Is studying abroad just more of the same?
Katie, a Cambridge Law student who participated in the Erasmus Exchange Programme, offers her thoughts on the education experience she discovered in Utrecht.
I am over half way through my time studying abroad and it’s safe to say that studying Law in Utrecht is very different compared with studying Law at Cambridge.
However, this did not come as a surprise. Long before I set foot in the Netherlands I had chosen my course modules and received my term dates, so I had some idea of a few of the differences in the curriculum. But that is not all that is different with the Law course in Utrecht, and that is what this blog post is about- the differences between studying Law in Cambridge and as an exchange student in Utrecht.
The first thing that surprised me was the length of terms. In Cambridge I am used to condensed and intense eight week terms, with lengthy vacations between the terms to consolidate what I have learnt. In Utrecht this is not the case- my first term in Utrecht stretched from the start of September to a week before Christmas. I am writing this post in late March- back in Cambridge my friends have finished term, but my classes (all two of them) continue until the end of June. The reason for this, according to some of my lecturers, is that this is part of the Dutch mentality- the need to remain busy and hard working, a principle to which I can relate after two years studying in Cambridge.
Another difference for me is the course content. In Cambridge, much of what I have studied tended to focus on the substantive law, with plenty of lively discussion on the system, merits and faults of the current law and how it could be improved. In Utrecht, the focus is subtly different. Here there is a greater tendency to consider the law in its wider societal context- for instance by considering law’s connection with sociology or by looking at the differences between the law in the rule book and the law practised on a day to day basis.
Ask any Law student in Cambridge about how their degree is assessed, and the chances are they will all say the same thing- exams. Although students at Cambridge have the option of writing a dissertation in their final year, it is fair to say that the things which count towards the final degree mark almost exclusively include three hour, end of year exams.
This could not be more different in Utrecht.
Exams here occur every eight weeks, at the end of each module. Also, during the course there are plenty of different ways to gain your final mark- from presentations and active participation, to the more traditional papers and examinations.
Although the systems offer a significant number of differences, this is all part of the Erasmus experience- learning in a different culture and environment and consequently broadening your academic profile!
For more information on participating in the Erasmus Exchange programme as a Cambridge Law student, see the Cambridge BA Law website.
The information in this article is considered correct at the time of publication.
