When I told people I was going to Groningen on an Erasmus exchange, they asked me: ‘Why not Amsterdam?’ Or ‘Why go to a village? Won’t that be boring?’

But, of course, Groningen is full of students and there’s always something to do, even more so for film and art students.

Having lived here for a year now, I can say that I am more than happy with my choice. There’s simply no end to the things you can do in Groningen, like at the Usva and the ForumImages monthly film quiz on Tuesday 23 April for instance.

Usva is the student arts centre in Groningen. It is a wonderful place and essential for people who love the arts. They run courses in drama, cabaret, films, painting, playing musical instruments, fashion, singing and design.

There are more courses than you can think of and most are in English. Even when they are in Dutch, the teachers help out those who don’t understand the language. There’s even a yearly €2,000 grant for students with particularly creative art ideas.

If you enjoy the arts as a spectator, there are also concerts, plays and art exhibitions, so who said anything about getting bored in Groningen? I don’t even have time to rest!

ForumImages is one of the city’s most important cinemas. Many films premiere there each month, there are special shows on different topics and the chance to watch the classics, so when Usva and ForumImages organize a film quiz together, it’s great news!

The quiz consists of four rounds of questions, ranging from such subjects as blockbusters to arthouse films, from Alien to Maya Deren and from American Pie to Pedro Almodóvar. It’s an explosive mix about which you can only laugh a lot.

With a student card a ticket costs only €4. If you are not a student, it’s €5. For that price the winners receive all sorts of film-related prizes.

I don’t want to miss it. How about you?

The theme on the 23rd: Flora and Fauna