Looking out of my window right now, I see the colourful Museumplein in Groningen in the middle of the canals. Being right between the city centre and the central station is a building located called Frascati. This building functions as a housing facility for over 200 students, including all first years of university college Groningen.

People often ask me how it is to live on campus. Well, most of the time, I tell them that it is an amazing experience. First of all, the location of Frascati is just perfect! It is close to almost everything. You can walk to the centre as well as the UCG faculty. There even is a gym in our very own courtyard for our sports fanatics.

The best part about living here is that there are so many different people from all over the world in one place. For instance, as of this moment, I am writing this in my unit (later more on that) where I live together with ten people from seven different countries. I am Dutch, but my neighbour is from Italy. As of this moment, Sush, who is from India, is playing some weird Indian music in our kitchen. It was really interesting when we all met each other for the first time,  so many different cultures and habits in one place is quite something to experience.

Frascati is divided into several units, these units are kind of like houses. People living in a unit share their kitchen together and their bathrooms. However, since you are all living together in one place it is not the case that you are bound to one single unit. It is just so easy to walk around here and hang out at each other’s places, I barely find myself sitting in my room being bored.

I think that UCG students are bonded to each other uniquely because of living at this place. It really gives you a community feeling, which I think, you do not have at other faculties. Most UCG students living here often celebrate parties or have dinner together. Furthermore, there are also some people living here who are not studying at UCG. I think that is a good thing because you will also meet of a lot of other internationals who do not study at UCG. As a Dutchie myself, I do not think I would have ever met a Kenyan engineering student if I were not living here.