If you are
reading this it is probably because you are thinking about going on an
exchange. Great! Although, as you also might have expected there is a lot to
organize first. I hope that this report will help you in answering some of your
questions and concerns.
Application: First things first, once you get your
acceptance for the nomination from KI you need to send in the actual
application to Leiden University. Don’t
worry too much about the application, since KI and Leiden University have this
agreement the application is more of a formality. It is pretty straight forward
although it might take some time. I would recommend to do the application and
fill in rest of the paperwork as soon as possible.
Housing: One tip that I cannot stress too much. Start
looking for a place to stay as early as you can since it can be very difficult to
find a place. Here is a short list that I hope will help.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/leiden.housing/?fref=ts - Leiden housing Facebook page, you
can also find bikes, furniture and other good-to-have stuff here.
https://housinganywhere.com/ A housing webpage.
http://www.pararius.com/real-estate-agents/leiden - the local housing agency, although
the negative side is that you have to pay a fee of 350 euro.
Most of the
ads that you will find online will asks for a minimum of a year to rent so the
very best way to find accommodation is to rent from one of the Dutch exchange
students that is coming to Stockholm. You can ask the international coordinator
in Holland or our international coordinator for the names of the Dutch
students. You will also get an offer to get accommodation through the
university, SEA housing, but you will need to pay a fee of 350 euro and keep in
mind that this does not guarantee an apartment (same as for Pararius).
You can
also look for apartments in Den Haag, it is about 15 minutes away from Leiden
by train.
Flight: To find cheap tickets it is also recommended to
buy them as early as possible, start by searching on www.momondo.se or www.skyscanner.com. I bought my ticket quite late and bought it for around 1200 kr from SAS
Ungdom, but then I got 1 luggage included.
Insurance: As a European citizen you can order a
European insurance card from Försäkringskassan. Insurance is also included from
KI through Kammarkollegiet so this is not something you have to worry about.
OWL: The week before the semester starts there is an
introduction week, Orientation Week Leiden (OWL) that I highly recommend you to
go to. It costs 60 euros but that includes lunches and it is a great way to get
to know other exchange students. During this week you will get divided into
groups of 15 and get a tour around the LUMC and the city. During the evenings
there will be pub-crawls, bbq's and other fun games.