Hello, my name is Bradley and I have spent the last 11 months studying at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands specifically within the Arts Faculty. I am a third year (going into fourth year) BA Film and English student.
When I began my year abroad I was filled with nerves and excitement for the potential opportunities and challenges I may have had to face being in another country. But, my time here in The Netherlands has been one of the most valuable years in my academic and social experience.
Learning here has been a blast for me, having the opportunity to learn from a different perspective on topics I had learnt before was eye opening. The methods of teaching combined with using different sources to teach on the topics allowed me to see other paths that I hadn’t known before I went abroad. Not to mention the topics which I previously had next to no knowledge on which I learned about here has also given me the ability to investigate other paths for my journey beyond academics.
As such, should you consider doing a year, or semester, abroad I would like to provide some advice which I learned in my time here abroad:
- 1) Never be afraid to ask questions. Really! While you might feel like whatever you don’t understand might make you feel like you don’t know anything there is nothing wrong with asking for clarity. This could be anything from what does a specific word mean to how do you sort out the trash (another thing you will learn is just how different other countries approach waste management). Overall, if you don’t know something, asking about it always helps.
- 2) If they speak a different language, learn basic words. When I first began my year here I knew next to no Dutch and would sometimes get approached by dutch speakers asking for help. After a few seconds of stammering I would say I didn’t know the language very well and they would either speak in english or use body language to help communicate. But each of these encounters would tech me a new word or sentance which I could use to practice in later conversations. While the Dutch language is very similar to english (at least in writing) if you want to make the most of your time here or in another country learning basic words or phrases really can go a long way. Though one small piece of advice for those interested in going abroad to the Netherlands: if you want to buy squash (like robinsons) just remember that in Dutch you would be looking for Siroop (one brand would be Karvan Cévitam) instead (it took me three weeks to realise that, until then i just assumed they didn’t sell squash of any kind!
- 3) Organisation is key. When you move abroad, especially for a year, you will need to interact with the government of whatever country you wise to study/ work in. And this will often involve getting visas, registering with a municipality (local council/ governing body), etc. While this can be tedious, it doesn’t have to be if you know whats happening before hand. In my case I did some basic explorations and research before my year abroad began, looking on google maps at different routes or places i think would be interesting/ important for me to know the location of etc. You don’t have to do it, but it certainly helps.
- 4) Relearn money. Another thing you will have to deal with is a difference in currency. And as a result, you will no longer know how much everything should cost. So when you move abroad, don’t be surprised to see everything look too expensive for what they are. In the beginning you will need to rethink what constitues as ‘expensive’ (looking online at what others have said about the cost of living in your target country always helps!).
Regardless, the Netherlands is a beautiful place, and my experience of Groningen has been amazing to have. From Trips to Amsterdam where I saw beautiful art which inspired Van Gogh’s style to the Canals and Cities this country has to offer. There is no doubt in my mind that I will certainly visit this country again in the future.
Overall, I would say that my time abroad has been one of the most valuable years I have spent abroad, academically, or even socially. Getting to know the ups and downs of other cultures, the ways I differed from my peers, or even noticing how different the same foods can taste has all been extremely valuable to me in understanding more about the world around me. So, to anyone who would be interested in doing a year or even a semester abroad I would truly reccomend doing it!
-Bradley Angel-Tower