I decided to go on exchange because I would get to experience a new lifestyle and student life in a foreign country without it affecting my studies. The reason I went specifically to Leiden University was more because it was the only choice of exchange during term 3. However knowing that it was a reputable school in a nice student city helped prompt me to go. 

Most of the information given from KI was sufficient and any additional info could be searched for through the LU website. Personally I found the website to be quite hard to follow and some pages were difficult to find again so I would recommend to bookmark a few important sites like housing for exchange students and contact info page. 

There were no other requirements or certifications specifically needed however I checked to make sure my EU insurance card was going to be valid during my whole exchange. 

The week before the course started there was a week of orientation called Orientation Week Leiden (OWL). This was not mandatory but it was highly recommended to join. The OWL was organised in a way that you were put in a group of around 12 international students who studied in the same department as you plus two Dutch group leaders. So for example in my group there were a few Biomedicine students as well as Medicine students. A bunch of activities were packed during those five days including a few introductory courses to Dutch and living in the Netherlands, several pub crawls and pub quizzes, a bike sale, a tour of the campus, the city and the sports facility and lots of parties. It was an incredible first week in Leiden and I would recommend everyone to join in OWL because the people you meet there are in most cases the people you become closest with during the whole exchange. 

The cost of living was quite similar to the cost in Stockholm however a few things differed like rent and groceries. I took a loan and an additional “merkostnadslån” from CSN and it was sufficient to cover the expenses over the exchange. It could be good to have a bank card from like ICA or a Maestro which allows you to pay with card at supermarkets and small stores however it is not essential. One could also open a bank during ones stay at like Rabobank however for this you have to register as a citizen at the Town Hall and this requires several more paperworks so I didn’t do it. I survived well with my MasterCard and just took out cash at an ATM whenever needed. Here is an approximation of the expenses that I used ranked from most expensive to least:

1. Rent - The most expensive monthly expense was the rent. I got a single room with my own kitchen and bathroom and was therefore more expensive than other student housing rents. It is definitely possible to find cheaper rooms, especially if they are shared with others or if they are rented independently and not through the school. 
2. Travels - Because the Netherlands is so close to other countries it is very easy to travel to places like Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. Therefore almost once a month we would travel to a new city or join in one of the International Student Network’s (ISN) trips. It was a lot cheaper to travel with ISN as usually at a fee of around €30-€70 (depending on location) this included the hostel, the transportation, a tour of the city and a nice dinner or other night activity. It was also a good way to meet new people, especially in the beginning of the term. 
3. Groceries - Groceries were cheaper than in Sweden. Especially if you shopped at more budget stores like Lidl or Aldi. Other grocery stores like Hoogvliet and Jumbo were a bit more expensive but still cheaper than Sweden whilst the store Albert Heijn was a bit more expensive than average so relatively the same priced as Sweden. An even cheaper alternative are the markets by the main river on Wednesdays and Saturdays from early morning to 5 PM. Here there sell fresh produce, snacks, deli, flowers and other necessities. They also have a stall with the best freshly made stroopwaffels. Usually the portions from the markets are quite big so it’s smart to go with a friend and split the amount and also they usually lower the prices right before they have to close. 
4. Restaurant and Bars - Dining out is around about the same in Sweden ranging from €8-€15. Some cheaper alternatives are Dominos (pizza place that do home deliveries as well), Eazie (a workplace where you can get “lunchboxes”) and Subway (which is close to the hospital and where you can get the daily sub for €2!). At the hospital they also have a nice cafeteria where you can get some lunch. Bars and drinks are a bit cheaper especially if you go to more student-directed bars like Pelibar (€2) and Einstein compared to more fancy bars like Oliviers (€5) and De Bonte Koe. If you are a part of ISN you can join in the International Pub Nights every Wednesday at Einstein where they have cheaper drinks than usual.
5. Social Events - Apart from going to bars and on trips ISN organised many activities and parties. Club activities were free but parties had a fee of around €5-€10. More will be said in the Leisure section.
6. Household  - I didn’t have to buy many household objects as I was provided with the essential cups and pots and pans through my housing agency Duwo. I did buy some small stuff like an extension cords or extra coat hangers from other students from the Leiden Housing site. I would recommend joining in this page as well as other Leiden “Selling” pages as usually this is where you can easily found household objects for a cheap price. It is also good to post things on these page that you want to sell. If those pages didn’t find what you were looking for I would recommend to check out the store Hema which sells roundabout anything ranging from notebooks to towels to food. 
7. Transport - It is very good to buy a bike when in Leiden so that you don’t have to worry about transportation during your whole stay. This is because the hospital is a bit of a walk if you are living in the city centre, for example from where the markets are if would take around 15 minutes to walk. I would recommend to buy bikes through other international students on the  Facebook page Leiden Housing. The price could range from €70-€100. You could also buy bikes in a store like Budget Bike or during the OWL bike sale but usually the bikes there are a bit more expensive. Bikes also come in handy if you want to take trips to neighbouring cities like the Hague and Delft as well as beaches like Katwijk. It could be handy to buy a OV-chipkaart, which is similar to the SL-kort. This works by charging the card and can be used on the buses in Leiden as well as the trains that take you to Amsterdam, Hague and many more. You can buy this card at the central station or at a cheaper price via other students who are selling theirs. 
8. Others - I only bought one course book during my stay the other course books I have found copies of online. Therefore school wise I didn’t have to use much money. 

Accommodation was the hardest thing to sort before departure. If you are applying through the school it comes in a first come first serve basis so it is best to apply for it as soon as you know you are going. Also if you have any questions it is best to call the people in Leiden as they are very slow when it comes to emails. 

The room I got was in a student housing building by Leiden University but the housing agency was another company called Duwo. I stayed in a student apartment at Kloosterpoort which had it’s own kitchen and bathroom. My rent was €620 per month. The cons was that the room was too expensive, quite small and the bed was placed on another flight so it was a bit of a hassle to go up and down. But the pros were that there was always a janitor ready to fix broken objects in the apartment (like a stove) and contact if anything was up, the whole building was for students so it was easy to meet others in the buildings and go to house parties and the apartment was very central and ideally placed between restaurants and supermarkets. It was a bit far from the hospital but if you had a bike it would only take between 5-10 minutes. 

Other people had found accommodations through contacts and Facebook posts (especially through the Leiden Housing site). It is possible to exchange rooms with the Leiden students going to KI, however note that they might not live that central. 

Everyone in the Netherlands is fluent in English so there were no language barriers or any of such sorts. The courses were all held in English so there were no problems with that. Although sometimes in group projects the Dutch students would stick to speaking in Dutch, those were minor cases. The culture was also quite similar with Sweden so there weren’t any drastic culture clashes. One interesting thing is that the students never really have warm food for lunch, hence the absence of microwaves in the school buildings. Everyone eats sandwiches each and every day.

The Medical student association held parties time to time at their own bar as well as a dinner together. These events were held at the bar in the hospital called Hepatho. Otherwise there was also the ISN (International Student Network)/ESN (European Student Network) that held parties and events weekly. Going to these events, especially in the first weeks, is a good and easy way to meet many international students. It was also a good way to visit new cities around the Netherlands. They held weekly meet ups at the bar Einstein as well as clubs that you could join which ranged from Theatre and Acting to Painting, Sports to the Film Club. There are abundant ways to get involved in student activities. 

There was also a big gym hall that was open for all students. Although the membership was a bit pricey it included large facilities and many classes you could take so it was quite worth it. Some of the classes were ballet, martial arts, self-defence and outdoor sports like lacrosse and football. This facility was located a bit further away, around 5-10 minutes by bike from the hospital. There was an additional smaller gym located in the Plexus building (very central) and this gym could be used with the same membership and had workout machines, running machines and showers. 

The experiences I got to have during this exchange were priceless. The people I met have all become such treasured figures in my life that I’m keen on keeping in contact with forever. Although the studies were hard and at times I missed home, these challenges allowed me to push my limits and grow not only academically but also personally. I have learned to deeply appreciate the diversity and vastness of the world and it excites me to think of all the possible opportunities and experiences out there to explore. I hope anyone who is contemplating on doing this exchange is now fully motivated to apply for this exchange. I know I would choose to do so in a heartbeat.