UU Study Abroad Report Form - Studenten

Transcription

UU Study Abroad Report Form
Faculty/college:
Humanities
Level:
X bachelor
Name degree programme:
History
Destination city & country
Gainesville, Florida
Name host institution
and/or
company/organisation
University of Florida
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17/08/2015
Return date (dd/mm/yyyy)
28/12/2015
master
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
Exchange/placement application process:
The exchange/placement application process is a long one. There are a lot of forms to fill out, but
the University of Florida (UF) and Utrecht offer great assistance in this process. The health insurance
can be tricky to figure out, but by emailing both UF and the healthcare companies it is easy to figure
out. Beware that the whole process is very time consuming.
Counselling/support at home university:
Utrecht has been a great help in the process and can help you every step of the way. Attending all
the pre-departure and other meetings will be a great help.
Academic preparation:
I was in the last year of my Bachelors and chose to do my minor abroad. The courses at Florida are
a lot easier than the courses here, but they do take up a lot more time with the amount you have
to prepare for each class. If you attend all your classes and prepare for your exams, it shouldn’t be
difficult at all to pass the class with a good grade.
Language preparation:
I personally didn’t prepare much to cope with a different language. Every University of Utrecht’s
students is capable to deal with the language.
Finances:
It’s definitely not cheap to do an exchange at UF. There are ways to make life cheaper though.
Make sure to get your own food at Wallmart or any other shop (the busses are free for UF students
and exchange students). There are always places to get free pizza (especially in the first couple of
weeks), so there’s always a back-up plan.
Study/placement abroad period
Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues):
The programme is set out very clearly and everything that’s expected of you is set out at the
beginning of the semester.
Academic quality of education/placement activities:
The courses here are much easier than at Utrecht but require a little more work.
Counselling/support at host institution/organisation:
The teachers at UF are great. You can ask them anything and they’ll do their best to help you every
step of the way.
Transfer of credits:
This can be tricky and takes some time. The website the UU has will help you get this done.
Student life
Welcome/orientation programme:
There wasn’t really a welcome/orientation programme specifically for the exchange students (there
was a talk of about an hour one time). There are plenty of other activities for all the students to
make you feel welcome and get used to the environment though.
Accommodation:
I stayed in Weaver Hall on the campus. Even though this is a little more expensive than off-campus
housing, I would definitely stay there again if I could. You’re in the middle of the campus, right next
to the football stadium, so there’s something to do all the time. Having a mix of both American and
exchange students is also a very nice thing to have.
Leisure/culture:
Life at UF for exchange students is definitely less stressful than life at home. The American are all
very kind, but even when they give you their phone number, don’t expect them to be your friend
right away. On the other hand it’s very easy to make new friends and contacts with both the
internationals and exchange students. If you go out and participate in some activities, you’ll have a
great group of friends before you know it.
Suggestions/tips:
UF is a great place to go for an exchange. Make sure to go to the football and basketball games at
least once (basketball games are free). Bring some sweaters next to your summer clothing
because it will get cold near the very end (December) of your exchange.
Conclusions
Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain:
Yes
Do you have any additional advice or comments?:
No
Faculty/college:
Level:
Geosciences
bachelor
master
Science and innovation management
Gainesville, United States of America
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17-08-2015
18-01-2016
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application progress might seem a bit overwhelming at the beginning but it’s pretty
straightforward. You just have to fill in forms etcetera which help you with your preparation for the
trip. If you start on time, you have nothing to worry about.
Ingrid Dijkstra is always ready to help you if you have some trouble or is something is unclear. And
if she’s not available for some reason, other colleagues of the International Office of UU will answer
you emails and help you.
None needed.
None needed.
Finances:
I saved a lot of money and also maximized my monthly loan from DUO. I didn’t wanted to be hold
back because of my budget.
I made a nice study plan here in Utrecht on courses that I wanted to follow. Didn’t end up following
that plan. At the begin of the semester there is a drop/add-week in which you select the courses
you want to follow (based on the fact that there is a spot for you left in that class)
The classes are easier than here in the Netherlands. I did a senior course (third/fourth year course)
in a field that is related to what I do here in Utrecht but the same. Here in Utrecht that would be
really hard. In Gainesville I passed it easily and without that much effort.
UF’s international office is always happy to help you with things. Lyn Straka in particular is a really
nice women who’ll do everything she can to help you and is really interested in you as a person as
well.
The transfer of your credit itself goes sort ff automatically. Your grades however will get a bit
downgraded here in Utrecht due to the difference in academic quality.
Student life
There is a welcome meeting in the first week with Lyn Straka in which see wants to get to know
you and wants to know of you need any help. There is also the NaviGators program which is really
nice. A program that will link you to a American buddy. I recommend you to sign up for it, you’ll
meet other international students as well as Americans. And if you make some friends with some
Americans you sort of get out of the international bubble which is nice because they’ll bring you to
some nice places or you’re able to celebrate American holidays with them.
Accommodation:
I signed up for Weaver Hall (on campus) but was on the waiting list and started to look to other
apartments. I myself lived at University House on 13th Street. I loved it, it’s a little more expensive
but also more luxurious. I can also recommend The Courtyards due to experiences of others.
Leisure/culture:
There is so much you can do. First of all, get a season pass for the football games (even if you
don’t think you’ll like it). I love football so I got one right away, but it’s so much more than going to
a sports game. Everyone is going (and tailgating before hand). A season pass is like 120 dollars,
which is about 15 dollars per game (not that expensive) and you can always sell your tickets (and
even make some money).
Because of the nice weather you can do a lot of outdoor activities. You can play sports for free.
Trips are organized by the NaviGators and you can go on trips yourself with friends. Go travel and
visit nice spots near Gainesville. If you want to go further (to other cities like New Orleans, Orlando
or Atlanta) you can travel very cheap by bus (Megabus, Greyhound, Boltbus etc. Check
wanderu.com for schedules and price comparisons).
There are some nice bars in Gainesville. Student bars in Midtown and more ‘decent’ clubs and bars
in Downtown. Midtown is very cheap, especially if you’re girl. If you’re a guy like me it’s a bit more
expensive but I’d say not more than here in the Netherlands. All the establishments have to close
at 2 a.m. so they evening(drinking and going out etc.) will start earlier than I was used to here in
the Netherlands.
Suggestions/tips:
Join the NaviGators and do as much as you can. Go on trips, participate in activities, go out etc.
You won’t regret that you did so many things, you’ll regret it of you didn’t.
Get a State-ID so you don’t to bring your passport every time you’re going out at night, since they
won’t accept your driver’s license after a while, especially if you’re a guy (if you’re a girl the
bouncers will make an exception if you smile lovely  ). It’s not that expensive and I also liked it
for the fact that I have it as a souvenir too.
Conclusions
YES, UF is the best. The atmosphere, the climate, the people. Everything is good in Gainesville.
Because everything revolves around UF I really got that commune feeling that I was part of UF and
that Gainesville was my hometown and that I was a Gator. I am and always will be a Florida Gator.
It’s great to be a Florida Gator! Go Gators!
Prepare your trip and stay well and ask for help if you need it, so that you can enjoy every second
you’re there.
Faculty/college:
Rechtsgeleerdheid
Level:
bachelor
Utrecht Law College
Gainesville, USA
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
01/01/16
27/05/16
master
PhD
work placement
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application process is a lot of work, but if you start on time it is easily manageable. For the
application at your home university you have to send in your CV, financial plan, study plan and letter
of motivation. The last one is the most important, so take your time to write it. Once you’re
accepted, you have to fill in a lot of different forms for your host university. This can be a bit
confusing, but if you read all the instructions carefully, you will be fine.
Very good. I emailed Ingrid several time with questions about the application process and she
always responded very quickly.
Not necessary.
Not necessary. Even though I only had one English course during the first the years at University of
Utrecht, my level of English was absolutely sufficient. I don’t think you have to worry about this,
you will learn very quickly once in the US.
Finances:
Going abroad is very expensive, so I would recommend saving a lot of money before you go. The
estimated living costs from UF are between 4500-6000 dollars, but I would definitely recommend
saving more. You probably will make a lot of trips and groceries are also more expensive than in
The Netherlands. As a girl, however, going out is really cheap since there are a lot of ladies nights!
You have to make a study plan for your application process, but don’t worry about that too much. It
gives you a good idea of which courses might be fun, but you can change all of them once in the
US. The first week is drop/add week, which means you can follow different courses and drop or add
the once you (dis)like. Law is one of the area’s not open to exchange students, so if you’re a law
student you do have to think about that. In my opinion it wasn’t a problem at all, I liked taking
some completely different courses.
The level of the courses aren’t very hard. It is also very easy to earn credits by going to class and
doing your homework. However, I did have more homework and tests than I was used to.
Fine. At the beginning of the semester there is one meeting with all the international students. A lot
of information is given here. Furthermore, you can walk into the international office any time you
want if you have any questions.
Still in the middle of this, so can’t really say anything about it.
Student life
There wasn’t really a welcome programme from the university. The navigators did organise
something but in my opinion that wasn’t very successful.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Courtyards, which was absolutely fine. I read/heard some negative stories about it,
but nothing of that was true. It is very close to campus, downtown and midtown so you can
walk/bike everywhere. I subleased from a girl who went to UF the first semester which was very
convenient for the both of us. The only thing is, that you can only rent the apartment for the whole
year. So you both pay rent for 6 months, while you’re not in the apartment for all those months.
I would definitely recommend living in the Courtyards, but another good option would be Weaver
Hall. A lot of international students stayed there, and everybody I talked to really liked it.
Leisure/culture:
There is so much to do in and around Gainesville. Gainesville itself isn’t very big, but there are a lot
of bars/restaurants you can go to. Going to the sport games is also a lot of fun. Around Gainesville
there are some really nice springs you can visit. We also went on some trips to Atlanta, New
Orleans, st. Augustine, Universal and during springbreak to Miami, the Bahamas and Key West.
With your Gator1 card you can go to the gym and several events for free, which is great.
Suggestions/tips:
Joining the Navigators, might be a good idea. However, it wasn’t as fun as I expected it to be.
Some events were very bad organised and I only saw my buddy twice. However, a lot of people
really liked it, so you should check it out to find out yourself!
Conclusions
Yes, absolutely! UF is a great university, Gainesville is a great place to live for a semester and the
campus is beautiful. Living here is the real American college experience, and it is so much fun!
Furthermore, there are so many places you can go to, and there is so much to do, so you never
have to be bored. I met so many great people and had the best semester I could wish for.
Faculty/college:
Level:
Geesterswetenschappen
bachelor
master
PhD
Communicatie- en informatiewetenschappen
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17-08-2015
13-01-2016
work placement
field work
other
other
Preparation
Al met al is het best veel werk, maar door alle papieren van de UU is het niet moeilijk. Eerst moet je
zorgen dat je geselecteerd wordt (goede brief schrijven), maar als je toegelaten bent begint het pas
echt. Je moet veel papierwerk aanvragen, maar het is het waard!
Universiteit Utrecht hielp erg goed. Er was een document met een stappenplan over welke
documenten je allemaal nodig had en waar je deze kon vinden.
Niet nodig
Ik was zelf bang dat ik niet goed genoeg was in Engels, dus dit heb ik nog wat bijgespijkerd. Voor
mijn idee heeft dit echter niet echt gewerkt, je leert het daar het beste natuurlijk! Ook zijn
Nederlanders echt een van de beste in Engels dus maak je niet druk.
Finances:
Deze exchange heeft wel veel geld gekost. Kamers zijn duurder (rond 500 euro) en doordat je (of
in ieder geval ik) daar er alles uit wil halen (lees: allemaal vette tripjes gaat maken) spendeer je
nogal wat geld.
Aan UF heb je de eerste week een ‘’drop/add week’’. Dit betekent dat je vakken kan uitproberen.
Schrijf je voor genoeg leuke vakken in en kijk wat je van de vakken vindt. Zorg wel dat je je op tijd
in- en uitschrijft!
Kwaliteit verschilt onwijs tussen de vakken. Zo kan je letterlijk cursussen pottenbakken volgen
maar zijn de cursussen geschiedenis en journalistiek (die ik heb gevolgd) wel weer heel veel leesen leerwerk. Je hebt veel toets momenten.
UF zelf hielp de studenten heel goed. Als je vragen had kon je altijd langs komen en ze stuurde je
heel veel mailtjes of alles wel goed met je gaat.
Ging bij mij prima. Let wel op dat niet elke cursus aan de UF aan de UU ook 7,5 studiepunten krijgt
en dat sommige cijfers lager uitvallen. Als je wel oprecht moeilijke cursussen hebt gevolgd moet je
dit aangeven bij de UU zodat ze hiermee rekening kunnen houden.
Student life
Hoewel ik uit eerdere verslagen had begrepen dat ‘’the navigators’’ echt helemaal cool waren de
jaren daarvoor, was dit jaar het niet zo boeiend. Ik zou je wel aanmelden want ze doen wel tripjes,
maar wij organiseerden gewoon zelf met een groep van alles en nog wat!
Accommodation:
Ik woonde op de Courtyards wat me super goed is bevallen! In mijn huis leefde ik samen met drie
andere Amerikaanse meisjes die heel lief voor me waren en waardoor ik ook meer Amerikanen
leerde kennen ipv alleen internationals. De Courtyards ligt qua locatie echt perfect, je woont echt
aan de campus en kan lopen naar je lessen. Ook worden er super goede feesten gehouden, ik heb
zelf ook een huisfeest gegeven toen ik 21 werd. Op de campus wonen is ook een aanrader, omdat
je dan heel snel met mensen in contact komt. De groep waar ik uiteindelijk het meest mee optrok
woonde zowel op de campus en op courtyards, zo heb je het best of both worlds (veel mensen
leren kennen op de campus, eigen zwembad op courtyards plus je kan er alcohol drinken, wat niet
mag op de campus).
Voordat ik vertrok had ik de grootste stress over een huis vinden. In Gainesville doen ze bijna
alleen maar aan jaar leases, wat betekent dat je dus je huis huurt voor een heel jaar (tenzij je op
de campus woont, maar daar was ik te laat voor). Ik wou niet voor een heel jaar leasen omdat ik
bang was dat ik mijn kamer niet zou kunnen onderverhuren (en de huurprijs lag al zo rond de 500
a 600 euro). Courtyards zei eerst tegen mij dat ze echt niet aan een semester lease deden, maar
op het laatste moment kon dit ineens toch. Ik ben hier heel blij mee geweest, want daardoor heb ik
niet extra maanden hoeven betalen. Andere Nederlanders hadden afgesproken met mensen die het
semester na ons gingen dat die dan hun kamer overnamen, maar dan alsnog moet je de zomer (4
maanden) extra betalen. Zonde geld natuurlijk.
Conclusie: courtyards is echt een chille plek om te wonen! Ze hebben het ook gerenoveerd en je
hebt nette meubels. Kamers zijn wel klein en gehorig, maar je hebt wel altijd een eigen kamer. Op
de campus wonen leek mij uit ervaringen van anderen ook leuk (als je onder de 21 bent krijg je
dan waarschijnlijk wel double room, is wel de vraag of dat zo fijn is).
Leisure/culture:
In mijn vrije tijd heb ik echt onwijs veel leuke dingen gedaan! Met als hoogtepunt de cruise met
super veel internationals naar de Bahama’s, dat was echt AWESOME (een van de internationals
heeft dit zelf georganiseerd). Verder is het super leuk om een game van de gators bij te wonen en
natuurlijk de tailgate (party voor de game). Zorg ook dat je wordt uitgenodigd in wat frat huizen
voor een feest! We zijn met groepen naar pretparken geweest (Universals en Busch Gardens).
Tijdens Halloween zijn er super enge thema’s daar, ook zijn we naar een of ander doolhof bij een
boerderij geweest tijdens Halloween was echt super vet! Verder is het leuk (en heel dichtbij vanaf
Gainesville) om naar Paynes Prairie trail te gaan en dan de La Chua trail op te zoeken, dit is een
pad waar super veel alligators liggen in het wild. Is echt vet! Ook zijn we op tripjes naar steden
geweest (Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville). Later ben ik zelf met mijn ouders nog naar Miami, KeyWest en de Everglades geweest. Kortom, je kan echt een fantastische tijd hebben tussen de lessen
door!
Verder kan je ook leuk uitgaan, wij gingen altijd naar Grog House. Vooral voor de vrouwen is het
goedkoop want je mag bijna de hele avond gratis drinken (als je 21 bent of course).
Als laatste is het in Amerika best wel de cultuur om ‘uit-eten’ te gaan. Hierbij tellen zeker ook
fastfood restaurants. Ik ben helemaal fan geworden van Chipotle, zit dicht bij de campus,
mexicaans eten en je moet dat echt proberen!
Suggestions/tips:
Stress niet te veel voor je weg gaat, alles komt goed! Plan veel leuke dingen, zoals de dingen die ik
hierboven heb omschreven.
Je hebt voor veel activiteiten wel een auto nodig, dus het is handig om een beetje bevriend te
raken met mensen met een auto. Ook hebben ze een facebook ‘’UF RIDE BOARD’’ en daarin bieden
mensen zitplaatsen aan of kan je vragen of iemand ook zin heeft om mee te gaan met jou dagje
uit. Ik heb dit ook gedaan met een groep, we gingen met een random student mee en de hele
exchange periode zijn we super goede vrienden geworden met z’n allen!
De supermarkt vond ik altijd best wel een gedoe, want die ligt echt ver van de campus af. Het is
dus hierbij ook handig om met iemand mee te rijden die een auto heeft. Ik ben zelf ook een paar
keer met de bus gegaan, maar het is wel irritant dat je dan echt lang doet over boodschappen
doen.
Conclusions
JA, sowieso! Het was voor mij echt een hele hele hele AWESOME tijd! Ik denk eigenlijk dat je elke
exchange leuk kan hebben als je (geluk/moeite doet) om fijne vrienden te vinden. Wat UF heel leuk
maakt is het ‘’college life’’ gevoel, ze (de gators) zijn echt allemaal samen! Ook is het natuurlijk
heel fijn dat het zulk lekker weer is (bijvoorbeeld: na je les even bij het zwembad in je tuin gaan
hangen) en dat er zoveel leuke dingen te doen zijn!
GO GATORS!
Faculty/college:
Sociale wetenschappen
Level:
bachelor
master
PhD
Psychology
Gainesville (FL), United States of America
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17-08-2015
04-01-2016
work placement
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application process took quite some time. First of all, you need to hand in your application at
Universiteit Utrecht. It’s important to put effort in your motivation letter, since this is the most
important part of your selection. Make clear why the University of Florida is your ultimate exchange
destination!
Once you’re admitted in February, you will start your application at UF. UF asks for quite a lot of
official documents (about insurances, financials, etc.), that need to be gathered. My due date for
these documents was the first of May, but the earlier you are with your application, the higher the
chance of getting a room in Weaver Hall (the international house on campus). So, if you want to
make sure to get your spot, try to be fast!
Health insurance took most of my time. I have one simple advice; don’t get the insurance from UF,
but get one of the cheaper ones that are recommended on the website of UF (IPS Trailblazer, etc.).
Those will be accepted for sure.
Then finally your visa. Start in time to make sure that you have your visa before your departure.
Universiteit Utrecht organised one meeting in May to explain some practical stuff (visa, etc.), which
was very useful. This was also a good way to meet the other exchange students. Furthermore,
Ingrid Dijkstra sent e-mails with information and answered my questions.
One part of the application process was to hand in the preferences for your classes. This helped in
getting to know the existing classes. However, once you’re in Florida, these preferences won’t
necessarily become your actual classes. Some of them don’t even exist for the semester or you
might find others that are more interesting. The first week of classes is a drop/add week and you
can change your schedule. I very much liked this system, so don’t worry too much about your
classes.
I did nothing special regarding to language preparation. In general, Dutch people are pretty good at
English, especially when you compare this to other countries. So be confident.
Finances:
An entire semester in Florida can be pretty expensive, mostly if you’re planning on seeing and
doing a lot while you’re there (is recommended!). I saved up some extra money, but also my
parents and grandma did a contribution. UU requires you to estimate your expenses beforehand.
This is very useful and made me feel sure that my financial situation was check. I think I spent
around 8000/9000 euros in total (so this includes everything!).
Since my major is Psychology, I was mainly interested in psychology classes. However, I already
had my bachelor’s degree before I went to Florida, so I was not restricted to anything. For that
reason, I liked to take some random classes as well, like ‘Death and Dying’. UF has a very broad
offer of classes, which is very nice so make use of it! I changed two of my classes in the drop/add
week. Eventually, half of my classes were psychology classes and half of them weren’t. A semester
is quite a bit longer than the blocks that we’re used to in Utrecht. Try to take classes that can keep
your interest during four months.
In general, I think my classes were less academic and scientific than the classes at home. There
was less critical thinking and less academic writing and reading. It can depend on the level of my
classes, but a lot of other exchange students experienced the same. As a consequence, the classes
weren’t very hard either and not very much of a challenge.
However, education was more personal, mainly for the smaller classes. If possible, I would
recommend to take small classes. Personal education makes it easier to get in contact with other
American students and teachers, it requires you to speak up in class and goes more into depth.
Also, I needed to do more presentations and writing assignments (good for presentation skills and
writing skills). The classes require more effort during the semester and don’t add up all the work till
the last exam. After all, I learned quite a lot.
The counselling at the host institution was very good. We had several contact persons, who were
always willing to answer questions and give advise. We could always walk into the International
Office and there were always helpful people.
I was disappointed about the transfer. The grades were lower than I expected (an A became an 8)
and I also got less ECTS, while the classes took quite some time with all the writing assignments,
presentations, quizzes and exams.
Student life
The official orientation programme was pretty small. However, UF couldn’t make me feel more
welcome. Everyone (also students) was very warm and open and helpful. There was one official
meeting about practical stuff, which was not very interesting because I already knew everything.
We also had an obligated meeting at the International office to meet Lynn Straka. She gave us
advise for the first week and was very nice.
Accommodation:
I stayed at Weaver Hall, the International House on campus. I really enjoyed my stay here and I
am really happy that I got the chance to experience real American dorm life on campus. Half of the
residents were Americans; half were exchange students. I really loved this combination and it made
it very easy to meet people. I had a single room (most of the people over 21 get single rooms), but
I lived on a floor with 40 other girls, who came all together in the common room.
Living on campus is perfect, because everything is in walking distance (5-20 minutes walking).
Weaver was the main meeting point of all the internationals and their American friends, even for
students who lived somewhere else. I loved the chill sessions with everyone in the common room
on the first floor while we were studying or before or after going out. It’s living in the heart of the
Gator Nation and the ultimate American experience!
Leisure/culture:
There’s too many things I can tell! There’s so many things to do and to experience. UF is one big
community, where everyone’s a Gator and everyone is welcome. I really felt a part of it and
Gainesville and UF became my home in four months. I learned a lot about the American culture and
feel like I pretty much understand it right now. The football games are absolutely amazing and a
must see! The Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which is located on campus, fits 90.000 people who are all
Gator lovers and dressed in orange and blue. Everybody is partying, chanting and cheering for the
Gators together with the cheerleaders.
There’s a lot of places for going out, a lot of restaurants and tons of spontaneous house parties. All
my typical American expectations about it were confirmed; the food, the big distances, the cars and
the exaggerated behaviour. Besides that, there’s many options for doing sports (all for free) and so
many options for trips around Gainesville and in the rest of Florida. Visit the beaches, visit cities
like Orlando, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Miami and definitely New Orleans (Louisiana). Go to the
theme parks (Universal Studios, Magic Kingdom, etc.), because they’re awesome! Also, the nature
is so different and special, with the warm weather and different vegetation and animals (alligators
in every lake, racoons, armadillo’s, etc.).
Suggestions/tips:
Buy a season ticket for the football games, because you have to experience this. If you can’t make
it to one of the games, you can easily sell your ticket.
Don’t get a meal plan, because it will restrict you in eating somewhere else and it’s very boring to
basically eat the same things every week.
Also, just try to experience as much as you can, because it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Be
open to all different people and enjoy every minute!
Conclusions
Yes!! UF is the ultimate American experience  big campus, a lot of different classes, living in a
dorm experience, awesome community feeling, football games, American house -and fraternity
parties, nature, beaches, great weather, theme parks, cities and a lot of friends from all over the
world!
-
Faculty/college:
Level:
Sociale Wetenschappen
bachelor
master
Psychology
Gainesville, United States
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
30/07/15
13/01/16
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application process went fine. In the beginning it was quite a lot of paperwork, but it was easy,
you just have to keep track of the deadlines and make sure you start early. At first you have to write
a motivation letter. Make sure to invest time in this, since it’s really important. I think it mostly helps
to write about the educational worth of studying at the University of Florida, so mention courses you
would like to take and why you want to take those at UF. Don’t say you want to go because you like
hot weather, because that’s not what Utrecht University wants to hear, and they have to select you.
After you are selected, you will slowly start getting information about the application process. Just
take it step by step. Also, a lot of things are just formalities, like filling in forms to get your visa.
Getting your visa is one important thing, along with insurances and financial information. At one
point, you also have to go to the American consulate in Amsterdam. Do not worry too much about
this, again, this is mostly a formality. Just be polite, don’t bring electronics, answer honestly and
you’ll probably be fine and get your visa.
On the topic of booking flights, I recommend just buying a ticket to the US. You may want to travel
after your semester at UF (and you should, it’s amazing!), so you’re much more flexible if you don’t
have your return ticket yet.
I thought the support at the home university was good. Ingrid Dijkstra sent information when
necessary, and when I wanted to know something, I just sent an email and got a response pretty
fast. Also, one pre-departure meeting took place in May. In this meeting, we got a lot of
information and heard some previous UF exchange students’ experiences, which was very
interesting.
Furthermore, I liked getting in touch with other students that were going to UF the same semester
as me, because we could ask each other questions about the application process and just talk about
Florida and get excited!
While you’re still in the Netherlands, you have to look at courses UF offers and decide which ones
you would like to take. Look into this, but don’t assume you can actually take all the courses when
you’re at UF, and don’t take it too seriously. A lot of courses might not be available in the semester
that you’re going, and there may be other courses that you didn’t see before.
At the beginning of the semester, UF has a drop/add week, in which you can go to all the classes
that seem interesting to you, and you can still drop and add courses to your schedule. For me, this
went very well. The drop/add week was a bit stressful, but eventually I got to take courses that I
thought were great. Also, if you would like to take a certain course, but officially you’re not allowed
to or it’s full, make sure to talk to the teacher, since they may be able to enroll you in the course!
For me, there was one course that I wanted to take, but it was full the entire drop/add week, and
officially I didn’t have the prerequisites to take this course. I kept checking and stalking the website
and at one point I saw that there was a spot available, so I immediately emailed the teacher and he
enrolled me in it.
I didn’t really need to prepare anything, since my English was fine before going to UF. I think this is
the case for most students at Utrecht University. Even if you’re a little insecure about your English,
you will be fine, usually Americans will all think you’re amazing at English anyway, because
compared to people from other countries, we are really good at it.
Finances:
A semester at UF is going to be expensive. Anyway, it was for me. I had been saving up money for
two years, and my parents also contributed. I tried to estimate my spendings beforehand, but the
semester turned out to be more expensive than expected. However, it depends on your way of
living in Florida. Accommodation is expensive, and so are the flights. Groceries are a bit more
expensive than you’re used to as well (Publix isn’t cheap!). But for me, what made it really
expensive were mostly the trips on the weekends and after the semester. I thought spending more
money was definitely worth it, because I saw and did so many amazing things, but you could also
choose not to do this as much, it depends on your budget.
I already talked about this a little bit in my academic preparation section. Try to plan your study
programme, but don’t worry about it too much since it can change once you arrive. I took the
following courses: Consumer Behavior, Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, Positive
Psychology and Neuroscience of Consciousness. The only course that was in my study programme
that I created when I was still in the Netherlands was Positive Psychology, so you can see, a lot has
changed. I liked all my courses, however, my favorites were Consumer Behavior and Positive
Psychology. I definitely recommend these if you’re into marketing and psychology!
The way of teaching is a lot different in the United States, so that was very interesting. It’s much
more personal and less scientific. For example, for my Positive Psychology class, at one point we
had to have presentations in class about why we became the people we became. We also had to
interview another student about their qualities and have a presentation about that person.
American students are different than Dutch students, in the sense that they love talking in class.
When a teacher asks a question, in the Netherlands, all students would avoid eye contact, but in
the US most students raise their hand to answer it.
The due dates also feel less official, though this might depend on the teacher. I had one teacher
who was never clear about the date of an exam. Once, I came into class thinking we would have an
exam, and the teacher told us that he didn’t have the exam ready yet (??!!). Also, I would say the
classes are definitely a bit easier than in the Netherlands, but again, this depends on the courses.
My class Introduction to Interpersonal Communication was really easy, but I would say Positive
Psychology was a bit harder. However, eventually, I got good grades without studying as much as I
do in the Netherlands. In general, I think the difference in education is really interesting and I
enjoyed the different teaching style a lot!
The support from UF was good! Carolyn Cessarotti informed us very well about everything.
However, one thing went wrong with my course application: I was told I wasn’t allowed to take any
business classes, but once I arrived at UF I spoke to someone from the business department and
he told me I wasn’t informed well and I was actually allowed to take the class. Besides this,
everything went well, and the people from UF were very welcoming! During the semester, I could
always walk into the international office and ask as many questions as I wanted.
I am not too happy about the transfer, since they lower the grade and the credits you get for a
course. For example, a 3-credit course at UF (Positive Psychology) with the highest possible grade,
an A, turned into a 6 ECTS course with grade 8. I expected this to be 7,5 ECTS, so I was
disappointed with that. However, for me I didn’t matter too much how many ECTS I would receive
for my semester abroad, but if you need a certain amount of ECTS or really high grades, make sure
you get informed well or maybe take an extra course.
Student life
UF didn’t really have an introduction program. We had one meeting of maybe 2 hours, with all
international students in a lecture hall. However, I totally didn’t mind that they didn’t have one,
because it’s so easy to meet people! Also, everyone made me feel very welcome. The people from
the international office welcomed me once I arrived (I had to pick up a folder with some
information). Lyn Straka really sat down with me and wanted to chat a little bit about my
expectations, whether I was excited, etc.
Furthermore, the residence hall I lived in, called Weaver Hall, organized a lot of events in the first
weeks. This way, it was really easy to meet people.
At UF, there is also a Navigators program that you should definitely join, because you will be paired
with an American buddy and they will also just organize a lot of events and trips, for example
‘tubing at Ichetucknee river’ in the first week. I got to know people through this organisation as
well.
Accommodation:
I lived at Weaver Hall, which was the best decision I could have made. Weaver Hall is a dorm on
campus, and it’s 50% international students and 50% Americans. It has four floors, the first and
third floor are for boys and the second and fourth floor for girls. Each floor has their own common
room with a kitchen and living room, and two bathrooms. If you want the ultimate American college
experience, I would definitely apply for Weaver. If you’re under 21 and you live in Weaver, you will
probably have an American roommate (yes, in your room!). I did! I didn’t like the idea at first, and
sometimes I missed being by myself, but it wasn’t bad and she was very nice. I think it definitely
adds to the American experience. Also, Weaver made it really easy to get to know people. You get
in touch with both internationals and Americans.
Plus, the location of Weaver Hall is perfect: it’s on campus, 200m from the football stadium, and
across from the Dining Hall. I would absolutely recommend Weaver, but if you really value privacy,
you might like another place better. Most of the other people I hung out with that didn’t live in
Weaver lived at the Courtyards, which is right across from campus, so very close to everything as
well.
Leisure/culture:
I don’t even know where to start, the culture of the UF campus is incredible. And I don’t mean that
in a European culture, ancient-Rome way. I mean it in a ultimate American-college-experience way.
Basically, UF and its surroundings are called ‘Gator Nation’. Every student, teacher, person
associated with UF is called a ‘Gator’. The football team is also called the Florida Gators.
Everywhere on campus are gators (the logo, I mean, but yes, in lakes, they actually have
alligators). The feeling of the university is just amazing, you feel very connected with everyone and
it’s such a warm place. If you go in the Fall semester, it will be football season, which is amazing.
Every football game, the entire city of Gainesville will be about the game, everyone will wear
UF/Gator shirts (ORANGE! BLUE!), everyone will chant songs, everyone will talk about it. Even if
you don’t care about the sport football itself, you will love this. I definitely recommend you to buy a
season ticket and go to as many games as possible, because it’s an incredible experience, and if
you can’t make it to a game, you can easily sell your ticket. Also, before every game, people go
‘tailgating’, which basically means drinking, eating, partying and playing games on the street. In
my opinion, tailgating is even better than the football games and so so American.
Also, going out in Gainesville is great! In Midtown, which is across from campus, there are a lot of
great bars. Every bar has their own night in which the bar will be very crowded. Downtown
Gainesville also has really cool places, like a Cowboy bar (with line dancing), and the Piano Bar
(with live music), and just other ones. If you’re under 21, you’re not legally allowed to drink, so
just take this into account. However, I can tell you that underage people manage to get drinks
anyway.
The UF campus is also really pretty, and Gainesville’s surroundings have great nature, like Paynes
Prairie (look it up in Google!).
And obviously the weather is amazing: almost always sunny and hot! Even in December you will
still be wearing shorts.
Suggestions/tips:
Buy a football season ticket, experience the Dining Hall (and buy a doggy bag so you can also take
food for the next day), make use of UF Ride Board (a place on Facebook where you can ask people
for a ride to other cities, since the public transport is pretty bad), party (house parties and
American bars), join as many activities as you can, go to the National History Museum with the
Butterfly Rainforest on campus, visit Paynes Prairie, go to Gator Growl (in October), go to a
basketball game, enjoy the free campus bus system, enjoy the free gyms, play quidditch, play
sports at the UF recreation center, buy a bike if you have classes on campus in different buildings
(the campus is pretty big), hold an alligator, try all the American food chains (especially Chipotle),
go to Halloween parties and try all kinds of American candy, experience Thanksgiving, go to
fratparties, go on trips to Miami, St. Augustine, Devil’s Den, Ginnie Springs, Orlando, Walt Disney
World, Universal Studios, Tampa, Jacksonville, Ichetucknee River, New Orleans, go on a cruise to
the Bahamas, travel to other parts of the US after your semester. Just do as much as you can, and
maybe try to plan a lot of things in the beginning of the semester with friends, because that way
you’ll make sure you actually visit many amazing places! Also, just open up to people, enjoy the
sun and the palm trees, experience the culture and the American classes and way of studying! And
don’t forget to take many pictures!
Conclusions
Absolutely! Go to UF. It will be an incredible time/the best time of your life. I think that already
became clear because of everything I mentioned above!
Go Gators!!
Faculty/college:
Level:
Law
bachelor
master
Liberal arts and sciences
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
1st of January
July 7th
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
A lot of work. Start early enough.
Good, a lot of things where vague and when I mailed with questions I got answered very fast.
None
None
Finances:
You need to have proof of enough money. I worked 3 months to get all of it. In the end I spend
way less than expected and than what the university said I would spend. In Utrecht you spend a lot
on going out. But as a girl in Gainesville you have 2 nights with free open bar and frat partys also
always free so way less expenses. Rooms can be expansive but I waited long enough and I got a
really good deal in the end, only paid 3 months’ rent instead of 4 and summer.
If you don’t fulfil the prerequisites a lot of times you can still follow the course, just email the
teacher then the faculty. I took the following courses; Writing in the law, interpersonal
communication, microeconomics and white collar crime. I would really recommend White collar
Crime, this was a really interesting good level course.
Depends on what kind of courses you choose. I had some difficult ones, but also some really really
easy ones. Studying is different in America, a lot of mini assignments just to keep you busy and
then easy tests. But online courses are kind of hard.
Good. Did not use it that much.
Really fast send to UU but law faculty really slow.
Student life
Not that interesting. Navigators host activities. You should go to 2 or 3 but most of them are really
bad organised and expansive. Most trips you can arrange for way cheaper. But I had a really nice
navigator and met some cool people through it in the beginning so definitely join it.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Courtyards. A lot of partys. Really nice if you are in building A. also really good one
is social 28. Campus across the street and midtown(where all the partys are)5 min away,
Downtown(where rest of the partys are) 10 min bike ride.
Leisure/culture:
Suggestions/tips:
Enjoy your stay from the beginning immediately to the fullest. Start immediately with making trips
and doing everything you want. Get a bike through friends or craigslist. There is a free
‘fietsenmaker’ on campus. Go to a Gatornight; organised by university with free cinema, free
bowling, free food. Go to fraternity parties. Visit as much as possible. You can do free
wakeboarding/water-skiing at lake Wauburg. Join a sport team.
Conclusions
Yes for sure!! The real college experience. Friends of mine went to other universities in cities. They
didn’t have the real college experience. They were more experiencing the city. Gainesville is
nothing more than a college town. So everything is focused on students. And when there are
vacations the whole town is empty. You have everything you want in Gainesville.
-
Faculty/college:
Social Sciences
Level:
bachelor
master
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17-08-2015
19-01-2016
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
It was a lot of work. You have to arrange a visa, housing, enough money, health insurance for
studying abroad, your flight ticket, the courses you want to take etc. Start in advance! Especially
with the visa.
The pre departure meeting helped me a lot to know what I had to arrange for going abroad. But I
also had to do a lot myself. The documents provided by the University of Utrecht helped me
through the application process.
I did not have to prepare a lot before going abroad. My English was good enough and I took classes
which did not have any requirements. Besides that the courses I took at the University of Florida
were quite easy.
I did not have to prepare anything. If you study at a university in the Netherlands, they expect
your English is good enough.
Finances:
I saved some money myself and I received a lot of money from my parents. I also had a loan with
the government during my whole stay in Florida. You have to prove you have enough money to go
the US and take care of yourself. I had to have at least 6000 euro and I estimated I would need
around 8000. In the end I think I have spent all together, including traveling, 10.000 euro.
Studying abroad is expensive, especially if you like to travel a lot. But it is totally worth it!
My study programme turned out to be a lot different. My initial plan was to take some criminology
classes. When I arrived at the University of Florida it turned out there were no criminology classes
left since international students were later for the course registration. Two classes from my original
plan were still available. I took 5 classes, but 4 is recommended. I took some anthropology,
psychology and interpersonal communication classes.
When I read the reports of other students before I went to Florida, I did not believe them when
they said the education level was more like HBO then academic. When I got my first exam I had to
laugh a little cause it was a lot easier then back home. So yes, you don’t have to study that much. I
even took 5 classes instead of 4 but it was still easy. More time for travelling!
The staff from the international office is really nice and helpful. Our exchange coordinator was also
really nice she helped us a lot and she was genuinely interested in us.
At the faculty of Social Sciences they transferred my credits quite fast. I had to wait for maybe 1,5
week after handing in my grades. I received full credit for all five courses I took, but my straight
A’s were transferred into an 8, that was quite disappointing.
Student life
We had to be at the university a week before classes started. We only had a welcome meeting with
the international office and all international students. It was just an informative presentation.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Courtyards apartments. I really liked my apartment even though it was quite
expensive for Dutch terms. I had to pay a monthly 600 dollar rent, which is normal for American
terms. But the money was well spent since you got a spacious apartment with living room, kitchen,
2 toilets, a bathroom and your own bedroom. There is also a small gym and a swimming pool at the
complex, you had to pay for laundry and you need a code to enter the main entrance of the
complex. I had 3 roommates, 2 Americans and one other Dutch girl from Utrecht. I had a lot of fun
in the Courtyards, there were a lot of house parties going on during the semester. It was also nice
to get to know the American culture with my American roommates.
Leisure/culture:
During the week I stayed in Gainesville most of the time for my classes. We also went out a lot
during the week, like Groghouse on Wednesday. In the weekend I always went somewhere, just a
few times I stayed in Gainesville for the American Football games. I travelled to a lot of places in
Florida, like Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Cocoa Beach. I went to St.
Augustine for a surf weekend. In Jacksonville I went to a huge tailgate before the game and I
stayed there with a real American family during Thanksgiving. I went to Miami to go out and chill at
the famous South Beach. One of the first weekends we went with a big group of internationals to
Tampa and St Pete beach and also to the Howl O Scream night at Bush gardens theme park. Which
is really frightening but also cool to experience with Halloween since they have a lot of scary
haunted houses with real actors. I also went to Orlando a lot for its awesome theme parks. I went
to all 4 parks of Disneyworld, Sea world and to Universal Studios. I would really recommend
Universal Studios, the Harry Potter world is amazing but the other attractions are really nice as
well. Disneyworld is amazing as well. I also went to Cocoa Beach twice to see a rocket launch from
the Kennedy Space centre. Unfortunately we had bad luck twice, but the Kennedy Space centre has
a lot to see as well. I also went out of the state, to Savannah in Georgia and to New Orleans in
Louisiana. New Orleans is awesome! It is the party capital of the United States and there’s a lot of
culture to see and experience. Two of the best trips I have made were abroad, I went to Aruba to
visit my cousin and to the Bahamas on a cruise. If you study in Florida you cannot miss the cruise!!
It was one of the best weekends ever! In the last month I went travelling. My family came to visit
me for two weeks and we travelled all around Florida. In my last two weeks I travelled around the
East coast with a friend, we went to six cities in six different states! Atlanta, Chicago, Washington,
Philadelphia, Boston and New York. I loved the travelling the most, so definitely make sure you
save some money to go on awesome trips or to travel after the semester.
There is also an international organization called Navigators. They organize trips for international
students. I heard great stories about them from previous exchange students, so I joined them.
Personally I did not really like Navigators. The board was unorganized and did not make an effort to
get to know the international students. I heard this was the first time Navigators was kind of
unorganized. They organize some fun trips and it is nice to get to know some people but the board
did not show any interest in us and with activities the group was split in already existing small
friend groups. I hope next exchange students have a board which is more involved and exchange
students have a great time with them!
Suggestions/tips:
Start the application process on time, it is a lot of work. Especially getting your visa takes some
time.
Get a Florida State ID, then you don’t need your passport anymore since your valuable visa is in
there. You can also get discounts with your ID card as a Florida resident, like a 100 dollar discount
for Disneyworld!
Stay at Courtyards if you don’t like to share your room in dorms. If you want to stay in the dorms,
apply early there are just a few spots!
Get a credit card, a lot of times you can’t pay with your Maestro card.
Go travel as much as you can!
Conclusions
Yes, the University of Florida is an awesome university. A lot of diverse courses are offered. The
campus is really close to Courtyards and the dorms are at the campus. The people are really nice
and friendly. You can sport for free and almost every sport can be practiced, the university has its
own lake where you can swim and sail for free. Gainesville is nice and small and has some nice
places for dinner and a lot of bars, but also some beautiful nature.
Faculty/college:
Level:
Social Sciences
X bachelor
master
PhD
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
and/or
Purpose of exchange
X study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17/08/2015
15/01/2016
work placement
field work
other
other
Preparation
It seems like a lot of paperwork when you start with the whole process, but once you get in to it,
you get so excited about the probability that you might go study abroad, that it just seems like some
little forms you have to fil out to fulfil your dream. Make sure that especially your motivation letter
shares the same passion you have about going abroad.
It is very clear stated what forms you have to fill out, so it is just a matter of following those steps
and send it all in. Once youre selected, the university made sure everything was sure and you could
always asked question and there is a meeting where you meet all the other students who are going
to the same university. Our group made a whatsappgroup so everyone was in touch with eachother
and if you had an obstacle, you could just asked them and see how they worked it out. This was
very convenient.
I didn’t do anything extra before I went to UF and I found that I didn’t needed it; the courses were
easy to follow.
As I got my IB English A2 certificate in High school, I didn’t do extra language preparation before I
went to America.
Finances:
I just saved a lot of money by working and not spending the year before I went to study abroad.
Also I got a refund from my public transportation card and I took a loan of 500 euro per month.
I followed 4 courses at UF, with one of them being online. I had to go to class 3 days a week. Those
weren’t mandatory, but I tried to go as much as possible.
I felt like it was easier to follow courses at UF than at UU. There were a lot more exams and quizzes
and the amount of information you had to learn per exam wasn’t that much. Also it wasn’t that
hard.
In the first week there is a mandatory meeting with all internationals with all the practical
information about your stay and if you had any more questions, there were always people available
for you.
The transfer of credits was very easy. My grades of UF were sent to UU where I picked them up and
dropped them of at the exam commissioner and in no time my grades and credits were on Osiris.
Student life
UF has a club were internationals are buddied with an American to show them around. They have
different activities which are pretty fun.
Accommodation:
I stayed at University Commons, which is just outside the campus. I had to take a bus, so I would
recommend to either take a bike or get an apartment closer to campus. Also to get to the bars, I
always had to use the bus, uber or SNAP. But it was pretty cheap and I looked nice.
Leisure/culture:
I just love the American school life. I wished I could do my whole study there. It is so different then
the Dutch student life. You just live with all students in the same town, which is mostly student.
And I loved everything that belonged to the lifestyle, like the collegebars at Midtown, the
footballgames on Saturday, tailgating before the games, having a feeling of all belonging to the
same team/university, just like when Holland would play soccer at EK or WK. But then every
weekend. And its so easy to just travel around America and see more than just Gainesville.
Although when you search for fun stuff to do in Gainesville, there are some fun things to do, like
Paynes Prairie, the zoo at Santa Fe college, Devil’s Den and many more.
Suggestions/tips:
If possible, try to get as many American friends and really experience their lifestyle, including the
Greek Life and tailgating.
Conclusions
I would fly back today if possible and do it all over again. The preparation was pretty easy and the
time I had abroad was the best time ever.
My new slogan is: Located in the Netherlands, but always a Florida Gator!
Faculty/college:
Level:
Utrecht University
bachelor
Psychology
and/or
Purpose of exchange
master
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
17-08-2015
04-01-2016
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
The placement process was more than expected. I didn’t know there were so many things to
organize and so many forms to fill in. It took me a lot of time. It was worth it, of course, but
students need to know that the process before actually arriving at your destination takes a lot of
time. The placement process of the UU was good for me.
The support at my home university (UU) was good. I could ask all my questions and got response
within reasonable time.
I didn’t prepare myself extra for this, but it wasn’t necessary.
I didn’t prepare myself extra for this, but it wasn’t necessary.
Finances:
It cost a lot of money. I knew that in advance, but it cost more than I was prepared for. Exchange
students who are going to the United States should count on 10.000 euros.
The study programme was great at UF. I was able to choose from a lot of courses and in the first
week of class I could still change them if I wanted to. They were very helpful with organisational
issues.
The academic quality is the same as in The Netherlands. I got higher grades, but the courses are
more interactive. I had to do more presentations and assignments than in The Netherlands.
I didn’t ask for any extra help, but overall they were very helpful.
The transfer of credits wasn’t hard to organise. Students should know though that they don’t get
7,5 credits for a course. That’s less than in The Netherlands.
Student life
There is only one afternoon of orientation. There are student organizations who help the exchange
students to feel welcome and organize events for them. I would recommend these organizations to
every exchange student.
Accommodation:
There is space on campus where you can live. I would recommend that, because it makes it easier
to meet other exchange students. There is also space to live outside campus. I would recommend
living as close as possible to the campus, because that is where you have to be the most.
Leisure/culture:
There is a lot to do on campus as well as in the cities in Florida or outside of Florida. There are a lot
of trips being organized and, of course, you can organize your on trips.
Suggestions/tips:
Don’t bring any winter clothes, it’s only going to be hot anyway.
Conclusions
Yes! It is very well organized and a really nice location with friendly people and good weather. The
education at UF is also great. Students should know that it is expensive, though.
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Faculty/college:
Geosciences
Level:
bachelor
x
x master
Earth Surface and Water
and/or
University of Florida (UF)
Purpose of exchange
X
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
20/08/2014
12/01/2015
study/courses
PhD
work placement
field work
other
other
You are requested to write on the following topics.
Text boxes will expand automatically while typing.
Preparation
The application process can be a little tedious but it is pretty spread out over the year so
occasionally you have to arrange certain things. At your application, pay attention to your motivation
letter, as it is crucial. At the same time it is also useful because it makes you think about the reasons
why you want to go to a particular place. Generally, studying abroad is fun regardless of where you
go. Think carefully of what location and what university would fit best with you. That way you can
make the most out of your study abroad period. Write those arguments in your letter, but don’t just
stick with ‘the weather in Florida is great’, even though it definitely is!
Sufficient. You can always ask questions to Ingrid Dijkstra, who is willing to help and knows the
procedures. If you are in doubt about which university to apply for, I would both talk to the
international office but definitely also to a person who has been there before. The international
office has contact information of former applicants.
None. If you’re doing fine in Holland, you will manage at UF as well. Be reasonable in picking you’re
courses, you don’t want to spend all your time abroad in the library. See is as a chance to do some
fun courses perhaps a little outside you’re regular scope (but be careful not taking something you
don’t have the proper prerequisites for).
University level English is sufficient.
Finances:
Try to save up money. You don’t want to be held back too much in your plans because of money
issues. Keep in mind that you will eat outdoors quite often, will go for drinks at night and go on
trips occasionally.
Check which courses you can take as an international and which not and which your faculty
approves. Apart from that, follow the guidelines. I was a master student who did electives, might
be more difficult if it would count towards some sort of minor in your bachelors.
I would say it’s pretty doable up there. They have continues assessment (i.e. multiple assessment
moments instead of one final exam). Nothing to be worried about.
There international office is quite good and offers sufficient guidance. Make use of there offers and
you can always walk in to ask for help. The woman in charge (in my case Lyn Straka) is strict on
the rules and will heavily warn you for all the dangers that are supposedly ahead. But nothing to
worry about, Gainesville has nothing that students in Holland haven’t seen before. It’s actually
much smaller than most student cities in Hollland so we know what to expect.
For me it went pretty smooth, I didn’t hand in a course description and got 7,5 credits for each of
my three courses. As a master student you only have to do three courses (i.e. 9 credits over
there). You can take four, but three was pretty relaxed as some master/PhD courses can be a little
more intense, especially the courses where most students are PhD students.
Student life
It’s pretty sober but the Navigators organize a few events so it’s alright. Just be out there and try
as many things as possible the first weeks. That way you can choose what you like and you know
your way around pretty quickly. Gainesville is quite small but combined with the campus it has a lot
to offer, try it out see what you like.
Accommodation:
Gainesville has tons of housing options. I first wanted to wait until I was there but later decided to
sign something anyway. I stayed at the Grove student housing. The rooms where big and quite
luxurious (private bathroom, big club house with pool and coffee bistro etc.). But if I would go
again, I would stay in either Midtown or a bit north of that (basically the area just north of
campus), the area from campus to downtown or downtown itself. In any of those places you can
basically walk the interesting parts of Gainesville (campus, midtown, downtown). Although as a
Dutchie a bike is always nice. Especially because the campus is quite large so if you have classes
far away a bike is nice. Midtown and downtown have all the bars and restaurants, easy if you can
walk from there to home.
Leisure/culture:
Even though Gainesville is pretty small, it is really a lot of fun. First I was like ‘is this is?’ but once
you got to know the different places its quite nice actually. Midtown has some nice quick food and
some classis (read: a little tacky) American bars. Even those I got to appreciate after a while.
Downtown offers a bit more variety in terms of food, drinks and partying. Several really nice
restaurants and bars and some cool clubs. There is something going on every day with a bar having
some sort of special. And of course the classis American house parties, be sure to go to those. I
actually have the best memories of just my time in Gainesville, not even the awesome trips I made.
The rest of Florida has tons of things to offer. Some great cities as Miami of Orlando, wonderful
beaches (especially Crescent beach!), the everglades, the Keys etc. I also went on a weekend trip
in north Florida; just implying that also other unexpected stuff might be cool to do.
Generally, make use of your network there. Americans usually have cars so try to tag along (of
course contributing to the gas) and take initiative in organising trips, there are always people who
want to join.
Suggestions/tips:
For sure join the Navigators. Invest some time in the beginning to get to know the UF campus and
Gainesville. It will make you feel home quicker and create a bond with the place. Oh and go on the
cruise to the Bahamas, unforgettable trip. Also, UF offers some great facilities like a free gym card
(so you can do basically every sport) and a free charter bus that picks you up and drops you off in
and around campus.
Conclusions
Yes. If you want a classical American college experience in a slightly rural but
studentish/progressive town, UF and Gainesville is the place to be. Good university, vibrant student
life, awesome weather and cool places to visit in driving distance.
No.
Contact details Student Services / International Office
Visitors’ address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht
+31-(0)30-253 7000
[email protected] (information) / [email protected] (report)
www.uu.nl/students/exchange
faculty/college
Universiteit Utrecht
level
X bachelor
name degree programme
Nederlandse Taal en Cultuur & Rechtsgeleerdheid
destination city & country
Gainesville (Florida), United States of America
name host institution and/or
company/organization
master
PhD
other
purpose of exchange
X study/courses
departure date (dd/mm/yyyy)
21 / 08 / 2014
return date (dd/mm/yyyy)
19 / 01 / 2015
X work placement
field work
other
You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing.
preparation
exchange/placement application process
The application process took a lot of time, which was of course absolutely worth it. You first have to complete the
application for the University of Utrecht (Curriculum Vitae, Motivation Letter, Courses Form, etc). After you get
accepted you have to complete the application for the University of Florida (Insurance, Certificate of Financial
Responsibility, Immunization Form, etc).
counselling/support at home university
Ingrid Dijkstra was the support at the University of Utrecht. She answered her e-mails really quick and was always
willing to help.
academic preparation
No.
language preparation
No.
finances
America is almost as expensive as the Netherlands, but if you are on exchange you will probably spend more
money than you would normally do. I worked a lot before I left for Florida and saved some money from that. I also
got some money from the internship I did at UF, from my parents and from DUO.
study/placement abroad period
study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)
I was Teaching Assistant Dutch at the University of Florida. Besides the everyday teaching, I took two courses:
Photographic Journalism and Fundamentals of Production. Officially you are not allowed to follow courses at the
Faculty of Journalism, but I e-mailed the professors of the two courses and they were both happy to have a
motivated exchange student in their class.
academic quality of education/placement activities
The courses were awesome! It was really different than what I was used too. The courses at the University of
Utrecht were always really theoretical, while the courses I took at the University of Florida were more practical.
Both my teachers were very funny and good, so I learned a lot about making good photos and videos.
counselling/support at host institution/organisation
Lynn Straka and Abby Nelson were the supports at the University of Florida. They were really kind and always
willing to help you out. You can e-mail them or go to their office in the international department on campus, which
page 1 of 2
is really easy to find.
transfer of credits
The internship as a Teaching Assistant Dutch was for 15 ECTS.
student life
welcome/orientation programme
The orientation programme is not really exciting, but it is mandatory so you have to go.
accommodation
I lived in Weaver Hall, the campus dorm for international students. I had a really nice experience living here.
Weaver Hall is in the middle of the campus, so things like classrooms or midtown were on a short walking
distance. I also met some really nice people here from all over the world, although I sometimes felt a little bit old in
the dorm – I was 23 years old, while a lot of people were under 21 years old. In the dorm you can choose for a
single or double room (which means you share the room with another person). I wanted a single room and I was
lucky to get one, but I am sure a double room is nice as well.
leisure/culture
You should definitely join the Navigators, a organisation for international students. They organise a lot of nice
events and they couple you witch an American student from UF, who helps you out the first days – or even more!
My navigator was really cool and she became a good friend whom I hung out with a lot.
suggestions/tips
Enjoy your exchange as much as you can! It is cliché, but time flies. The courses are not very difficult, so you can
go out a lot – the town has some really nice restaurants, clubs and bars – and you can do a lot of fun trips in the
weekends. Go to Universal Studio’s in Orlando, Miami, the Keys, the Everglades, New Orleans (Louisiana),
Charleston (South Carolina), Memphis (Tennessee), and more!
conclusions
would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain
Definitely! I had a really good time in Gainesville: the teaching was a lot of fun, the courses were very interesting
and I met very nice people. The only thing is that I personally prefer to live in a bigger city the next time.
Gainesville is a relatively small town, with a big campus. If you like small towns, you can definitely have fun here! If
not, you might get a little bored.
do you have any additional advice or comments?
If you have time and money: go travelling before or after your exchange in Florida. I travelled for five weeks with
friends after my exchange and I saw a lot of the south, as well as the east and the west coast. America is
beautiful!
Contact details:
Student Services / International Office


T: +31-(0)30-253 7000

E: [email protected] (information)
[email protected] (report)

I: www.uu.nl/students/exchange
page 2 of 2
Faculty/college:
Level:
Medicine
bachelor
master
PhD
Biomedical Sciences
Gainesville, The United States of America
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
21/08/2014
30/12/2014
work placement
field work
other
other
Preparation
I had to write a motivation letter and fill in an application form. After I had been accepted through
my home university I had to fill in different forms for the University of Florida. Those forms were to
make sure you knew what kind of courses you wanted to do and whether you had the right
insurances.
I visited the lecture about studying abroad by International Office of the UMCU. I also visited the
pre departure meeting in which two students who had previously studied abroad talked about their
experiences.
I picked the right courses so I would not get any delay regarding my study.
I did not need any language preparation because I was going to an English speaking country and
my English was already sufficient.
Finances:
I saved money by having a part time job. Some students also got a grant that was given away by
the faculty of Biomedical Sciences. I ended up not getting one because there were more applicants
than grants.
I ended up doing courses that were not related to Biomedical Sciences. These courses I could
implement in my curriculum into the “extra non-biomedical sciences courses”
The academic quality of education was really good. I thought that the teacher were skilled and
knew where they were talking about.
There were two women from the international office of the University of Florida that could answer
all your questions. When I arrived in Gainesville I had to report to the International Office and I got
different papers with information about a whole of things. Also there was a international meeting in
which they gave information about different things.
I ended up getting only 24 ECTS instead of the 30 I expected. This was because the minimum
credits you can apply to at the University of Florida is 12, and the maximum is 18 (not completely
sure). But the University of Florida expects you to do the average of those numbers and thus 15
credits. 15 credits is 30 ECTS and thus 12 credits is 24 ECTS. This however, differs per courses and
will be judged by your exam committee.
Student life
There was a international meeting at the beginning of the semester but because of circumstances I
missed that meeting.
Accommodation:
I recommend you apply to the Courtsyards as soon as possible because I ended up spending a lot
of time there while I myself lived at the University Commons. University Commons is a decent
place but it’s not close to Midtown or Downtown. The Courtyards’ location is perfect, however I
heard some complains about different devices in the apartment not working. They are willing to fix
it, but that takes some time. Overall I think the Courtyards is definitely the place to be
Leisure/culture:
You will get a Gator 1 pass which allows you to go the gym for free and rent different sport
equipment. Also it allows you to go the pool and visit the Science Museum. Definitely make use of
that card! I travelled a lot in Florida and tried to see as much as possible. You should keep in mind
that overall American are not that strict when it comes to making plans. So whenever you make
plans with someone, double check to make sure that plan is still standing.
I joined the Navigators, which was a really good idea. It’s some kind of organization that match you
with another American student. That way he or she can assist you when you arrive and show you
places. Also the Navigators plan a lot of activities and you get to meet a lot of different American
people that want to meet Internationals and you also meet different people from all around the
world
Suggestions/tips:
Convince your Navigator or other American friend to go somewhere. If you don’t take the initiative
it will probably not happen. However, a lot of Americans are willing to go and see places if you
suggest so.
Definitely join the Navigators and go on the cruise they organize!
Join the OAR if you are interested in camping and meeting new people.
Try to make the most out of it by doing as much as possible. Therefore you need money so make
sure you saved up enough money. Your money will definitely run out faster than you want.
Get a Mastercard because sometimes Visa is not sufficient. You definitely need a credit card!
Don’t bring that much stuff, just buy it over there because it’s cheaper and you will be needing the
space in your luggage for all the souvenirs and clothes you are going to buy.
Make use of SNAP and download their app. SNAP brings you from one place to another completely
for free. You can use your Gator1 card to get into one.
Don’t pick courses that are too hard. This might sound a bit weird, but I met people that did not
enjoy their study abroad because the only thing they did was study. Of course the main goal of
your study abroad is studying, but remember to have a lot of fun and meet different people
because that’s an experience you don’t want to miss out on.
Conclusions
I would definitely recommend this host organisation to others. I had an amazing time in Gainesville
Florida.
+31-(0)30-253 7000
Faculty/college:
Level:
Social Sciences
bachelor
master
Psychology
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
22/08/2014
20/12/2014
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application process is a lot of work. You have to fill in a lot of paperwork for the university, you
have to fix your health insurance (you need an extra American health insurance), you need to have
a visa which you have to pick up at the American consult in Amsterdam. Next to that, I spent a lot of
time searching for a nice place to live.
I thought the information meeting at the university was way too late. It was somewhere in May
while we had to arrange most things already before May. I think this should be scheduled much
earlier. I found out too late that you could enter the US only 30 days before the semester started
and not earlier than that. The meeting should be earlier to make sure that this kind of important
information is clear before people book their tickets. Further everything was fine.
I didn’t need to do any academic preparation.
I didn’t need to do any language preparation.
Finances:
Make sure you have enough money. It always takes more money than you expect because of all
the trips and leisure activities that you want to do. Also the housing is expensive (cheapest is
around 500 dollars per month) and fruit and vegetables are expensive. For girls going out is really
cheap though, because of all the ladies nights
You shouldn’t be too concerned about the study plan you make beforehand. The first week of
school is a drop/add week in which you can check out all the courses you want and drop/add any
course you want. It is pretty busy if you want to check out a lot of courses, so some preparation is
handy.
The quality of education is lower than in the Netherlands. I didn’t have to write any scientific papers
for example. It is a lot of work though. I had to read a lot of novels and do a lot of assignments.
You also can’t miss a lot of classes, because you get graded for your participation. I decided to
follow only three courses and just fail one course, because I wanted to make a lot of trips and do
other stuff than studying.
I think the University of Florida guided us well.
The transfer of credits went smooth. You only have to get the letter at the international office and
bring it to the STIP. I got all A’s which they translated into 8’s.
Student life
There is one welcome meeting at the university. You should go there to see the other internationals
and other Dutch people.
Accommodation:
I spent a lot of time searching for a nice accommodation close by the campus which wouldn’t be too
expensive. It was hard to find something to rent for only four months and not getting very
expensive. Eventually I decided to live in the Courtyards. It is one of the cheapest accommodations
in Gainesville (500 or less per month) and everything is walking distance (campus, mid-town,
down-town), which is nice because the distances can be quite big as everyone has a car. If you are
early, you can get a short-term lease for only four months. This is the best option! I was too late
though, so I had to take a lease for one year. I contacted someone that went to Gainesville in
spring and we decided to ‘share’ the contract. I had a good experience living in the Courtyards. You
live with three other students in an apartment, which is nice because you get to know the American
culture. Every weekend there are house parties and we ourselves also gave some nice parties. It is
very thin-walled though, so take your earplugs. I think another good option is to live on campus in
Weaver Hall.
Leisure/culture:
There is a lot to do. We went away almost every weekend on trips. You can just hire a car or go
with someone who has a car. Also the Navigators organize a lot of trips. In Fall it is the football
season, so almost every weekend there is a game, which is a great experience.
Suggestions/tips:
You should join the Navigators. This is the student organisation for international students which
organizes a lot of trips, parties, football/volleyball nights, salsa nights etc. Before you go abroad
you can already contact them to get an American buddy (a navigator). He or she is most of the
time very willing to help you with whatever you need (some want to get you from the airport etc)
and he or she can show you around or do nice things with. The organisation ‘Trip’ also organizes
cool stuff!
Conclusions
Yes! I had a great time at the university of Florida, as it is one of the best universities of America as
well as one of the best party universities in America. The university has a lot to offer for
international students. I met so many people from all over the world with the Navigators and made
many nice trips with them. I’m not very fund of Florida though.. Although the weather is good and
although there are nice beaches (good for surfing), I missed the variation in the landscape.
Go studying abroad and have a great time!
+31-(0)30-253 7000
faculty/college
Social Science/Universiteit Utrecht
bachelor
level
master
Psychology
Gainesville (FL), United States
PhD
other
field work
other
study/courses
purpose of exchange
08 / 05 / 2014
12 / 22 / 2014
work placement
preparation
It is a long time ago, but I remember writing a motivation letter (make sure you take some time to really know why
you want to do this) and making a financial plan. Make sure you motivate why you chose UF and which courses
you want to take. Take a good look at your planning as I added an extra year to my bachelor – which I don’t mind,
but I wanted to do a minor too. It has to fit in the bigger plan. Overall, it was not hard to do, but it takes some time.
The most annoying part was getting insurance companies to sign a form. None of the Dutch students I met at UF
had a company that was willing to sign it, so prepare yourself to pay $200 for insurance at UF.
The international office and especially Ingrid Dijkstra were very helpful. Contact was good and they replied quick
by email.
None, you don’t need to have a specific GPA or have attended specific courses to go to UF.
None, if you feel insecure about your English you could do a course. I had a bilingual education in high school, but
even if you don’t I think you’ll be fine.
finances
Overall, I think I spend 8000/9000 euros. I saved 3000 myself, got ‘stufi’ and a compensation for not using your
OV-card, monthly allowance from my parents and some money from my grandparents  . Yes, it is a lot of
money, but I would spend every single dime again because it is totally worth it.
I went for Fall semester and took 4 courses (which they recommend). It was not hard to organise this, the first
week is drop/add so you can experiment and go to classes which you might want to take.
Generally speaking, the courses were easier than the ones I take in Utrecht. However, the teachers were all so
passionate and had really original ways to organise a class. I took Family Violence – very good, you don’t
necessarily learn skills but learn a lot about US, people share very personal stories and you get a good picture
about the issue, very encouraging teacher - (Sociology), Adolescent Psychology, Marriage and Family (online,
easy but nice to have as a background course, and Personal & Family Health (Health & Human Performance) in
page 1 of 3
which we had a live cooking workshop and went with the class to do a stadium workout. Dr. Delisle and his
assistents are truly heroes and the class really motivated me to think about what I wanted in life and maintain a
healthy lifestyle.
UF is such a warm and encouraging college to go to. They were really welcoming to international students (to me
at least, I heard people with more negative stories about changing courses halfway the semester). Contact Lyn
Straka if you have any questions.
transfer of credits
Im still in the middle of this so I can’t give an opinion on it.
student life
I think we had one mandatory orientation and one check-out meeting. Lynn Straka and Abigail Nelson went over
some important things we had to do. It was clear, nothing special, but fun to see all the exchange students from all
over the world!
accommodation
I lived at the Courtyards, which is really close to campus and has an all-inclusive price (my rent was 459 dollars,
but most payed 489, why I was able to get this lower rent is still unclear to me) and pool and fitness studio. My
apartment was fine, and I had AMAZING roommates. They do roommate matching, but some didn’ t get so lucky.
Be specific when you fill in the forms. Go with the best intention and an open mind and things will work out  If
you can choose a building privilege, choose building A (this is where the pool and fitness studio are). The
management is really friendly and they always tried to help me out. MAKE SURE YOU APPLY AS FAST AS YOU
CAN FOR A SHORT-TERM LEASE! I emailed them even before I got the acceptance email at UU, and I could
sign a form that the lease was not valid anymore if I did not get accepted. I got one out of 10 short term leases and
it’ s just easier to have a lease just for one semester then to find someone to sublease for the other semester.
I heard good stories about Weaver and the people there became made good friends. Ask yourself if you want a
single or double room and just hope you get lucky if you get a roommate. Cooking is probably not amazing, but
then again Gainesville has good dinner deals, its usually cheaper than in NL. If you look for other apartments, you
could try University House as it is close to campus as well or search for apartments behind midtown. The
Grove/Gainesville Place/Estates are farther away, so you should not be bothered by biking 15/20 minutes each
day (or bus after going out).
leisure/culture
Florida is so extremely beautiful! Definitely go and travel out of Gainesville. I went to Savannah (Georgia),
beautiful city with lots of art & squares! NEW ORLEANS (so incredibly beautiful, the art, music and food are
AMAZING) and to Memphis with the Navigators (Elvis Presley’ s home Graceland was beautiful to see). I went to
Luke Bryan’ s country concert, to my Navigator’ s house in Clearwater where we relaxed on the beach and went
jetskiing, surfing in st. Augustine, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and many more things. Go
to Miami and you can cruise to the Bahamas (I already did that a couple of years ago but its definitely fun!).
Celebrate Halloween (the naughtier the better) and Thanksgiving and go to a food truck ralley 
In Gainesville: go to a basketball and football match!! And TAILGATE in advance. These are truly American
college experiences. Going out wise, the bars in midtown are comparable and just ‘ regular’ bars (still fun to go,
especially ladies night: drinks are free). Definitely go to Rockie’s Dueling Piano Bar – if its your birthday they will
sing you a really fun birthday song - (like Crazy Pianos in Scheveningen) or 08 Seconds country club (line-dance
page 2 of 3
and beer pong, even if country is not your thing you should definitely go here just to check it out!). Manuel’ s is an
amazing Italian restaurant, go to the Top (best burgers in the world) and Dragonfly (sushi). And Satchels pizza is
delicious and a fun hippie-atmosphere. I also joined a community group of CRU (religious organisation) and made
really great friends there. Also, check out Greenhouse church (a lot of Americans are spiritual, even if you are not
it is great to just check how a service goes).
suggestions/tips
Join the NaviGators, great way to meet both Americans as other internationals and they have really great activities
and trips! Be specific when you fill out your application, I had an amazing Navigator but only because I wrote a
paragraph about who I was and what I wanted to do while in US. If you write only 1 or 2 sentences it is really hard
for them to match you with someone you like or have common interests with ;)
conclusions
YES YES YES YES YES. UF is an amazing school (nr 1 of Florida and nr 30 or somewhat of the entire US). They
have FREE fitness classes, a lot of dance classes (I tried salsa, swing dance, all for free). The campus is beautiful
and very green. Gainesville is located in more ‘ country’ Florida and it takes you 2 hours to get to the beach. It is a
small collegetown that pretty much revolves around UF and gives you the ultimate college experience, but if you
like living in bigger cities then this is not your place to go.
Just go and do it! This is an amazing experience you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. I have made amazing
friends I still keep in touch with and they come to visit Holland this year 
Contact details:


T: +31-(0)30-253 7000


page 3 of 3
Faculty/college:
USE
Level:
X bachelor
Economics and Business Economics
Gainesville, USA
and/or
Purpose of exchange
X study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
02/01/2015
28/05/2015
master
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
Since we first had to be accepted for the exchange program by the UU before being able to apply to
any partner University the application process started almost a year before actually leaving. A lot of
documents were necessary and hence I had to spend a lot of time collecting this and filling in all the
necessary forms. This gave me time though to do some research on the universities I wanted to go
to and make sure whether I really wanted to go.
My Study Advisor helped me out a lot with picking the subjects that would fit into my bachelor and
that would be approved by the Board of Commisioneers without giving me to much of a study load
in order for me to be able to appreciate my time at UF as much as possible. Further The
International Office of UU helped me a lot with all my questions during the long application
process.
Since all the courses I have taken in Florida were courses that stand on their and didn’t depend on
any courses from UU, I didn't have to do too much Academic preparation back here in Utrecht
before going to the US.
Luckily all the courses at USE are given in English as well, similar to the classes at the University
of Florida hence I was confident that I would be able to participate in the classes without too much
effort and indeed once arrived that proved to be true.
Finances:
Since I wanted to be sure no to have to worry too much about the finances once I arrived in the
US i had saved a fair amount of money before going and had even worked 2 months almost full
time just before leaving to the US. This turned out to be very usefull since there are a lot of
unexpected expenses once you are at your exchange university.
I took a regular study load that was comparable to the amount of credits an American student
took. This left me enough time to explore the US and participate in after-school activities.
I was surprised to see that eventhough UF is considered to be one of the best universities in the
US the level was not that much higher than at the University of Utrecht. I learned a lot though from
the different approach that American Universities use. There is much more discussion going on
during classes and since the whole american society is different I gained a lot of different insights
into materials that I always thougt to already fully understand.
Since there was a big community of International students at UF the International Office was very
big and always available to help us out. Furthermore there was a big student organisation called
the Navigators that team you up with an American student that becomes your buddy and shows
you around. This was a very nice way of getting to know a lot of other students.
Since I travelled the US after the end of the semester I just got back and I still have to take care
of the transfer of my credits to my home University.
Student life
The first week at UF there were a lot of things organised to introduce us to the university and the
city we were gonna live in for the coming semester. Both through the university and through the
Navigators. Through this I met a lot of people already during the first few days and it made me feel
very comfortable right from the start.
Accommodation:
I lived in Weaver Hall right in the center of the campus, next to all the sport facilities and next to
all the classrooms. There were busstops nearby to take you everywhere on campus. But definitely
the main advantage of living there was that it was the International Dorm and hence since
everybody there was open to meeting new people it was so easy to make friends. I can truely say
that living there made my experience at UF so much better. There was always someone around to
talk to or hang out with and I realize it sounds cheesy but at the end we were really one big family.
Leisure/culture:
During the free time we had I played a lot of sports since all facilities are free for students and
there is a lot organised to play sports. Furthermore we went on a lot of trips either in the
surroundings of Gainesville or in Florida.
Suggestions/tips:
If you are looking to meet as much people as possible definitely live in Weaver Hall. Furthermore
definitely join the Navigators and go away during the weekends as much as possible. There is a lot
to do near Gainesville or try to make a trip to New Orleans. Renting cars is not that expensive if
you share it with 4-5 people.
Conclusions
i would definitely recommend UF to any student. I can honestly say it was one of the best
semesters of my life and I will never forget the people I met there.
+31-(0)30-253 7000
faculty/college
GW
level
bachelor
master
PhD
International relations in historical perspective
Gainesville, FL, USA
other
purpose of exchange
study/courses
19 / 8 / 2014
17 / 1 / 2015
work placement
field work
other
preparation
Don’t be daunted by the application process. It definitely takes some work, but it’s worth it. Be sure to check well in
advance whether your bank is willing to provide proof of sufficient funds (ABN AMRO doesn’t, for ING go to a local
office instead of requesting it over the phone). For your immunization form – if you do not have a certificate stating
your immunizations – call RIVM; they will send it to you within a few days.
Excellent. Clear and helpful.
None.
None for me. Even if your English is (somewhat) shaky, you will get used to it and improve in no time.
finances
I worked a lot a year prior to leaving and even worked in the US for almost three months before flying in to
Gainesville. If you want to make the most of your time here, save up. Take the time to travel around as well; the
US has so much to offer!
I was very limited in the courses I could take. I had to take three (as a grad student) but there were only four I
could choose from. Take the time to review the courses UF has on offer. There may even be courses that might
not get you credits back home, but are still very interesting and/or a lot of fun.
Excellent. I only took PhD courses (there were no other suitable courses available) which meant I’d partake in
classes of about 5 people. This meant that you really had to prepare well. Furthermore, most of them were
advanced PhD students and already had some decent working experience, so I learned a lot from them too. But
don’t be intimidated by this. Participation is vital here, so don’t be too concerned with the quality of your
comments.
Also, I was kind of taken aback by the workload of the courses. It was really hard to keep up and I did not expect
page 1 of 3
this: doing a PhD in the US is definitely no walk in the park. But it was still very rewarding because I learned much
more here than in regular courses back home.
Finally, as an undergrad (grad students are also allowed to take undergrad courses, if you like) there are so many
cool courses you can choose. Things you would never be able to do in the Netherlands are possible here. Even if
you don’t get credits for it, you can still take an extra course if you like it (I’ve been told that you can even do a
skydiving course and get credits for it.). Have a look at the course website: registrar.ufl.edu/soc/.
Good. Lynn Straka from the IO at UF is very helpful, but very strict and she wants you to always play by the rules.
transfer of credits
Currently waiting for my grades to be transferred. This takes quite a while (first for the transcript to be sent to UU,
then for the examination committee to decide whether or not to register the grades).
student life
Almost non-existent. Just a plain lecture that hardly contains any useful information but makes the people from the
IO feel important. Fortunately you’re not really missing out on anything as there is more than enough to do in
Gainesville.
accommodation
I stayed at Oxford Manor apartments where I was lucky enough to find a sublease. Try to look well in advance for
housing and make sure you secure it. Many people get stuck leasing a place (here, you have to sign a lease for
an entire year) and they have trouble finding someone to sublease after they leave, especially for the summer
semester. Look at craigslist, UF housing or sign a semester-long lease (for this you need to move quick though. If
you’re very early, you avoid having to pay an additional 100$ a month).
Out of all the places to stay, I think Oxford Manor is one of the best. The Courtyards is popular too, but I’ve heard
many bad stories. Keep your options open and start on time so you can find an affordable place that offers good
value-for-money.
leisure/culture
The city of Gainesville revolves around UF. Gainesville itself is pretty boring, but UF has a lot to offer. Nightlife is
vibrant here, there are good deals every day of the week:
Margarita Mondays at 101 Cantina - Free Margaritas from 10-11pm
Tuesday @ Balls - 2$ everything and Billy Bobs from 7-9pm free beer with the purchase of a sandwich
Grog Wednesdays @ many internationals go here. Not the classiest of places but still fun.
Atlantic Thursdays - Downtown
Fridays @ Midtown - BAR hopping
Saturdays @ Downtown
And last of all SUNDAY FUNDAY @ 101 Cantina, shots on the hour
Other than the Navigators, there’s an organisation called TriP that organizes really cool student-led outdoor miniadventures (like hiking, rock climbing, rafting). Get to know Americans, they will take you to local events and
parties, which is probably the best way to experience the culture here. Keep an eye out for cool events that are
close by (I went to a few dance festivals myself). There is a lot of stuff happening here and you’d better capitalize
on it while you’re here!
suggestions/tips
Try to get your application paperwork done as soon as possible. Save up a lot of money. Inquire and think about
the courses you want to take well ahead of time (http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/soc/). Try to arrange your
page 2 of 3
accommodation well before (I know someone staying in a hotel at the moment, unable to find something). Make
sure you get the necessary coursework done but above all, enjoy. The USA, Florida, and UF all have so much to
offer. Five months have flown by for me and was really not enough to do all the things I wanted to do. Stay at least
a few weeks after the semester ends so you can see more of Florida/the States. Some people go road tripping
(awesome!), I myself went to Miami and New Orleans. Again: make the most of your time here, and enjoy!
conclusions
Yes. UF is renowned among US public universities (although undergrad courses tend to be really easy for Dutch
people) and I have certainly been challenged in my courses. It is one of the biggest schools in the USA and has
an incredible variety of things to offer. It is definitely big on partying but if you don’t like that, you can easily avoid
it. For your typical American college experience (one of the reasons I chose UF) it is undoubtedly a good pick.
Whether or not you’re interested in the States, I leave to you, but if you do, I think UF is one of the better picks
among UU partner universities.
Prepare well and thoroughly before you get here. Once you get here, let things unfold and enjoy the ride 
Contact details:


T: +31-(0)30-253 7000


page 3 of 3
Faculty/college:
Social Sciences
Level:
X bachelor
Psychology
Gainesville, United States of America
and/or
Purpose of exchange
X study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
19-08-2014
15-01-2015
master
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
The application process is not that hard but it is very time consuming. Start with the paperwork
ahead in time. First you have to make a motivation letter, financial plan, course list for the
University Utrecht and after you get approved, you have to fill in health insurance forms and other
things for the University of Florida.
Both Ingrid Dijkstra from UU and Abby Nelson from UF were very helpful. They always responded
quickly to emails and offered help where needed. I thought the pre-departure meeting at UU was
very useful. In this meeting, we spoke with two girls who also went to UF and they gave us a lot of
tips regarding the visa process.
I had no academic preparation. The courses in the US are not that hard. The only thing that was
hard was the fact that the school system is a lot like high school in the Netherlands. Classes are 50
minutes, you have to do homework and you have a lot of tests. I really had to get used to that.
Some schools in the US require a test that proof your English is sufficient. UF doesn’t require such a
test for Dutch students. Therefore, I had no language preparation.
Finances:
I saved a lot of money before I went to Florida. You don’t have to spend it all, but you don’t want to
sit around and see others do fun stuff because you don’t have enough money. I had approximately
€9500 before I went and €3500 when I came back. Tip: make sure you get OV-compensation and
your monthly allowances from the government.
The first week of school is Drop/Add week. In this week, you can go to all the classes you are
interested in and switch classes if you want other courses then you subscribed for. This is really
great, because this way, you know more about the content of the course, the teacher, etc. I
changed 3 out of my 4 courses in that week. I signed up for 15 credits. You can also take courses
online.
As I said before, the courses were not very hard. I do recommend that you go to the classes,
before in some courses you even get points for going. The courses are a lot more intensive than
here in the Netherlands. You have to do homework and have tests every two weeks.
The support at UF was fine. I didn’t really had any problems so I didn’t get in contact with them
that often.
The transfer of credits was really straightforward. UF send the credits to the International Office in
Utrecht, I had to pick them up there and bring them to STIP.
Student life
UF organized a mandatory orientation day. They told us about some of the laws Florida has, such
as the open container law, which holds that you’re not allowed to carry or consume alcohol on the
street. In this meeting I met all the other Dutch students at UF.
Accommodation:
I lived at the Courtyards. The location was perfect, you only had to cross the street and you were
on campus. It’s a good option if you don’t want to live in a dorm, but also don’t want to pay a
fortune on housing. Don’t expect anything luxury however, it is all really basic and sober.
Leisure/culture:
I went out of town almost every weekend. We made several trips to Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville,
Ginnie Springs, St. Augustine and other beautiful places. Florida has a lot to offer. Even a trip to the
Walmart is a fun experience. You see that a lot of the stereotypes you hold over Americans are
true.
Suggestions/tips:
If you go in Fall, get a season ticket for the football games. Even if you don’t like sports at all,
game days are the best! The atmosphere in the stadium is amazing.
Conclusions
Absolutely! There are so many great clubs at the University of Florida. I was a member of the
Dancin’ Gators and NaviGators International. These places were where I met all my friends. You
have to be proactive when you go abroad. You can’t sit around and wait for fun things to happen.
You have to go out there and make them happen yourself. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, so
you should do everything you want to do. If you live by this motto, I guarantee you will have the
best time of your life. Finally, the weather is AMAZING (summer all year long)!
Become a member of NaviGators International. This is a great student organization where you meet
all the other international students and American students who will show you around. They
organize a lot of trips which were great!
+31-(0)30-253 7000
faculty/college
Humanities
level
Bachelor
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Gainesville (Florida), USA
purpose of exchange
Study/Courses
21 / 08 / 2014
19 / 01 / 2015
preparation
The application procress took quite some time. You first have to get all the documents for the application process,
and after your acceptance you have to do a lot of paperwork for the host university as well. The University of Florida
asks for all kind of documents: Immunization Form, Insurance, Certificate of Financial Responsibility, Transcript of
Records, etc. It takes time to get this all done.
The support from Utrecht University was good. Ingrid responded quickly to emails and the information was
accurate and up-to-date.
I did not do any specific academic preperation, except for looking for the kind of courses the university offered.
None
finances
I saved money and got the rest from DUO. Transferring money to the USA is not very easy (and expensive) and
getting cash costs money as well. Taxes are not included in the prices that are shown, and you have to tip in a lot
of occasions, so a lot of times you pay more than you expect at forehand.
I had courses that where different from my major. You can suscribe for courses before your departure, but UF has
a drop/add week in the first week. In this week, you can go to classes to see if you want the course. During the
week you can drop and add courses, so you can change your study programme if needed.
The level of the courses was a little lower than at UU, but the courses take more time. Teachers give a lot of
quizes and weekly assignments, apart from the midterm and final exams.
The exchange department was well organized. They sent all exchange information in time and responded quickly
to emails. The department was easy to find on campus, and you could walk in with questions at all times.
page 1 of 2
transfer of credits
Still to be done.
student life
The welcoming programme took about an hour and consisted of some informative speeches, so don’t expect too
much of it. Apart from that, there is also a student exchange organization, the Navigators. You’ll be coupled to an
American student, and they organize all kinds of exchange student activities. They send out an email before the
semester so you can sign up for them.
accommodation
I lived in a single room in a dorm off-campus, called Windsor Hall. The room was quite expensive, but the facilities
were good. Even though I subleased, I had to sign for a year. I would not recommand this, because it is not that
easy to find a new person to take over your lease. Overall, it was a good place to stay, but I can recommend a
dorm/apartment with roommates to get more social interaction in your house.
leisure/culture
Most Americans are very friendly, helpful and welcoming. It is easy to have a quick chat with somebody, but it is
much harder to really get to know them. A conversation will always start with ‘Hey, how are you’, even if you don’t
know the person you’re talking to. This is only one of the little differences between our cultures. Though the USA
is also a western culture, they have a lot of habits that are just a little different from the Dutch habits.
suggestions/tips
Buy a bike/scooter, because the distances are quite large.
Also make sure that when you ask questions very precisely, because Americans won’t always answer more than
just the one thing you asked and that can give some unexpected situations.
Tips are given in more occasions than in the Netherlands (hairdresser, taxi, etc.)
conclusions
I had a good time in Florida. Gainesville itself was not the most interesting city, but there are enough opportunities
to go out and go on trips. The overall experience of going abroad was great. The academic level is not too high,
but that gives you time to explore the state and have time for fun.
-
Contact details:


T: +31-(0)30-253 7000


page 2 of 2
Faculty/college:
Social Sciences
Level:
X bachelor
Psychology
Florida, USA
and/or
Purpose of exchange
X study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
19-08-2014
15-01-2015
master
work placement
PhD
field work
other
other
Preparation
It’s a lot of work, but you will get through it. I had a lot of help from someone I knew who was also
going to UF. Make a list of everything you have to do and stick that to your wall. That’s the best way
to make sure you don’t miss a deadline. Every time you finish doing something, check it off on your
list. This is how I got through this fase, and I would highly recommend others to do it like this as
well.
Whenever I had a question, I sent an e-mail to the region office. I got a response very quick after I
e-mailed my question, so don’t worry about that! There is always someone ready to help.
There is not much to prepare for. The courses I took were very easy (which is why I only got 6
credits per course). Americans thought there courses were very hard, but all the Dutch people I
knew agreed with me that the courses were really easy. At first it will be a bit hard to focus during
a lecture and you will probably thinking that they are talking to fast, but the professors are very
understanding to exchange students, and very willing to help you if you missed out on something.
If you are good at English, I wouldn’t prepare at all. This will only take time you don’t have, and the
real life will be different than you expect. I didn’t do anything at all to master the English
language.. But maybe because I’m pretty good at it. The first couple of days you are in the USA,
you’ll find it hard to speak English. At first I was struggling to switch from Dutch to English and
back (there were a lot of Dutch people at UF) and sometimes I accidently used a Dutch word. After
a while, I got used to it and it became normal.
Finances:
I saved a lot of money (and didn’t bring back much) before going to UF. The financial plan you have
to make for UU isn’t a very good guideline for what you are going to spend. Don’t forget the
exchange rates in America are different, which means everything you buy is ‘cheaper’. For me, this
meant that I spent a lot more money than expected. Almost every week I went on a trip, which
aren’t for free either. When I look at the financial plan I created back then, I notice that I thought I
would bring back a lot more money. This is just because I didn’t realize how many trips I was going
to go on.
I tried to apply for volunteering for the local animal shelter, but this was quite a problem. It took
me a lot of paperwork to get it done, and still haven’t spent one day at the animal shelter. I
wouldn’t recommend working during you study abroad. I wanted to start a bootcamp for students,
which was also denied. None of my Dutch friends at UF were working (because of the simple fact
that we weren’t allowed to).
If this wasn’t the question (which I find pretty unclear), here is an alternative. The courses at UF
are pretty time consuming. Not because of the time it will take you to study (which was minimal for
me), but because you have 2 to 4 classes a week for every course. For me, it was like going back
to high school. At UU, I don’t attend the lectures that much, so I really had to get used to that. I
had classes 4 days a week.
In my opinion, the academic quality is pretty low. I still remember everything they said during class
(in contrary to UU), but don’t expect to become a genius. I thought the courses were very
interesting, but they are very easy. I forgot about my test once, and started studying the day
before (I wouldn’t recommend that) and still managed to get a B. The professors are willing to help
you with everything you don’t understand. Most of the questions I asked them were about some
words I didn’t know or names I couldn’t understand.
There is a very lovely lady at the international office on campus (Evelyn Straka). She will help you
with everything you need. If you have problems of any kind, she will know where to take you to.
There is also a medical centre on campus (which doesn’t cost you anything) and there are
psychologists as well. Furthermore, if something gets stolen (like my bike) there is a police station
on campus as well. You will find everything you need!
Your credits will be uploaded on ISIS (unfortunate name for a school website). UF will also send
your grades to UU. Afterwards, you have to pick them up at UU and bring them to STIP. There they
will upload your (Dutch) grades into Osiris. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get 7.5 ECT’s. Only 1
(out of 5) students from UU got 7.5 ECT’s. Prepare yourself to take an extra course at UU. I didn’t
knew that before I went to America, so make sure this won’t be a surprise for you.
Student life
The first week after your arrival is scary, but important to pay attention. During this week, they will
tell you everything you need to know. You’ll hear which people to go to when you have problem of
any kind and you will receive a map of the campus. They told us who we had to go to when we had
issues with our study, if we had mental issues (they even warned us about homesickness and
culture shock!) and all kinds of other things.
Accommodation:
Try to find something cheap! But I wouldn’t recommend to live at the Courtyards. I have lived there
for a while, which was fine, but not something I would choose again. The location was perfect, right
next to… well… anything. But everything in the apartment was broken, we had to call maintenance
every week, we had cockroaches, and I wasn’t able to sign a 4 month lease. I had to sign a 1 year
lease and find people to sublease. This will give you a lot of stress, and the Courtyards will find
every opportunity to get money from you.
Leisure/culture:
There is a lot to do. I have travelled the entire state during my stay. Americans don’t think driving
for 6 hours is long, so you will have a lot of opportunities to travel. There is a lot to do on campus
as well. You can go to the gym for free, you can go kayaking or paddle boarding at lake Wauburg,
there is a mall nearby, there are many fun places to go out for dinner and more!
Suggestions/tips:
Join the Navigators! This will guarantee you of finding friends. You will also go on many trips with
the Navigators. It’s a very fun program. Everybody knows everybody and you will find yourself
invited to many parties and activities.
Conclusions
I would really recommend others to go to UF! I’ve had the time of my life there. The people were
really nice, the University helps you out when you are unsure about something, there are a lot of
activities on and around campus and housing is great! You’ll never get bored if you go to UF!
Don’t be too nervous. I was really nervous at first, but that disappeared completely after the first
couple of days. You’ll find plenty of friends, you’ll find out where to go and you’ll have a great time!
+31-(0)30-253 7000
Faculty/college:
Level:
Sociale Wetenschappen
bachelor
Psychologie
and/or
Purpose of exchange
study/courses
Departure date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
20-08-2014
18-01-2015
Preparation
The application process takes a while, so don’t start too late. It’s nice to have things arranged a
good time before the deadline, because if something is not perfectly in order you still have some
spare time to fix things. Especially health insurance takes some while to find a good one that’s not
way to expensive (I got mine at HCC Medical Insurance Services). Furthermore, the UF’s website
explains everything that needs to be done.
Whenever I had a question the UU and UF were willing to help and responded quickly.
I didn’t need academic preparation.
No language preparation was needed.
Finances:
Be sure to safe some money before you go to Florida. You’ll need something like $1000 dollars a
month to be able to do all the fun stuff and trips with other students. I noticed that housing and
food is relatively expensive.
You can select courses via their course catalog. It takes some time to figure out how it works.
Be sure to choose the right level since some courses are definitely beginner level, which is way too
easy. I didn’t think the more advanced courses were too difficult though compared to the UU. So I
suggest to take advanced courses. So these courses were less difficult than UU courses, but there
are more deadlines. So for example you have to submit papers more often, but they’re easier.
During the drop/add week I found out that for psychology international students have extra
privileges. Because it doesn’t matter whether a class is full, since you’re international they’re willing
to register you for the class you want anyway. I went to their office in the psychology building
several times to arrange the courses I wanted to do and there were no further complications.
My courses didn’t get the full 7.5 credits, but 6 credits per course. This differs per department
however, so check this before you decide to sign up for certain classes or the amount of classes.
Also the grades are lower at the UU compared to UF. So for example a B at UF was transferred to a
6.5 at UU.
Student life
There was one meeting. This was mainly an opportunity to see the other international students.
Accommodation:
I lived at University House, which was slightly more expensive than Weaver Hall (the international
dorm), but way more luxury. I had my own room, bathroom and walk-in closet. You should apply
soon however, that way you can choose whether you’d like 1, 2 or 3 roommates. Also UH is fairly
close to campus. I would advise a bike however, especially at night. I usually had someone bike
home with me, which was okay since it’s close to campus. Most apartment complexes have a free
pool and gym. I suggest finding an apartment complex close to campus, or a place between
campus (where midtown also is) and downtown. It’s difficult to sublease your apartment when you
leave so try to find someone asap. A contract for half a year is even better, since it’s quite some
work to find someone.
Leisure/culture:
Go on as many road trips as you can. Go see all the special places in Florida. Also New Orleans and
Memphis aren’t too far away.
Suggestions/tips:
Definitely join the Navigators. They organize lots of trips and you get to know a lot of students. Also
they match you with a buddy, which can be a lot of fun. Also visit lake Wauburg where you can do
all sorts of water sports for free if you show your student ID. Of course football and basketball are
must-sees. Definitely go to Orlando (Universals or Disneyworld) and Miami. Especially when you’re
over 21 go out in Miami, it’s worth a visit. Also take a look at Outdoor Adventure Recreation
(http://www.ufadventure.com), a student society, which organizes very cheap trips into nature.
The organization is kind of chaotic, but they travel to the most beautiful places. Lastly go on a
cruise to the Bahamas! They aren’t too expensive.
Conclusions
I would definitely recommend this place to other students. UF is the best University of Florida and
they really appreciate international students. It’s the best place to discover the American culture,
(which differs in small ways you don’t expect), see the nature but also the city life. Gainesville is a
really student-focused town so you’ll feel at home. And lastly, the weather is of course great!
If you’re doubting whether to go abroad (or to Florida) or not, do it! It’ll be the best time of your
life!!!
+31-(0)30-253 7000
faculty/college
Geesteswetenschappen
level
bachelor
x master
Taal, mens en maatschappij
USA
PhD
other
field work
other
purpose of exchange
xstudy/courses
30 /12 / 2013
11 / 06 / 2014
x work placement
preparation
Application process was very time-consuming. I advise future exchange students to start with the preparations at
least 4 months in advance.
It was okay but could be organized earlier in the process
At the UF I taught Dutch language and culture as a teaching assistant. I think it’s important for a TA to have some
teaching experience and take courses like Second Language Acquisition or Dutch as a second/foreign language.
It can be helpful to prepare the lessons for the first week because there ‘s a lot to do and organize once you’re
there.
English language proficiency is important, obviously.
finances
Expensive: tickets, health insurance, visa, healthy food, travelling around, housing
Many “unexpected” expenses.
Registration went smoothly. Advice: arrive a few days in advance, before the start of the semester, when it is not
yet busy in the international office and register office.
As a TA I could work independantly. Facilities were very good: I shared an office with my supervisor but she was
mostly absent. I had my own PC and could freely use the printer, scanner, etc. Other staff of the Center for
European Studies were very helpful.
I took three extra courses, everything went well and was well organized.
I found two courses of high quality and one of mediocre quality
Good
transfer of credits
Good
page 1 of 2
student life
I visited one welcome (mandatory) meeting, it was okay
accommodation
I rented an apartment. It’s quite difficult to find a furnished apartment for only one semester
leisure/culture
Without a car it’s not easy to move around and visit places
suggestions/tips
I bought an old car and sold it for almost the same price.
conclusions
Yes. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know academic life in the US. The university offers interesting courses
and has excellent facilities. Working as a TA is great, the students are motivated and eager to learn, and you learn
al lot yourself! The campus is nice. Gainesville is not so exciting as a city, but Florida is beautiful, the weather is
lovely.
Try to extend your stay with a month or so, and travel around.
Contact details:

Postal address: P.O. Box 80125, NL-3508 TC Utrecht

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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000

F: +31-(0)30-253 2627
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page 2 of 2
faculty/college
Bèta
level
bachelor
master
Computer Science
Gainesville, Florida, United States
PhD
other
field work
other
purpose of exchange
study/courses
01 /01 /2014
02/ 06 / 2014
work placement
preparation
The application process is pretty straightforward. It might be quite some paperwork, but it is not too overwhelming.
You’re supposed to use UF’s (University of Florida) website for the process, which makes everything a lot easier.
Just make sure you start as soon as you can and you should be just fine!
Both UU and UF we’re very helpful and answered my emails within a short period of time. I personally didn’t need
much help, but whenever I did, they were always happy to help me out.
I didn’t need any academic preparation.
Seeing how I am a Dutch student, no language preparation was needed.
Finances
You’ll need about $1000 per month abroad to survive, but make sure that you bring as much as you can, so that
you won’t have to miss out on any trips!
I really liked the way UF is organised. Choosing courses was really easy with UF’s ISIS system. You can easily
navigate through their course catalog and see which course fit your schedule! Make sure that you have selected
your courses before the end of the drop/add week though!
The American courses were on average of a lower level than Dutch courses. The courses aren’t necessarily hard,
but they are a lot of work. I had to write a lot of papers and read a lot more articles than I was used to! The
classes were a lot more interactive, which makes it (even) more important to come to class well prepared.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of people I could contact for various problems that I might encounter during my
stay. If you ever need anything, UF will have an institution ready for you to help you out.
transfer of credits
As of now, I don’t have any experience with this.
page 1 of 2
student life
I missed the (mandatory) welcome/orientation programme. From what I’ve heard, it mostly tells you who to call
when you run in to certain problems. There was also an introduction with the Navigators, the international student
group. This was a lot of fun and a great way meet both American and fellow international students. During the
introduction they’ll present the semester’s activities and you’ll get matched with an American student, your
Navigator.
Accommodation
I stayed at the Courtyards, which was a great place to stay. It was on the edge of campus (which meant that I
could walk to class in ca. 8 min!), it was close to both downtown and midtown and it was relatively cheap. It might
not have been the most luxurious place, but it was a great place to call home for a semester!
leisure/culture
Gainesville, Florida is a pretty rural city, but it’s a magical place for students, especially for international students!
There is always some party going on, some trip being planned and it is simply filled with great and open people.
There is so much to do and to explore, you’ll never have an empty schedule. From road trips to watching live
sports games, you can do it al.
suggestions/tips
Join the Navigators, make sure you go with a big group of international and American students for spring break,
explore Florida’s other cities and territories, go and see the sport team (The Gators) play, travel as much as you
can and make sure you know how to cook healthy food before you leave home
Conclusions
Yes, yes, yes! UF and Gainesville are magical places, no amount of words could do them justices. I’m glad I got to
go there and I wouldn’t have chosen any other place to study abroad if I had to choose again!
GO GATORS!!!
Contact details:
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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000
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F: +31-(0)30-253 2627
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faculty/college
level
bachelor
master
MA Interculturele Communicatie
PhD
other
field work
other
purpose of exchange
study/courses
10 / 08 / 2013
06 / 01 / 2014
work placement
preparation
Via mevrouw Besamusca kreeg ik een e-mail met de vraag of ik interesse had in een TA-ship in Florida. Volgens
mij krijgen alle studenten Nederlands deze e-mail. Ik heb haar teruggemaild dat ik dat wel graag wilde doen.
Daarbij moest ik mijn cv opsturen en een motivatiebrief. Ik werd uitgenodigd op gesprek en kreeg na een tijdje te
horen dat ik de gelukkige was die naar Florida af mocht reizen om daar Nederlands te geven aan Amerikaanse
studenten. Ik vond dat ik heel veel formulieren in moest vullen. Zo moet je verzekering erg goed zijn en moet je tal
van formulieren invullen. Daarnaast heb je ook een visum nodig voor Amerika, dus een bezoekje aan het
Amerikaanse consulaat in Amsterdam staat ook op het programma. Daarnaast dien je je aan te melden voor een
aantal vakken, huisvesting te regelen etc. Het was veel werk, maar het is het zeker waard geweest.
Bij mevrouw Dijkstra kun je altijd terecht met vragen. Zij regelt een pre-departure meeting en als je overige vragen
hebt kun je altijd bij haar terecht. Daarnaast had ik natuurlijk mevrouw Besamusca om op terug te vallen. Ik heb
zelf niet heel veel vragen gehad, maar mocht je die hebben dan weet ik zeker dat je prima bij hun terecht kunt.
Ik heb me niet echt voorbereid voordat ik naar Gainesville ging.
Ik heb geen taalvoorbereiding gedaan, aangezien de voertaal Engels is. Ik heb daarnaast wel wat
voorbereidingen gedaan op het gebied van het onderwijzen van Nederlands als vreemde taal aangezien ik dat
moest gaan overbrengen op de studenten.
finances
Een voorwaarde om Amerika überhaupt binnen te kunnen komen is dat je je financiën goed op orde hebt. Je dient
daar ook een overzicht van te sturen naar de Universiteit van Florida, ondertekend door de manager van je bank.
Hoewel veel dingen (elektronica etc.) goedkoper zijn dan in Nederland, is het aan te raden flink te sparen voordat
je afreist naar het land van de onbegrensde mogelijkheden. Groente en fruit is erg duur en het is daar meer dan
normaal om dagelijks eten af te halen. Zelf koken is vaak duurder dan ‘uit eten’ (fastfood) gaan. Daarnaast is
Florida een prachtige staat en zijn er genoeg activiteiten om jezelf in je vrije tijd bezig te houden. De bahama’s, de
Keys, Orlando, Disneyland etc. genoeg om je geld aan op te maken!
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Mijn plan was om een aantal vakken te volgen (9 Amerikaanse ECT’s aan mastervakken) en daarnaast elke dag
Nederlandse les te geven. Je moet verplicht voor 9 voor MA en 12 voor BA ect’s ingeschreven staan om je visum
te kunnen behouden. Ik heb een aantal vakken gevolgd daar en dit is zeker aan te raden. Er wordt daar op een
hele andere manier onderwezen dan wij op de Nederlandse universiteiten gewend zijn. Het is een interessante
ervaring om dit met eigen ogen te kunnen zien.
Ik vond de vakken die ik daar gevolgd heb qua niveau minder moelijk ten opzichte van de vakken die ik aan de
UU gevolgd heb. Dit kan hebben gelegen aan de keuze van de vakken. Maar het kan ook liggen aan de A-cultuur
die er wel heerst in Amerika. Als je geen A hebt dan probeert je met extra opdrachten toch wel tot een A te
komen.
Prima volgens mij
transfer of credits
De universiteit van florida stuurt je cijfers op naar de UU, dit kan even duren! Daarna kun je zelf aanvragen of ze
opgenomen kunnen worden in jouw programma.
student life
Er was een openingswoordje door het International office daar. Je wordt goed wegwijs gemaakt en Amerikanen
zijn erg behulpzaam en gastvrij.
accommodation
Ikzelf heb in Lexington Crossing gewoond. Iets buiten campus maar een prima busverbinding naar de Unie.
Amerikaanse standaarden voor wonen zijn iets anders dan ik gewend ben in Utrecht, je zult daar geen
studentenkamertje van 8 m2 zien. Ruim opgezette appartementencomplexen met vaak een zwembad, gym, en
allerlei activiteiten. Ik had mijn eigen badkamer (met ligbad) en deelde mijn appartement met twee Amerikaanse
zusjes. We hadden een riante woonkamer + keuken en ik heb daar een prima tijd gehad.
leisure/culture
In je vrije tijd is er echt vanalles te doen. Amerika staat natuurlijk bekend om zijn fastfood en overgewicht. Hier is
echter op de universiteit weinig van te zien. Studenten sporten vaak 7 keer per week, sportschool is gratis en 24/7
open. Er zijn veel excursies die je kunt maken. Ga naar de Bahama’s (vanaf Miami met een cruiseschip), zwem
met manatees (zeekoeien), ga naar Harry Potter world in Disney Orlando etc. etc.
suggestions/tips
Neem flink wat geld mee en onderneem zoveel mogelijk activiteiten. Regel het papierwerk op tijd. Ga bij de
Navigators, dat is een studentenvereniging die allerlei activiteiten organiseert voor Internationale studenten. Je
wordt gekoppeld aan een (vaak) Amerikaanse buddy die je overal mee naartoe neemt en waar je terecht kunt met
al je vragen!
conclusions
Ja, het was een enorm interessante en leerzame ervaring die ik iedereen aan zou willen raden.
nee
Contact details:
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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000
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F: +31-(0)30-253 2627
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faculty/college
Humanities
level
bachelor
master
PhD
other
work placement
field work
other
Liberal Arts & Sciences
purpose of exchange
study/courses
14 / 08 / 2013
20 / 12 / 2013
preparation
The application process takes some time and effort. There are a lot of things to sort out. My advice is to start in time
to get everything in order.
Support from UU was good. At various times I had questions and Ingrid helped me with them.
There was no academic preparation. The courses I followed did not have any requirements.
I did not do any language preparation, I was sure my English was sufficient enough to follow courses in English.
finances
Make sure you have enough money before you leave, America is more expensive than you might expect. Make
sure you get OV-compensation and your monthly allowances from the government.
It took me some time to organize my study programme for UF because the courses would change in the months
leading up to the semester. Make sure to start in time with your study programme. However in the first week of
class you are allowed to drop and add new courses. So if you were unable to register for a particular class wait till
drop and add week and you usually can register then.
The courses I followed at UF were of lower quality. However they do ask more participation in class as you get
points for talking in class. I also had to do more presentations in class.
The support from UF was amazing. They made an effort to get to know you personally and they were always there
if you had any problems or questions.
transfer of credits
It definitely took some time for the official transcript to be send to my home university. Expect to wait for at least a
month and a half. After that the transfer of credits was quick and easy.
student life
page 1 of 2
There is one mandatory meeting with information about your visa and stuff, it is quite boring but it is valuable
information. It was mainly a good way of meeting the other international students.
Accommodation
You can live off campus and on campus. I lived on campus and it was the best decision I could have made.
Weaver Hall, the international hall, is a lot of fun and an extremely easy way to meet new people. It has one of the
best locations, everything (classes, dining hall, stadium, bars and clubs) is just a walk away. And living in a dorm
makes you experience the real American college life.
leisure/culture
During weekends it is really easy to make trips to other places in Florida, for instance Miami, Orlando and many
different beach towns. While America is a Western country, the culture is quite different and you will find out that
most of the stereotypes are actually true!
suggestions/tips
Join the Navigators, an organization for international students and American students. They take you to several
places in Florida and organize events. It is a great opportunity to meet new people. Midtown with its bars and
clubs is a right across from campus and is also a great place to meet new (international) people.
conclusions
Yes, the University of Florida is not only one of the better universities in America it is also seen as one of the most
fun universities. Not so long ago they were voted number one party university in America. The fall semester with
the football games is one of the best American college experiences I had. To conclude, UF is one of the best
universities to experience the real American college life.
It’s great to be a Florida Gator!!
Contact details:
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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000
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F: +31-(0)30-253 2627
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faculty/college
level
X
Communicatie- en Informatiewetenschappen
Gainesville, Florida, USA
bachelor
master
PhD
other
purpose of exchange
X
study/courses
13 /8 / 2013
14 / 12 / 2013
work placement
field work
other
preparation
De applicatie was een heel gedoe. Veel geregel, maar uiteindelijk het helemaal waard! Het grootste probleem voor
mij was de zorgverzekering. Geen enkel zorgverzekering in Nederland wil het formulier ondertekenen dat UF
vereist. De enige optie is om een extra verzekering aan te sluiten.
Daarnaast heb ik eenmaal in Florida geen enkel vak gevolgd die ik in eerste instantie wilde volgen. Ik vond dit niet
heel erg aangezien het bij mij niet in eerste instantie om het studeren ging in Flordia.
Prima. Ik had weinig vragen en de vragen die ik had zijn goed beantwoord.
Over het algemeen zijn de vakken aan de UF niet heel lastig. Ik heb de vakken dan ook vrij makkelijk gehaald. Het
enige vak waar ik moeite mee heb gehad was speechwriting. Dit omdat je een zeer hoog niveau van Engels nodig
hebt wanneer je een degelijke speech wil schrijven. Het vak is prima te doen, je moet er alleen wat meer moeite in
steken en eventueel je Engelse/Amerikaanse vrienden vragen of zij even je speech willen nakijken.
Is niet nodig. Het algemene Engelse niveau van de Nederlandse student is zeer hoog vergeleken met andere
internationale studenten.
finances
Op exchange gaan in Amerika is erg duur. Ik heb het zonder beurs gedaan en heb van mijn ouders geleend. Je
geeft waarschijnlijk het meeste geld uit aan de tripjes die je gaat doen. Ondanks dat deze tripjes duur zijn, moet je
ze zeker doen! Ik heb nooit nee gezegd en van geen enkel moment spijt gehad.
Je krijgt heel veel toetsen over niet veel stof aan de UF. Dit maakt het makkelijker. Ook zijn er overal en altijd
extra credits te sprokkelen.
Vergeleken met het Nederlandse niveau is het heel makkelijk om een voldoende te krijgen. Ze verwachten wel dat
je goed participeert en de opdrachten doet etc. maar dit is meestal niet veel werk en heb je zo gedaan.
page 1 of 2
Je wordt extreem goed geholpen aan de UF. De organisatie daar is fantastisch!
transfer of credits
Aan de UF moet je 12 credits halen. Voor één vak krijg je 3 credits. In Nederland heb ik per vak 7.5 ects
gekregen. Dus 3 credits staat ongeveer voor 7.5 ects.
student life
De Navigators is een programma aan de UF waar je wordt gekoppeld aan een Navigator. Een soort buddy.
Helaas zijn niet alle Navigators even goed. Ik heb mijn buddy niet ontmoet. Zij was altijd te druk of niet aanwezig
op de Navigator evenementen. Dit vond ik wel jammer, maar ik denk niet dat ik heel veel heb gemist. Je kan
namelijk ook gewoon zelf met je internationale vrienden naar de Navigator evenementen en die zijn super leuk!
accommodation
Ik heb op de campus geslapen. We zaten met alle internationale in één gebouw: Weaver Hall. Dit vond ik
fantastisch! Alles is geregeld en het is super gezellig om met alle internationale daar te verblijven. Wel word je
daar behandeld alsof je niet voor je zelf kan zorgen. In principe niet zo erg, maar dit kan voor irritaties zorgen.
Daarnaast was mijn roommate niet leuk. Ik heb prima met haar kunnen leven, maar dat was meer omdat ik nooit
in mijn kamer was. Daar had ik namelijk toch geen tijd voor.
leisure/culture
Het American-football seizoen is super leuk! Dit is in de herfst! Wanneer de Gators spelen veranderd de campus
in een grote party-stad. Als er geen game-day is, is het niet super leuk om op de campus te blijven in de
weekenden. Er gebeurt vrij weinig in het weekend en veel studenten zijn weg. Plan dus zo veel mogelijk tripjes! Er
is genoeg te zien in Florida!
suggestions/tips
Geniet! Voor je het weet is het over en heb je het leukste half jaar van je leven gehad!
conclusions
Ja, zeker! Goed geregeld, lekker weer, leuke studenten, leerzame lessen etc. etc.
In Gainesville mag je trouwens ook uit als je nog geen 21 bent!
Contact details:
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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000
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F: +31-(0)30-253 2627
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faculty/college
betawetenschappen
bachelor
level
master
PhD
other
field work
other
Biology
Gainesville, Florida, United states
study/courses
purpose of exchange
02 / 01 / 2014
28 / 05 / 2014
work placement
preparation
For the placement process I figured out what kind of courses I wanted to follow in my exchange program. I selected
universities based on this choice, and explained this in my motivation letter. My financial plan, resume, and
approval from my study advisor didn’t cause any problems. Utrecht approved my application and after a while
Florida as well. Through the university of Florida I needed to arrange a lot of extra paperwork: immunization form,
prove of insurance, choice of courses, visa application, statement of financial responsibility, passport copy etc.
especially the insurance form took me a while to arrange, but Lipmann and Meeuws (the one UU recommended)
was able to sign this right away.
My study advisor was always very helpful in answering question or at least trying to find an answer. Ingrid Dijkstra
was also available if I had any questions. Responses where always quick and helpful.
I didn’t do anything special to prepare myself for the courses I enlisted for.
My English was sufficient enough to participate in this program
finances
I had enough saved money to pay partly for my trip. I ended up borrowing some extra money from DUO. Ps: make
sure you have a credit card
The first week we had the chance to try courses and add/ drop them if we wanted. The study advisor from Florida
requested a meeting and advised me to take less credits. I ended up taking 13 credits, with courses in
Anthropology and Biology. Applying was really easy when I was there and my on-line account worked. My courses
were not that spread out over campus, which isn’t a good idea if you are planning that, since campus is huge.
Every course worked with Sakai, an online system which is pretty easy to use, and if you have trouble there are
multiple desks you can go to for help. All contents of the courses where posted in a syllabus online. It differed per
course how organized a course was, overall quality was alright.
Quality of courses was lower for some courses, I definitely recommend not taking any courses of the second year
page 1 of 3
(2000 courses). 3000 courses (third year) had a much better quality, hours where less than the amount of hours I
have for biology in Utrecht, but the time you spent studying after was a significant amount. I loved the cultural
anthropology courses and the fact that all my professors where passionate for the subjects they thought
They require a meeting the first week you get there. People (study advisors, but also assistants) were always very
helpful and willing to think with you for solutions if you had problems, second thoughts etc. There is also a special
place to go if you have problems with culture shock or home sickness. Altough I didn’t use it the fact that it was
there made me feel very welcome.
transfer of credits
UF mailed my transcript to UU, I picked it up and dropped it at studiepunt. I need to hand in proof of how much
credits people ‘normally’ earn in half a year and they make a conversion. That hasn’t been done yet, so
unfortunately I can’t elaborate on that matter.
student life
Orientation programme was a lot of useful information about UF, things to do on campus, organizational stuff etc.
For the introduction of navigators was a lot more focused on the student life at UF. I met a lot of new internationals
and Americans at that meeting, with whom I spent a lot of time during my exchange.
accommodation
My apartment, the courtyards, was located at a 3 minute walk from the campus, close to midtown and downtown.
A lot of busses running in the area. Ideal location. It isn’t the prettiest building for student housing. The facilities
are ok, it is a very noisy place, and the beds are awful. I would recommend it because you meet a lot of people
there and it is a fun place, but as I said before there are way more luxurious places
leisure/culture
Gainesville on itself isn’t a big city, but the studentlife is amazing. There is so much to do every day, night and
weekend. Free movie nights, cheap trips with TRiP, a lot of bars, sport games, and possibilities to sport yourself.
In the area you have Orlando (Disney, /Universal), beaches, Miami, Key west, Gini springs, festivals and a lot
more awesome things to do. Navigators gets you involved with Americans and there culture right away, people are
super friendly and helpful if you just ask
suggestions/tips
Go for it!
conclusions
Yes, a 100%! Not only is the gatornation amazing, experiencing college life ‘merica style is incredible. I have met
so many amazing international and national people that are friends for life. Things I did, experiences I had taught
me a lot about different habits and life styles. Even if you won’t go to UF, an exchange is definitely a great addition
to your study program!
Join navigators, see a lot of sports games and join some clubs of UF!
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T: +31-(0)30-253 7000
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faculty/college
Economics
level
x
Economics and Business Economics
Gainesville, Florida, USA
bachelor
master
PhD
other
field work
other
purpose of exchange
x
study/courses
13 /8 / 2013
14 / 12 / 2013
work placement
preparation
I thought the application was a big hustle. Especially the immunization part was hard for me, since my doctor did
not want to sign the paper. Not many people had this problem though. Additionally, getting the right health
insurance was hard. I think I just did something wrong and could not be bothered to make many phone calls and
arrange it. Therefore I just signed up with a health insurance company recommended by UF.
The courses I picked turned out to be completely different once I arrived, so I would not worry too much about
picking the right courses now. You can sign up for courses from May/June on. I would advise to sign up as soon as
it opens, because some courses have limited availability. The first week of college it is drop&add week, then many
people drop courses after one class and choose another one. That is a nice week for yourself to check if you like
your courses and if needed, to change.
I did not have many questions to my home university. The only thing I thought was stressful, is that your own
faculty has to approve your courses before January, which does not really make sense since none of the students
actually takes these courses. Furthermore, that process took a long time. Once again, I would not worry too much
about the courses you pick at first. You can get approval for your new courses once you started (as long as you
take relevant courses)
My bachelor program is very free and I have been able to chose the courses I take from the beginning. I did plan
my programme such that I would be able to pick only level 1 courses during my exchange. The partner university
might have prerequisites for its courses, so you would be able to take them, it just takes a little bit more effort. In
the end I did end up taking only level 2 and 3 courses (which are 300 and 400 level courses there), which were
very easy. The educational system there is very different.
Was not relevant. I get around pretty easily speaking and writing English and did not need any preparation. Most
people were very surprised by the level of English that Dutch speak in general, so once again, no worries. And
professors are very understanding. Within a week you are completely used to talking, writing and thinking in
English.
finances
page 1 of 3
I worked a lot before I went on exchange and additionally I saved my extra “stufi’ (maximale lening) for half a year.
I ended up going to the states with appr. €8.000.- In the states, I kept my loan as well. But I needed more money
because I travelled afterwards too and went on many trips. If you would live a nice life there with some trips and
no travels afterwards, you will probably not need more than €8.000 for your exchange. Yet it is always good to
have some extra money, just in case.
I only had one issue. I study Economics here, but there I could not enrol for any economic courses, only liberal
arts and sciences. In the end that ended up just fine, I just decided to do a minor.
The educational system is very different there. I did not have any lectures, only tutorials. I liked that a lot. They do
expect more participation and you have to read and write on a more regular basis. The advantage of that is that
you have more grades that together make your end grade.
The quality of education in Florida is assumed to be pretty high compared to other universities in the States. Yet
compared to education in the Netherlands, it is pretty easy. It demands a little more preparation because they
expect you to participate but the courses are not hard at all so you will have plenty of time to enjoy your time.
At home it seems like you have to arrange a lot but once you are there, everything is a lot easier. The people
working at UF are extremely friendly and want to help you with everything.
transfer of credits
My credits are still being processed by my faculty, so I can’t say anything about this. I don’t think there will be
problems, UF advised me to take four courses (total of 12 credits) so I expect this to be translated to 30 ECTS. My
grades were very high, I expect these to be a little lower here. I heard that an A is normally translated to a 7,5,
although I hope my grades will be a little bit higher.
student life
The Navigators (not like the Christian Organisation here) is an American organisation for incoming international
students. You’ll be linked to an American student and they host activities. I would greatly recommend to subscribe
and especially to join the trip to Universal Studios! Most internationals will join and it is just an easy way to get
some help. Some of the Navigatees are amazing and some are a little less great. I only met my American ‘match’
once and I did not really like her that much, but that was no problem. It is an easy way to build your network.
Furthermore, there was an introduction week at Weaver Hall (international dorm in campus). This was a little
childish so after the first day I did not bother to come anymore. When you live on campus it is pretty easy to meet
people anyway
accommodation
I would greatly recommend everybody to live in Weaver or at least as close to campus as possible. It was amazing
to live with so many people in one building and it made my life very easy. I had some friends that did not live in
campus and it was a lot harder for them to build a network and to be included in the activities we did because they
were dependent on public transport. I had a great roommate too, I was lucky. Some had a roommate who they
didn’t get along with, but this wasn’t a big problem either. You are not in your room that often anyway. For me it
worked out great so I preferred a double room over a single room.
leisure/culture
In the weekends we made a lot of trips to other cities. We went to Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville (biggest football
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game / tailgating of the year!), Atlanta (super boring – don’t go), Bahamas, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, etc. In
fall semester there are many football games, the Gators are supposed to be great, though this year they lost
almost every game. Nevertheless, it is so much fun to see (even if you don’t understand the rules like me).
Basketball is also amazing to see, that starts a little later in the year. It is definitely something you do not want to
miss and it is for free anyway.
suggestions/tips
Live on campus and get a mealplan. It is so much easier and it is very different from The Netherlands with
supermarkets on every corner of the street. Also cooking yourself is a lot more expensive than here. Just safe
yourself the trouble of cooking and enjoy your four months of dining hall, which is a great place to socialize too.
You are going to spend a lot of money anyway, might as well get a meal plan too.
For weekend trips, you can rent a car if you are 21+ and Dutch (we all have an international driver’s licence). If
you are not Dutch, try to see if you can get an international driver’s licence.
conclusions
UF was amazing. The people are extremely friendly, the culture on campus is great and I have honestly had the
time of my life!
Make sure you have enough money on your bank account (take a loan!) because it is such a waste if you cannot
do things because you are afraid to run out of money. You will only do this once in your life, just make sure you
make most of your time there.
Contact details:



T: +31-(0)30-253 7000

F: +31-(0)30-253 2627


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UU Study Abroad Report Form - Studenten

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