faculty of arts
ERASMUS+
Study Report
This form needs to be completed by every student who has completed an Erasmus+ mobility.
Last name*As shown in your passport van den Heiligenberg
First name*As shown in your passport Hugo
RUG student number S 3101223
Please enclose a 2-page report on your experiences abroad, using the following headings:
1. Your study programme or your internship programme
During my Erasmus exchange abroad for my minor in Strasbourg, I studied the Certificate of European Studies (CES) programme. This is a programme consisting of 30 ECTS in total including some compulsory courses and some elective courses. The programme taught me more about how Europe as a political and social block functions and how the institutions work. One of my favorite projects has been a simulation of the Council of Europe, in which every student represented a certain
European state. In this simulation, we had to debate about the plausibility for Kosovo to join the Council of Europe. In my opinion, this was very interesting to participate in.
2. Language
In Strasbourg, I followed almost all courses in English. Even though my major language in the European Languages and Cultures programme in Groningen is French, I decided to follow English courses during my semester abroad, because when I was thinking about which courses I would want to follow there, I decided to prioritize the content of courses over the language in which it is taught. The CES programme suited my interests very well, since I am very interested in international relations and European integration matters.
3. Finance and other conditions
When staying in Strasbourg for a semester abroad, it is worth trying to find out if you could be eligible for a housing allowance. Even though the tariffs for staying in a Crous student accommodation are usually much lower in Strasbourg than in Groningen, I discovered this possibility too late unfortunately. Apparently, if you want to apply for a housing
allowance, you need to go to a Société Générale in the area Esplanade and they can help you. In addition, in order to start the process, you need to create a French bank account as well.
University of Groningen, NL Groning01 Erasmus+ KA1 Mobility 2019-2020
4. Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay
Before my stay in Strasbourg, I prepared and handed in the required documents on time. The application for a student room in Strasbourg went better than I expected, knowing that French administration is normally not the world's best. The contacts with Michelle Benoit (the Sciences Po faculty coordinator) were okay. She proposed the student room to me and also with the rest, there were not so many impediments. Nevertheless, during my period in Strasbourg, it became clear that the contacts between the international students and Michelle Benoit did not go flawless. For example, I found it very weird that the timetable for the exam period could not be published until around 2 weeks before. Besides that, if students sent her a mail, she did not always reply to the question from the student or she redirected us to another contact person. Even though she was very kind, I got the impression that she was not always that organized. Once I returned to Groningen, the contact with Michelle Benoit was fine and the results came in on time.
5. Housing
In my search for a proper accommodation in Strasbourg, I came across the organisation named Crous. This is a national organisation which facilitates (foreign) university students in France. They offer student rooms id before I would go there, I first applied for the Paul Appell student residence. However, quickly thereafter, I received a reply that this was not possible anymore. They gave me an alternative in the Gallia student residence.
When I arrived in Strasbourg, I immediately didn’t regret choosing the alternative residence I was offered. First of all, the exterior of the
building is grand and the fact that it is located very close to the city centre was also a very asset for me. Another side advantage was that the building had just been renovated on the inside. Every floor was marked with a color, so it was very easy to locate your own floor. The room was around 18m2 and had its own shower, toilet and sink. Nevertheless, a main
disadvantage of the building was that the residents could not make use of any elevator. The weird thing is that the staff could. Normally, I do not make use of elevators when there is a staircase, but it was very exhausting all the time to get to my floor, which was the top floor.
6. Culture
In Strasbourg, there are many cultural sites. I visited museums like the Musée d’Art moderne et contemporain and the Musée historique de Strasbourg. I visited Language Cafés organised by the local ESN
department and also the university library, where I was studying usually. 7. Free time
In my free time, I met with some Erasmus students to have lunch or a nice coffee. A great recommendation for all students is to have lunch in one of the university restaurants (Resto U) spread over the city (a lot of university residences also have a Resto U next to them). In this
restaurant, a meal costs only 3,30 euros, including a small starter, a main
course and a small dessert. We would usually go to have some good drinks in a bar or we would go out. During the autumn holidays, I
traveled through France together with three other Erasmus students. We visited Paris for a few days and afterwards, we visited Marseille for a few days as well. It was an amazing time.
8. Travelling
As I mentioned in the previous section, I did a trip through France. We traveled by high-speed train, because this was the best option. OuiGo, a budget high-speed company, has been a very pleasant and comfortable way to make a journey through the country. We paid very little and also the journey did not take long at all. When we were about to leave Paris to go to Marseille by OuiGo train, it was 6:10. Three hours and twenty
minutes later, at 9:30, we arrived in the mediterrean ambiance of Marseille.
Traveling in Strasbourg is also affordable as an Erasmus student. A tram rides through the city and there are multiple lines crossing the city, so it is very easy to get everywhere relatively quickly. There is even a tram connection between Strasbourg and a town just across the border with Germany. Another vehicle which is always nice to go for is the bike. In Strasbourg, there is a company named Velhop which rents out bikes. The good thing about this service is that you can return it whenever you have a minor damage or a flat tyre without paying extra costs. Next to that, the rental is for an affordable price for students as well.
9. Other
My personal suggestion to all future students who will spend their
Erasmus semester in Strasbourg is that you should enjoy it to the fullest (when it is possible again)! You should absolutely focus on achieving the 30 ECTS for the semester, that is very important. However, from my experience, you have a lot of spare time left because there is only one real exam period at the end of the semester (December-January). Try to be open-minded towards other people and other views on life. Participate in those spontaneous initiatives together and see where it takes you, these are the best adventures you can have. Stay positive above all: if you send positivity to others, you will attract it yourself as well and these
interactions only strengthen each other.
I hereby give permission to the International Office to publish my report on the Faculty of Arts
Repository to inform future students
☐ Yes ☐ No
Future students may contact me for additional
information Yes
☐No
Signature Participant
……… Date: 11th of November, 2020
