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Student Perspective: Studying Abroad at Leiden University
by Tom Obhof
Contributing Writer/ 3L
The Netherlands truly is a different and interesting experience. Most importantly, the best way to navigate in, out, and around town is by bicycle. The Netherlands truly is the most bike friendly nation. Second, everyone knows English, but people are willing to help you learn their language. I find it amazing how excellent English grammar is here in The Netherlands.
I live less than a four hour train ride from all of the major EU institutions. In the last three months I have visited the EU Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Court of Justice, and by the time you have read this, The Hague. This week, I plan on visiting Arnhem, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen. Next week, I’m heading back to Paris. I am so thankful for the Eurail pass and the recent climb of the U.S. dollar.
For those of you who might be scared or have modest reservations about studying abroad, here are a few reasons why this might be for you. Everyone speaks English, so the common language barrier problems do not exist. Also, if you get a little homesick you can stay connected with family and friends via Facebook and Skype. Finally, the cost of living in Leiden is relatively low. The radical rise of the dollar in the beginning of the year has settled back down to a comfortable exchange rate.
With everything going on in your life right now, especially if you already have a job or summer internship secured, why not fly over to the beautiful city of Leiden and study EU law? The city is picturesque, the people are friendly, and you would be right next to the legal hotbed of Europe.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at tobhof1@ufl.edu.
About Leiden University
The Leiden Faculty of Law, comprised of 300 academic staff and 4,500 students, offers more than 50 courses in Public International Law, European Community Law and Comparative Law. Leiden Law Courses (LLC) and programs are divided into four themes: Foreign and Comparative Law, International and European Community Law, Legal History and Free Subjects. Most classes are taught in seminar format, hence students are required to attend all classes for the courses.
The language of the Netherlands is Dutch, which is also the language spoken at the university. However, now a considerable number of courses (also open to Dutch students) are taught in English. Although English is spoken widely, time spent in Leiden naturally becomes far more interesting if visiting students can speak, understand and read Dutch. There are a number of courses of varying length and intensity to help visiting students master the language.
The city of Leiden, located in the center of the economic and cultural heart of the Netherlands, displays a blend of old and modern architecture. Leiden, with the oldest and largest university in the Netherlands, made a large contribution to Holland's Golden Age in the 17th century and became the second largest city of the Netherlands. Many traces of this flourishing era are still to be found scattered throughout the town, including some of the early canvasses by the Leiden artist Rembrandt, which are preserved in the municipal museum. Leiden's various museums, concerts, plays, theatrical exhibits and performances are available throughout the city.
For more information visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/students/abroad/ or contact Michelle Ocepek, director of student programs, at 352-273-0620 or ocepek@law.ufl.edu.
