are perfect for self-study-sessions.
5. Housing-travelling-living
What are the possibilities for housing? (E.g. Availability to sign up for a room on campus, private rooms, rent rates?)
Rooms on or close to campus. Some are catered (so meals are included in the price and you eat together with other students in a dining hall) or self-catered. Self-catered rooms are usually on corridors with 6 people and they share a kitchen and two bathrooms. I believe that exchange students are guaranteed a room, which is really convenient.
What is the culture of the country like? (E.g. Differences with home, local cuisine, habits, manners?)
British people are way less direct, compared to Dutch people. They are usually lovely and very kind. Local cuisine is not very culinary in my opinion, at least the typical British food. There are also less vegetarian and vegan options, compared to in particular Wageningen. Although people coming from other countries would tell me that the UK and Nottingham do have a lot of vega options (I guess it’s a matter of what you’re used to). Manners that are different between the UK and NL is that at parties, British people usually all bring their own drinks and they don’t really share. Whereas in NL, we would all share drinks.
Could you give a general price indication of the place of residence compared to living in Wageningen?
Monthly cost for me was around 980 euros for the accommodation. That included food.
Could you give some information about public transport infrastructure? (E.g. Cost public transport card, taxi prices, how to travel to the university?)
I lived on campus so did not have to take public transport to get there. There was a hopper bus between the different campuses, which was free for students. In general, train tickets in the UK are a bit more expensive than in NL. I would recommend to buy a Railcard and to use the apps Trainline and Trainpal to find the cheapest tickets.
6. Free time
What are must-sees in the area? (E.g. nearby destinations, how do you prefer to travel, when to plan?)
Nottingham city centre (tram from uni park campus), Wollaton deer park (walk from uni park campus), arboretum park (walk from city centre). Visit cities in the UK. My favourites in the UK were York, Bristol, Edinburgh. If you can, please visit the Scottish highlands, they are so-so beautiful.
Do you have general tips and tricks about leisure time?
If you like going out, there are three main nightclubs: Rockcity, Ocean and Pryzm. They are very good for a good night out full of dancing. For a bar for drinks you can go to the Alchemist (very cool but a little expensive), Pitcher and piano, wetherspoons.
For leisure time, I would also recommend to join a society or a sport club. That is also a way to meet other people. I personally joined the handball club.
7. Challenges & best moment abroad
What was a challenge you have experienced?
In the first week it was a little hard to find other new or Erasmus students. That was because there was no introduction week in the second semester and there was no ESN (Erasmus student network). But for me I found my friends at the first social night of the Travel Society in the second week. They organise trips to UK cities and even abroad. I would highly recommend to join the travel society. Furthermore, for meeting people I just went to every single social event I could possibly go to, which definitely helped me overcoming the challenge of meeting as many people as possible as soon as I arrived.
What was your best memory abroad?
All of the trips we did. We did loads of trips with my friends I met at the travel society. We joined the travel society trips, but we also organised trips ourselves and we joined the trip by CityLife to the Scottish highlands and Glasgow.
8. Contact Details
Would you like to ask Meike more questions about her exchange?
Send her a mail: meikeschilder@hotmail.com