On Groningen Part 2: Must's for Study Abroad Students

20 Things:

1. Think about start up costs. Set aside 150 to 200 euros for this. You may need to get a new phone when arriving. Lebara Mobile provides students with a free sim card and every time you top up 10 euro, they match it. Don't use your cell phone to call the United States. Add Skype credit to your Skype account. It works out to be about 2 cents per minute. Phones range between 19 and 35 euro for a cheap phone.

2. The housing office provides you with a kitchen box that includes one fork, knife, spoon, plate, bowl, mug, and drinking glass. You'll need one more of each. The good thing is that IKEA is accessible by bus or walking. You can also rent a sheet set for 17.50 euro for the semester.   You can buy a more comfortable and cheaper one from IKEA.

3. Expect to spend around 40 Euro on your first bike. There is a good chance it'll break or get stolen. Plan on going through at least two bikes. Maybe even three or four. Always lock it to a permanent post and lock the front tire to the frame. You'll save yourself the headache.

4. If you are attending RUG, plan on being overwhelmed and frustrated after the orientation ceremony. Don't be surprised if you have two or three classes at the same time. This is normal. Most lectures are attached to group seminars. The seminars are the equivalent to a NAU class meeting or lectures. The university sets up your schedule and the timetable may be hard to read but there will be plenty of assistance.

5. Again, if you're at RUG, Albert, our advisor is a great contact. He's very helpful and always available. He organizes a group meeting for all the Americans after the first week and it's at a local pub.

6. Utilize the market. It's every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. You can find everything there at a far less price than the grocery store. There are 2 markets in town. The Grote Market and the Vismarket. The Vismarket translates to "Fish Market." This is where the food market is.

7. Books, especially if you're in Lit. Courses will be pricy. There is a used bookstore called De Seltag on the main shopping street. Try there first.

8. Try and live close to your campus and/or the city center. Zernike is the north campus and home to the Hanze School. There is also a RUG campus there. The RUG Liberal Arts, and main campus is in the city center. You'll ride your bike everywhere regardless of where you live.

9. If you want to have a great living experience, live at Winschoterdiep 46. It can get loud at night. Party nights are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. If you want a quite house I would not recommend this one. I know of three people who moved to this house because of its awesomeness.

10. When it comes to the parties, limit yourself. You can easily spend 20 euros a night. If that's why you're studying abroad, then by all means, party. If you came to travel and see Europe, party one day a week and see how much you save. Speaking from experience, the first two weeks were a party. This got costly.

11. Don't be afraid to meet people. The best place for this is in the kitchens. You'll come together over food. Share what you know about your own country and cuisine. And if you can, organize a weekly dinner. Right now, Sundays are for cooking, drinks, laughs and friends. I'm currently cooking with Australians, Finns and Americans. There are 8 of us.

12. Once you meet cool people, plan trips together. Also, don't be afraid to travel alone. Some of The best trips I've taken have been on my own. You'll meet strangers in hostels that are just like you; traveling and exploring.

13. When booking hostels, look at location. Hostleworld.com has maps attached to the hostels. Read the reviews but only pay attention to the reviews regarding location. Google "europe's best hostels." Stay in the recommended hostels in the cities they are in. You won't regret it.

14. Join the ESN Intro Week. It's the best way to meet people from all over. Your leaders will be Dutch and have a lot of great insights and information. It's 25 euro and well worth it.

15. There are two airports for travel with RyanAir. The main one is in Bremen, Germany and the other in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Bremen is a hub; therefore flights will be a lot cheaper. A roundtrip bus ticket to Bremen will b 33 euro And roundtrip train ticket will be 34 with the NL Discount card.

16. You’ll need to set up a bank account for a lot of different things. If you want a gym membership you’ll need one. When it comes time to pay the housing office for your rent, you’ll have to pay 7 euro extra to pay in cash. If you have a bank account here, you can set up a transfer for free. You will also be able to get the Dutch Railways Discount Card. The card will cost you 55 euro upfront but will pay for itself in 2 roundtrip fares. It saves you 40% on all fares.

17. Travel to Amsterdam on the weekends. You can get a weekend pass for 27 euro. You have to travel after 7pm on Friday and before Midnight on Sunday. That gives you two good days and nights there. Visit the Anne Frank House, Heineken Museum, Van Gough Museum, and downtown. Amsterdam is such a cool city. Most of the modern aspects of the city are on the outskirts so you get a good feel for what it really looked like.

18. Take buses from country to country. They are really cheap. They may take longer but you'll save heaps. Take night ones as well. It'll save you a night’s accommodation.

19. Keep a blog or a journal. It is the best way to document your experiences. A blog will also keep your family and friends up to date on what your doing. This saves on mass emails and phone calls.

20. This is a once and a lifetime opportunity. Embrace it and don’t spend your time in your room. Love every minute of your adventure. It will only strengthen you as a person in your own life but allow you to see the world in so many different lights. I guarantee you’ll grow and change.

JP Popovich

Picture 1: Me outside Het Kasteel - A bar in the town center

Picture 2: The reflection of another student house from the reflection of a car window/

Picture 3: The canal outside of Winschoterdiep, my student house

Picture 4: A cool house boat

Picture 5: Another reflection picture
Picture 6: No explanation needed

Picture 7: The bar, 'The Three Sisters' - Largest bar in Holland