Experience report
Name: Michelle Brugmans
E-mail: michelle-brugmans@hotmail.com
Exchange semester: Spring
Academic year: 3
Host University: University of Hull
Country: UK
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the university
provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a place
to live after you arrived?
The arrival was organised very well. A couple of students waited for us in the airport and brought us to
a bus that took us to the university. Transportation to the university was for free, but only possible on
one specific date. There was an introduction day where basic information about the university and the
city was provided and the ISA (International Students Association) organised a couple of welcome
parties and activities so you got a chance to get know the other international students very fast.
We got the opportunity to fill in an online form for a room in a university owned house. It’s easy and
the prices are decent. After the students picked us up at the airport they brought us to our houses.
Most exchange students live in university owned houses so I would strongly recommend this. There’s
4 up to 6 people living in one house and the houses are all on campus and close together, so it’s easy
to visit each other. It’s nice to know that you’ve got a house when you arrive.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the best
place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in your host
city? What was different than in Tilburg?
Kingston upon Hull (among the British known as Hull) is a small city located in the East Riding of
Yorkshire, near the east coast of England. There’s 250.000 people living there. The student
population is 20.000 (Hull and Scarborough combined). The main campus is in North Hull, on
Cottingham Road. I’d recommend Newland Avenue for drinks, food and a good night out. It’s close to
the university and a lot of students go there. I personally like Newland better than the city centre. The
city centre is 20 minutes by bus while you can walk to Newland in just a couple of minutes. My
favorite coffee place is The English Muse, also located on Newland. Hull has got nightclubs as well,
but I never went there. We preferred to stay at someone’s place. The university has lots of sport clubs
you can joint, and also a fitness centre on campus.
The city itself is a bit like Tilburg. There’s not a lot of things to see and you won’t find a lot of tourists
there. Nevertheless, it’s a nice city to live in. The location of Hull is almost perfect. it’s very central so
from there it is easy to travel to Leeds, York, Liverpool, Manchester, up north to Scotland or South to
London.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the courses
add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to Tilburg University
concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English, workload, etc.? Overall,
were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange? Please describe the
campus of your host university.
I took three courses: Public Law and The Constitution (level 4), Law of Trusts (level 5) and Consumer
Law (Level 6). I’d strongly recommend Public Law and The Constitution, because the lecturers are
very helpful and real authorities. It will help you to understand the UK and it’s interesting to compare
to the Netherlands. Law of Trusts is a course I would not recommend. The other students already did
Land Law, which is required if you want to do Law of Trusts. But I didn’t do Land Law which made the
course extra hard. Also, in the Netherlands we don’t have a concept like a trust, so it’s all new.
There’s no EU law involved here and this course is a good example of Common Law.
Besides, this course is not relevant outside the UK. But on the other hand it was nice to do something
completely different from what I normally do. It was a real challenge.
Consumer Law in the UK is mostly implemented EU law, which makes it more understandable for
students from continental Europe. An interesting course I would recommend.
For Consumer Law and PLC you have to write an essay, for Law of Trusts there is an optional piece
of written work. It’s probably not possible to pick your courses before you arrive, but the lecturers and
exchange coordinators are happy to help you with this.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with local
students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along with the local
students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries during your
exchange?
ISA (International Student Association) organised parties and trips throughout the semester. The
International Office also organised stuff for exchange students. Besides that, you’re always welcome
to joint one of many student societies. Unfortunately I barely met local students. This is probably
because you live with exchange students and party with them. In class it’s a lot harder to meet
people. It just does not seem like the right place. But on the other hand, I met a lot of internationals.
We were a big group and we got along very well. We organised dinners, parties and trips. I didn’t
travel to other places because I’ve already seen a lot of places in Europe. Just keep in mind that
there’s a lot of Americans on exchange in Hull. They like to go to Paris and Amsterdam rather than to
explore the whole UK. Therefore I didn’t joint most of their trips, because I’ve already been there a
few times. That’s a bit of a pity..
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg University?
What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you spend most of your
money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money on? Please outline your
approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food, textbooks, etc.
Luckily, my parents helped me out. It was more expensive than Tilburg. First of all, the average rent in
Tilburg is 250-300 euro, while in Hull you pay 500 euro each month. Trips to other cities will also cost
a lot of money, public transportation in the UK can be very unpredictable and expensive (tip: use the
Megabus and book ahead!). Food is also more expensive, but there’s a Lidl close to the university so
if you do your food shopping there, you’ll be fine. I spent 8 pounds a day on food. Going out for dinner
isn’t really that expensive, so that’s nice. For 10 pounds you’ve got yourself a good meal. Probably a
hamburger, because it seems like that’s all they eat in the UK. Books are expensive. There’s a
Waterstones bookshop on campus where you can buy your books. You get the opportunity to buy
them new or second hand with a discount. At the end of the semester you can hand in your books at
Waterstones and they will buy them back for 30% of the price you paid. This is great, because you
don’t have to sell your books on your own and you get money back easily. I never buy all my books so
it’s hard to say how much you’ll have to spend on that. I spent 80 pounds, but if I would have bought
them all, it would have been 200 pounds or maybe more. The shop also provides useful revision
guides on each Law topic. Sometimes the books are available online or in the library!
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host culture to
your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange? What was different
about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like about your host culture? Do
you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to learn more? How
would you describe your host countries culture? If you travelled to other cities/countries during your
exchange, were they different than your host city/country, and how?
The UK is practically the same as the Netherlands, so you won’t get a culture shock while you’re
there. The people are a bit more polite, as we all know. I’ve learned that the world is filled with terrible
cooks that don’t even know to make a simple pasta. Unbelievable. Apparently it’s not that normal to
prepare your own meal every day. It’s a bit harder to get fresh food, but like I said, there’s a Lidl and
you will find almost everything you need there. And if not, there’s a Tesco’s on Newland. I’ve noticed
that the people in Hull (which is quite far north) are very friendly and helpful, especially compared to
the South (for example of course London) where everyone is just minding their own business.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things differently if
you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best experience, and what
was your worst experience? What will you remember for ever about your exchange period? What was
the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange period?
I would have gone to a different country with a culture that’s not so close to the Dutch culture. My
exchange was amazing, but it looked so much like the Netherlands. Nothing really felt new. But I
made friends for life. The best experience is something that happens throughout the semester:
making friends from all over the world. I didn’t really have a bad experience there, but I must say that I
worked really really really hard for my exams and at that point I was sick of it. But the exams are to
blame obviously…
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university? What
should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is required for going on
exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done in preparation that you didn’t
do?
Yes, I would certainly recommend Hull and the University of Hull. BUT: not to everyone. If, like me,
you’ve seen a lot of Europe and feel very comfortable everywhere an exchange to Hull isn’t much of a
challenge. You’ll skip trips in Europe with the others because you’ve already been in Paris 5 times.. If
that’s the case go to Brazil or Australia, make sure it’s all new. To make your exchange even more
unforgettable. But in the end it doesn’t matter where you go. It’s not about the buildings and nature
you see, but about the people you meet. Great people are everywhere.
It doesn’t really require preparation.