The city is somewhat empty
Large numbers of international students have left Groningen and are choosing to stay in their home country, with their family until the Coronavirus outbreak has been controlled in The Netherlands. Many are now in isolation at home, and some have homesickness for Groningen. As reported by the UKrant, which asked some of the departed students about their experiences of leaving the city.
The University of Groningen recently announced that all classes and exams will be held online until the end of this academic year. Both the Hanzehogeschool and NHL Stenden Universities also announced that all educational activities will take place online until the summer.
“I packed books and notes for my thesis. There was no time for anything else”, said one of the students.
Even before all physical lectures were canceled, RUG lecturers saw the number of students present falling.
The twin spectacles of self-isolating in a student house and being away from home comforts led to students leaving the city before either regulations in The Netherlands were announced, or their own countries started enforcing measures.
And now that the Executive Board of the University has announced that all meetings, lectures, and exams must take place online until the end of August, SSH houses lay empty, and suddenly there may even be a slight easing on the super-heated rental market.
Image via WikiUser Bert Kaufman. License here
