Hatfield

Hatfield is a small town located approximately 30 kilometers north of London. Hatfield’s history is rooted back in the Saxon period and its historical background is noticeably visible in the town’s architecture. There are two main supermarkets in Hatfield in addition to an outlet mall, restaurants, an art gallery and a cinema. Since Hatfield is relatively small, some previous exchange students have chosen to live in a slightly bigger nearby town, St Albans, or even in London.

The University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire was established in 1952 and is based in Hatfield. It’s a public university and it was granted university status in 1992 by the British government. The University of Hertfordshire has over 25,300 students, including 2,800 exchange students from over 100 different countries. The University of Hertfordshire has two primary campuses: College Lane and de Havilland. Both of these campuses have their own Learning Resource Centre, which is open 24/7. There is also a free shuttle bus available between the two campuses.

Tips From Previous Exchange Students

Living

• The university offers dorm accommodation, which has been characterized as extremely loud (you will need earplugs) but some don’t mind the noise
• It might be difficult to rent an apartment since most property agents don’t generally accept students as tenants
• Some previous students have chosen to live in a nearby town, St Albans, since it offers more culture, activities and excellent shopping possibilities

University

• The quality of teaching is excellent and so is the academic reputation of the university
• Be familiar with Harvard referencing because you will definitely be using it a lot
• Usually students have 8 hours of lectures per week
• Most lectures are attended by hundreds of students, which is why lecturers will not know your name and communication during lectures is one-way only
• The library (Learning Resource Centre) is open 24/7
• The university has its own intranet, StudyNet
• You can join a variety of different sports clubs offered by the university and there are many other extracurricular activities to choose from besides sports

Lifestyle

• Hatfield offers all the basic necessities such as supermarkets, restaurants and an outlet mall
• Hatfield is quite small but London is less than an hour away using public transportation (only 20 minutes by train)
• The overall price level in the United Kingdom is quite close to Finland; something might be more expensive and something might, in contrast, be cheaper
• You don’t have to set up a British bank account but it’s highly recommended
• General politeness is expected and you will get help as long as you repeat the phrases ‘’thank you’’ and ’please’’ rigorously.

 

Mia E. Varis