Two years ago, I went outside of Europe for the first time, to Sri Lanka. Together with my parents and sister I went on a group tour, where I came in contact with Asian culture for the first time. One year later, I joined on the Asset | Accounting & Finance Studytour to Singapore and Malaysia. At this Studytour I got amazing impressions of Asia, which made me certain: I want to go on exchange! I wanted to discover more of Asia, the differences between Dutch and Asian culture were very interesting to explore. Now the only question that rested was: Where do I want to go? When I scrolled through the list of destinations, I encountered Bangkok. A city with over 8 million inhabitants, about the same size as the province of Utrecht. A lot of things went through my mind. Singapore was the first really large city where I traveled, and I was unsure whether I could handle Bangkok. Such a large city, with smog, a contrasting culture in the middle of Asia. I took on the challenge. Bangkok is a typical metropole and ‘you hate it or love it’. I love it! The land of Smiles I have not had a second of regret from my decision, even though it took some time to find out where to find everything, the Thai people are super helpful and always point you in the right direction. It took some getting used to living there. It is usually around 30 degrees Celsius and pretty clammy. Besides that, you can’t just take your bike somewhere, and most activities take up an entire daypart. If you want to go somewhere, you can take a cab, tuk-tuk, MRT or skytrain, and yes, this takes long if you know traffic around Bangkok. In rush hour it can take up to 30 minutes to travel 3 kilometers. Bangkok does not really have a centre, but it has different neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is different and this makes Bangkok really diverse. Not only Bangkok is really diverse, but Thailand in its entirety. It is a great country with the friendliest people. It is know to be the ‘Country of Smiles’. There are amazing beaches, beautiful nature, fun parties, great food, delightful massages and there is a relaxed atmosphere everywhere. I never had to Cook, because eating outdoors is cheaper than cooking yourself, and it tastes great to boot! Chulalongkorn University The purpose of an exchange semester is of course that you learn something. There are different universities in Bangkok, but Chulalongkorn University is the most well-known and also the one I attended. It is the oldest and best University in Thailand. At the university everybody wears a uniform which is mandatory. At the beginning I had to get used to seeing everybody in the same clothes, but it also had its advantages. I got free entrance at temples and getting a cab was easier. Classes take three hours and around 40 people sit in a class. Sometimes it was much like high school because of mandatory attendance and a lot of interaction. The material was at a reasonable level, but sometimes they took a lot of time discussing one topic, which made it boring. Chulalongkorn University is a lot bigger than Tilburg University and has around 40.000 students. There are even multiple busses around campus because the university is so large. “There are amazing beaches, beautiful nature, fun parties, great food, delightful massages and there is a relaxed atmosphere everywhere.” Many international contacts The most fun part of my exchange was the contact with people from all over the world, so that I didn’t just learn about Thai culture, but about various cultures. Furthermore, I didn’t really feel like a tourist, but a real local. A lot of things are ‘normal’ for me, while other foreigners still think everything is really special. For example, for me the crowded and hectic city were really normal for me, as well as the many street venues and Thai people. They play the national anthem every morning at 8 and every evening at 6 on the tv/radio, where you have to stop whatever you are doing and stand up for the king. Before a movie plays in the cinema, you have to stand up for the king. The king in Thailand is really important and there are high penalties if you say something bad about him. Furthermore, they are really good at creating jobs: For every small job they have someone in service. What one person can do here, they hire three people in Thailand. Thai people are really collectivistic. They often live together with large families and most children don’t leave their house to live in student housing. They have to get permission for almost everything from their parents, even if they are 21 years or older. It is fun to experience how people can think so differently about certain subjects and that they grew up entirely different than us. Exchange: Informative and fun! My exchange semester was great! I recommend everybody to study abroad for a semester. The education is worse than in the Netherlands, but you learn so much other stuff. The world keeps getting smaller and it is important that you don’t think from a Dutch-only perspective, but also learn that people can have a different culture and mentality. An exchange semester is not only informative, but also a lot of fun! You practically only do fun activities, get out a lot and there constantly are great people around you. In the weekends, I traveled through Thailand and on weekdays I went out with other exchange students, enjoyed dinner in nice restaurants or had a drink at one of the many rooftop bars with breathtaking views over Bangkok. It is an experience I will never forget, and the best choice I have made so far!
Study Abroad: An unforgettable experience!
Finally the day has come, I’m heading to Lancaster. I got the flight to Manchester on the first of October and from there I could use the train to get to Lancaster. My study abroad started quite late compared to other study abroad programs. The students from these other programs started a month earlier than me. This difference is caused by the fact that the university’s periods are divided by trimesters, which include three periods, instead of semesters, which include two periods. This shortage on time abroad did not limit the more than awesome experience. The same day I arrived I could enter my accommodation, arranged by the university, and the ‘freshers’ week began. In a very short time I got to meet a lot of other exchange students and a new way of going out and clubbing was introduced. After this great week, we had to start to participate in some more serious businesses. I got introduced to my new courses I had to attend, three in total, and I got to develop a better daily schedule than I used to have during the freshers week. On average, a week was divided in four days of school and three days weekend, which left us with more than enough time to make some exciting trips to Edinburgh, London and Manchester. I have never been to England before and I recommend everyone to go visit these cities. They were awesome! In Edinburgh I’ve seen Arthur’s Seat, from where you will have a great view over city and in London there is, of course, a lot of other sightseeing. All these things are typical English things, it doesn’t matter which university you go to, but the central location in England is what makes Lancaster unique. When you decide to follow an exchange program in England, you should really consider Lancaster because of this reason. From there it takes two hours to get to Edinburgh, or two and a half for London. Besides this useful central location, the campus is very modern, which I liked a lot. Almost all the buildings are new and a lot of things are arrangeable online. Also, the locals are very kind and are eager to welcome you. For example, on the first week, we, as a group of freshers, got lost in the city and a very kind couple came to us to help us out. I am still very thankful for that. You don’t get to experience this in the Netherlands nowadays. All these special moments have become great memories. I would not have experienced all these things I’ve seen and done if I stayed in the Netherlands. When you go out on exchange, it doesn’t matter wherever you go, you will experience a new way of life, you will always remember it as an awesome moment in life. I have heard this before, and now I experienced it by myself, and this was the main reason why I chose to participate in a study abroad program. In the beginning, it didn’t matter to me where I had to go, but as the deadline came closer I knew I had to go to Lancaster. I wanted to go to an English-speaking country and it also had to offer good opportunities for travelling. Lancaster had all of this! All the other small things Lancaster has offered me made my study abroad program complete. In short, in Lancaster I’ve experienced a legendary time of my life which I will never forget!
Studying in Dublin: A great Experience!
When I found out there was the possibility to go on exchange for one semester, I immediately knew this was something I had to do. For me, the main reasons to go on exchange were to improve my English and to have a great time in a foreign city. My first choice was Helsinki and my second was Dublin. I am glad that I did not get the place in Helsinki, because thus far I have had a great time in Dublin and really enjoy studying and living here. Currently a lot of students want to study in Dublin, this makes housing very expensive and hard to find. I’ve spent many hours looking for a room. I was even very close to renting a shared room which is quite common in Dublin, but of course I preferred my own. Luckily, I found a perfect place. I live in an apartment building with 400 other international students, who are all here to have a great time. As I said housing is expensive over here and I pay 240 per week, so if you’re considering going to Dublin you should keep that in mind. “The campus is in the city center so when you finish your classes you can immediately go to a pub and spend the rest of the day drinking Guinness.” The first two weeks were just an introduction period, in other words, the perfect time to meet new people and explore Dublin. The introduction organized by the university was nothing compared to the TOP-week. There were just a lot of parties but no real group who you spend your introduction week with. All the other international students in my apartment building were also looking forward to having a great time in Dublin. That resulted in going out every night for the first weeks and meeting new people. Quickly you start forming a group of friends. The biggest advantage of living with so many international students is that my friends come from all over the world, from Australia to the United States to Germany and France. Ireland and Dublin are known for their strange accent, the friendly people, a lot of pubs and of course Guinness. Every Irishman is very happy to help you if you don’t know the directions, although you might have difficulty understanding them because of their accent. In the city center there are many pubs where every night a live band is playing. “Ireland offers stunning landscapes, from beautiful mountains to the wild Atlantic coast line.” I study at Trinity College Dublin, which is the biggest and oldest university in Ireland. Studying in Ireland isn’t a big difference. I have lectures and tutorials just as in Tilburg. The only difference is that the buildings aren’t that modern. There is barely space on the desk during lectures and some professors still only use chalk and talk as a teaching method. Studying at Trinity also has many benefits, all over the world it is considered a prominent university. Everyday a lot of tourists walk on campus because of its beauty. This can also be annoying when you are in a hurry, but you learn to deal with it. The campus is in the city center so when you finish your classes you can immediately go to a pub and spend the rest of the day drinking Guinness. Ireland has more to offer than just the busy city life in Dublin. I live just a 10-minute walk to a beautiful park where you can relax and hang out on a free Sunday. If you’re lucky you can see deer or other wildlife. Another way to escape the city life is to take the train to Howth, it is a small village on the coast. You can go there just to relax on the pier or have some of the best fish and chips in Ireland. Ireland offers stunning landscapes, from beautiful mountains to the wild Atlantic coast line. Finally, the weather in Dublin is much better than I expected and even better than in the Netherlands. It rains a lot less than in The Netherlands and it isn’t that cold either. All in all, studying in Dublin is a great experience to develop yourself, improve your English and have a great time.
Study abroad in Kingston: A great experience!
When I started my bachelor Business Economics and heard that in the third year there was a possibility to go on exchange, I knew immediately that I wanted to go. It was a difficult choice to decide where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to a country outside of Europe, but I also wanted to go to country with a similar culture as The Netherlands. It also had to be a country where they speak English, as improving my English was one of the reasons to go on Exchange. Finally, I decided to go to Canada because of the beautiful nature and the great stories of other students. I have looked at all universities in Canada and decided for Queens to be number one. Kingston In the city Kingston is not so much to see when you compare it, for example, to Toronto and Vancouver. It is a real student city and it is nicely located at Lake Ontario. The size of the city is comparable to Tilburg. I live here with three other students from Tilburg University and I enjoy the life in Canada. Beer and food are more expensive here than the Netherlands. It is very funny that there are lots of house parties in Kingston. There is a student ghetto in Kingston where only students live. In the introduction week and with Homecoming, the greatest party of Kingston, all the streets, roofs and houses are filled with festive and drunk students. A disadvantage is that all clubs and bars in Downtown Kingston close at 2 a.m. Hence, we start earlier with pre-drinks. You also feel much better the next day, because you go to bed earlier. Queens University Queens University is a beautiful and large university with a very good reputation in Canada. Everyone in Canada, wherever you live, knows Queens. The faculty where I study is Smith School of Business. My classes are all in the same building. I want to travel in the weekend, so I only chose courses that don’t have class on Friday. The classes are very interactive at Queens. You are in class with a maximum of 55 students and the participation in class will be graded. I also only chose courses that have no final exam, so I have a lot of assignments. This means that I have to do a lot of things during the week. Luckily, I have a lot of free time in December to travel. Travel Canada is such a beautiful country, so I recommend everyone who goes to Canada to travel to see all the beautiful things of this country. In the begin of August, I flew with my family to Vancouver. I spent three weeks traveling with a camper in West-Canada. The Rocky Mountains and Vancouver Island are definitely a must-see. The nature is beautiful and there is a big chance to spot wildlife like bears, moose, orcas and much more. Thereafter, I went to Toronto (east of Canada) and there I met some other exchange students. From Kingston, I have also made wonderful trips: Niagara Falls, Québec City and some national/provincial parks. I also planned trips to Ottawa, the capital city, and Montréal. I recommend everyone to go on Exchange. The international experience is unforgettable. You make a lot of new friends and you also experience to live in another country. So many things happened in such a short period. A great experience!
Studying in Oslo, the green city: a great experience!
On first sight, Oslo is not the most attractive city for students: drinks are expensive, the weather is often lousy and in the fall it quickly gets dark. Obviously, I took these things into account when making my decision to choose a city for my study abroad period. Nonetheless, the fun, social and practical possibilities of this city, this country, this university, and studying abroad by itself, are endless. I have always had a weakness for Scandinavia, but ultimately I filtered out my destination. I wanted to stay in Europe and I wanted to study in a country in which, roughly, norms and values are similar to those of the Netherlands. Additionally, I wanted to study in a country that I had never visited before, which left only the Northern-European countries to choose from. Next, based on attractive universities and attractive cities, I selected BI Norwegian Business School as my number one destination! Oslo city Since my arrival in Oslo, I kept being amazed by the qualities and benefits of the city! As the title of this article may suggest, Oslo, in terms of nature, is the most green capital city in the world! Norwegians make great use of this in and around Oslo. I have seen many different men jogging while pushing their baby buggies forward! Who claimed that men cannot multitask? Moreover, the city is the exemplary for sustainability: a quarter of the cars driving around here is electrical, busses come by every five minutes and are overcrowded, and the air is clean due to the enormous amount of greenery in the city. This diversity in nature makes the city especially attractive to live in! Student housing, by the way, is arranged outstandingly by BI. They guarantee you have a room for your entire study abroad period! Myself, I got a room in the Bjølsen building, which is only 10 minutes away from university. Perfect! “Typical for Norwegians: on first sight they will just see which way the wind blows, but when you get to really know them, they will be friends for life!” BI Norwegian Business School The building of the Business School is by far the most modern one of all universities that I have seen so far. Nearly everything you need is incorporated in the building! A remarkable difference with education in Tilburg is the participation of students in lectures. Can you recall the moments in class that a lecturer raises a question and it is followed by a three minute deafening silence? Nothing is farther from the truth in respect to participation at BI, where the amount of students is far less and lecturers focus on open discussions. Here, I mainly chose Finance courses, but until now they are very similar to first and second year courses. That does give me the opportunity to do something besides my study: become a member of the Student Union: SBIO! I applied to SBIO Invest, which is comparable to A&F Investments. Unfortunately, I did not get selected. Therefore, I am now planning to join the Business Society and help organizing events that host guest speakers. In Norway, it is important to become a member of something, no matter what! Joining a group, committee or society, makes sure you are part of something and will ensure you that you will make friends for life! That is typical for Norwegians: on first sight they will just see which way the wind blows, but when you get to really know them, they will be friends for life! The rest of my time, I work out and try to meet new people. Cava Wednesday at KROA, the student café of BI, is where I spend most of my Wednesday evenings. Generally, friends bring other friends or acquaintances which they introduce to me. In this way, you get to know a lot of new people! Oslo ‘night’ life Going out in Oslo is totally different from Tilburg! There are plenty of nice bars and cafes, but most of the parties last until 02.00 and you pay ridiculously much for your beer: converted, roughly €10! Norway is simply much richer than the Netherlands, which inflates almost all prices and especially for beer! You should therefore aim for the house parties. By the way, when Norwegians party, they are nothing like themselves during the day. At daytime, Norwegians seem to be quite reserved, but at night (during and after the pre-party) they are the most open people on earth and they love to talk. “The international experience you get here is stunning!” Another event you definitely should not miss is the introduction week named Fadderullan! Unlike the Top-week in Tilburg, you may choose which days you would like to join and which days you stay at home. After all, the Fadderullan takes about 10 days and tickets for events generally cost more than 300 Norwegian kroner, which is roughly 33 euros… Nevertheless, there were some events I definitely did not want to miss: there was a performance by Lemaître, a famous Norwegian DJ-couple, a boat party, for which I could not get any tickets, and the final party with Galantis! Even when you could not get tickets for events, there was plenty to do during the week! All in all, I learned a lot of new people from all over the world while enjoying some drinks. Planning Obviously, I still have plenty to do here! Soon I will visit an old roommate in Stockholm! Next I am planning to visit Lillehammer, Copenhagen, Stavanger and Lapland! In Lapland I hope to see the Northern lights and make a trip of whale watching. Furthermore I want to make a couple of hikes in the areas surrounding Oslo and other Norwegian cities. Even though nearly everything is more expensive over here, and the weather is even worse than in the Netherlands, the international experience I get here is stunning! The city, the country and everything you experience during a study abroad semester, with no doubt, pay
Studying in Rome, the eternal city: an amazing experience!
Secretly I regretted that I haven’t been on exchange during my Bachelor. This is why I was really excited when I found out that I still had this chance during my Master! A study delay of half a year is totally worth it. After reading different kinds of information, I was sure: I wanted to go to Rome. A beautiful city with a different way of living, however still within Europe. I applied last-minute for my exchange and everything was arranged quickly. When I was departing to Rome, I thought about certain ideas (and prejudices) of the Italian culture. Especially the ‘loose way’ of living, where being in time is not the priority, would be a challenge for me (as I am a punctual Dutchman). I must admit that I needed some time to adjust, but after a while I thought the Italian way of living was fine. Life is going somewhat slower, however there is nothing wrong with it when you are used to it. Bureaucracy is a typical Italian phenomenon. You need to have a lot of patience when you want to arrange something. A great example is my application at the university. The office where you could register yourself was only opened three hours per week, only on Wednesday from 9 AM until 12 PM. With all the 200 exchange students who have to register themselves, it was not really practical and it was always really crowded. First, you had to bring eight copies of all your personal information and three passport photos. Then, you had to wait for three hours at the office. Once it is finally your turn, you receive a little piece of yellow paper. This piece of paper is to record your exam results. The whole administration system is still outdated, everything is registered on paper. In the office you will find large cabinets with ring binders filled with the information of all students. “The eternal city keeps on amazing me.” Above all else, Italians are really friendly and hospitable. Once, I have been to a football match in Frosinone on a Saturday, a little town near Rome. I could not find any tickets for the game, so fanatic supporters of Frosinone sneaked me into the stadium and treated me as their guest of honor the whole night. It was a great day, which really emphasized the hospitability and kindness. Living in Rome is like living in a museum. It might sound cliché, but there are só many things to see and do in Rome. My first weeks in Rome, when it was relatively calm in the city, I decided to visit all the well-known spots in Rome. The Colosseum, the St. Peter, Forum Romanum and so on. Starting from April, the high season of tourism starts and the old center is chock full. Luckily Rome has plenty of wonderful spots which is unknown by most tourists. For instance, the park Villa Borghese is a great place to relax on a sunny day. The neighborhood Trastevere is the place to be for a drink or go to a bar at night. Furthermore, I would also recommend biking over de Via Appia Antiva, with statues on your left and right side. Besides the world-famous statues, there are also many less well-known hidden pearls. I am convinced that even now, after half a year, I still haven’t seen it all. The eternal city keeps on amazing me. About the university. Universita Tor Vergata is located far from the city, in a sort of meadow. The university was built there in the 80s, with hope that it would attract the surroundings and more buildings would be build. However, that never happened. Near the university, there is nothing to do. Studying in Italy is way different than studying in the Netherlands. I am taking five master’s courses, however you cannot compare them to my Master Accountancy in Tilburg. The level is way lower, the education is not academic, and when the professor asks for discussion in the class room, it is not an open discussion. The students give their opinion on a subject, and the professor will tell you whether your answer is right or wrong. At the point that the professor has told something, you cannot contradict it. The style of education is authoritarian and doesn’t stimulate students to think critically. Furthermore, classes always start one half hour later than planned, if they are even taught that day. It has happened to me quite often that I went to university, but there was no class planned. One thing that really amazed me are exams. Most of the times, there is only one superintendent for more than 50 students. During the exams, students copy each other’s notes and discuss the exam questions together. However, nothing is done about it. The exam questions are mostly just duplicated what you have studied. Once your exam has been graded, your grade will be registered on your yellow piece of paper. This is done while you are making your next exam of that course. As of then, your grade is valid. There is an online system for your grades, however they don’t use it. Obviously there are several differences in culture comparing it to the Netherlands, but this is really extreme. I have often wondered about all the states on the university, but I have learnt to not worry about the issues I normally would have worried about in the Netherlands. I really learnt to enjoy all the beauty of this city. If you are going on exchange for an academic experience, Rome is not the best recommendation, but life in Rome is really delightful. The city, the culture, the way of living, everything. I certainly don’t regret it, it was a great experience! – This article is translated by an editor of Faces Online
