This week we are talking about our accommodation experience when going to uni. We will either talk about our experience of living at home while going to uni or moving away from home. I’m going to talk about moving away from home, since I moved to The Hague for my bachelor degree and moved to Amsterdam for my masters.
In The Netherlands there is only one university with a campus, which is east near the border of Germany. All the other universities are just around the cities and you have to search for a student living accommodation yourself. Usually you can find a room through a student society, websites that offer rooms or organisation in town that offer rooms.
I found my first room through Kamernet, which took quite a while before I finally got one. When you apply for rooms at these websites you usually have to go to a meeting night with the other potential roommates. They try to get to know all the candidates and at the end of the night they pick their favourite one. I attended about 4 of those nights before I was picked to live in the student home in The Hague, where I lived for 5 years. The student home I lived in was old, but everything worked and it was a good location. Our landlord wasn’t around very often, which was nice. Although we had to do most of the repair jobs ourselves. I had to share the kitchen, shower and toilet with 3 other students, which at the end drove me a little crazy. After living in a student home for 5 years I was done with all the sharing and dealing with cleaning schedules that didn’t work.
When I decided to do my masters in Amsterdam my decision to look for a studio instead of a student home again was pretty clear. I applied for an athletes student accommodation and I was lucky to get a studio through their organisation. The studio I’m living in is amazing, because the building is quite new. The building has a common room downstairs which is very nice to meet new students that live in the same flat. I have my own kitchen, shower and toilet which is so nice! This place really feels like my little home.
I found that finding an accommodation to live in Amsterdam was so much harder compared to The Hague. Amsterdam is such a popular city and rooms/studios are much more expensive and harder to find.
I hope you liked reading about my student accommodation experiences and don’t forget to check out the experience of Jasmine, Tori, Kate, Saffron, Sophie, Bex and Jen! And if you have any questions about student accommodation in The Netherlands let me now!
xoxo Annaleid
This was really interesting to read! So you could meet housemates through societies? We had some mixers to find housemates, I never attended them as I’d already found mine but it sounded a bit like speed dating but just for housemates!
Saffron x
Yes if you going a society they usually have houses where you can stay/live. I just don’t like the atmosphere of student societies and the hierachy that’s around there.
Just like you mentioned it a bit like speed dating for housemates if you apply for a room on room websites! Like the name 😛
xoxo Annaleid
What an interesting read! A Masters in Amsterdam sounds amazing xx
Thank you!:) Yes it is! I’ve always said I’m never going to live in Amsterdam. Way to busy. And here I’m loving the life in Amsterdam 😛 LOL
xoxo Annaleid
Thank you for sharing this! A big fear of mine is when I have to move on campus (if i ever do) and getting through that awkward “meeting roommates” phase, plus I hope I like the person haha
In my experience the thought is scarier than actually doing it. And what helped me is thinking that it is as awkward for the other person(s) too!
xoxo Annaleid
Oh no, I couldn’t imagine having to share a bathroom with other students! I’m just way too OCD for that. At my first year of uni I lived in halls but I chose halls which had private ensuites so I was lucky I only had to share a kitchen with the other students! Still I was lucky we were 8 girls in this flat so it was alright… I would love to live in a studio though at some point! Can’t wait 😊
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Living in a student hall like you do in the UK sounds cool as well! Makes the uni experience much more intense I think. Do you still live in a student flat at the moment?
xoxo Annaleid
Nope, not At the moment. I had enough of living out in private housing… Bills… Landlords… Council… Etc all that haha so I moved back home for now 😅 I’m thinking to move out again when I study my next degree 😊 x
When I read posts like these I get so worried that I won’t be able to find a place when I move to Nijmegen for my masters… It’s such a hassle to find a nice place that’s both affordable and not in the middle of nowhere!
Yes I can imagine that you’re worried! The only advice I can give you is start your search early, respond to everything and fingers crossed. Sometimes you also just need a bit of luck! Sending my luck to you:)
xoxo Annaleid
Looking for a flat as a student and in general is so annoying. Edinburgh is the worst! So hard to get something! London and Manchester are quite easy though. But appart from Edinburgh, yeah, it was fairly easy… But I’d avoid looking for a flat again ahah! xx Corinne
That’s surprising I though London would be the hardest! Yeah student homes again is a no for me too!
xoxo Annaleid
Five years is such a long time to live in a student house! But your new place sounds so lovely!
Reading your post brings me back to my University days when I had to find living accommodations too. There are so many things to consider, like proximity to the university, transportation, meals etc. Looking forward to reading more of your university experience and advice.
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Thank you!:) I really like sharing my uni experience!
xoxo Annaleid
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You’re welcome!
xoxo Annaleid