Hi! My name is Issi, and I have just returned from an incredible year in Groningen, Netherlands. I could not suggest a year abroad more, so through this, I will break it down into three aspects: academic, social and personal. This will help demonstrate how fulfilling a year abroad is!
Academic
Groningen University, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, is one of the top 100 universities in the world. It has such a rich history, having been open since 1614 and having five Nobel Prize winners as alumni. In comparison to Southampton, it is very different. The classes, in my experience, are more personal. They focus on ‘leminars’, which are a mix of lectures and seminars, so that you are engaging in the topic instead of being talked at for two hours. Likewise, they prefer handwritten notes instead of digital ones. In some classes, they banned computers as the lecturer found them distracting. This was a big change for me as I have been used to digital note-taking for the past two years. Yet, the biggest challenge I found was the exams. In Southampton, I had never taken an exam. All my work had been essays, which I love. I found exams extremely difficult as I didn’t like the timed element, and it was a big thing for me to grasp. Furthermore, the marking was incredibly harsh. The stereotype of the Dutch being blunt rang true in feedback, as they did not beat around the bush! Unlike the UK, a 40%, or 4 in the Netherlands, was not a pass. You have to score a 5.5, 55%, or higher in order to pass the class. While this was not a challenge, I saw a lot of people failing classes because they had 54% or lower, which was slightly daunting.
Social
Groningen has an exquisite nightlife! There are so many options for bars, for each and every vibe. We went to many different bars to experience all the wonders of Groningen. These are especially alive during King’s Day. This is a celebration of the Dutch King where everyone comes together and drinks, a lot! There are also loads of sociable activities that don’t involve drinking. In the middle of town, there is City Beach. This is a manmade beach which came in handy during the heatwave. We also all had bikes, rentable from Swapfiets, so cycling everywhere was a must! My favourite memories are cycling back with all my friends, chatting and giggling while swerving from each other as we were still getting used to it!
A perk of being in the Netherlands was the easy access to other European countries. While there, I travelled around the Netherlands to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Frisland and the Hague, but also got to go to Brussels and Stockholm. This was so much fun as we got to see parts of the country we had never heard of. In Stockholm, we got to visit the ABBA museum, which has always been a dream of mine. I feel so grateful that I was able to travel while studying and have these experiences.
My most notable experience of the year was running the Groningen half-marathon. I had taken up running when I first got there in September to help me navigate my new city. The half marathon was difficult, but it was such a rewarding expereince and a beautiful way to end my year. I had all my friends from the year supporting me plus my family! I am forever going to cherrish that day, despite crying round the whole route!
Personal
This year has been a personal challenge for me. Moving abroad is very different to living at Southampton University. You are away from all comforts, you have to watch your friends back home have fun and graduate while trying to enjoy this experience given. Yet, I wouldn’t change a thing! I made lifelong friends in Groningen and discovered a city I had never heard of. I tested myself and my mental strength, as you do spend a lot of time alone, but the personal gain outweighs everything. Personally, I believe I have come back with a better sense of myself, more of an understanding of the difficulties of being abroad and an appreciation for being on my own.
If I could give three pieces of advice, they would be:
- Do everything! Don’t miss out, otherwise what’s the point?!?
- Trust yourself. You are going to be in situations that seem scary and out of your comfort zone, but you will be fine and you will have fun
- Enjoy it. It will go quicker than you want. It feels like I was only dropped off last week so trust me, enjoy every last moment.