If you are from abroad and are considering studying in the Netherlands, I will wholeheartedly recommend it. However, I also suggest that you make full preparations. Below I have listed six useful suggestions, which I hope to know before I start my life as an international student in the Netherlands.
1. Find a place to live before moving.
Fortunately, just before I moved to Holland, UvA provided me with a house and I had a place to live for half a year. Before they provide me with accommodation, my plan is just to go to Amsterdam and see what I can find. That's all wet!
At our first briefing for all international students, the headmaster asked who had accommodation. I am one of the few people who raised their hands. I want to say that more than two thirds of the people in that room have no place to live. I dug a little and found that many people are camping and going to work outside the city with their things!
If you find it difficult to find accommodation, you should check the IamExpat housing page, or other rental websites such as Pararius. In addition, please check the tips on how to avoid being cheated. Personally, I will find accommodation in Zandan, Utrecht or Haram, because accommodation in these cities may be much cheaper than Amsterdam!
Prepare for college
When I joined UvA, I could immediately see that it was completely different from the university I attended in England. From the first class, we were told that if we missed three classes, we would be removed from the class. I hope you can complete all the reading settings in class. If you don't do this, you will soon be left behind.
I don't want you to leave the university in Holland, but you must be prepared for what they ask of you. Studying at the University of Virginia is stressful, but enjoyable. My suggestion: study hard and write down what you like to learn in a year, because it will be easier to choose the topic of your thesis as soon as possible.
Buy health insurance
Before I moved to Holland, I didn't consider health insurance at all. This is mainly because medical care in Britain is free (to some extent anyway), but everyone living or working in the Netherlands must have private medical care, even international students.
You may be severely punished for not having insurance! When you move to the Netherlands, it is very important to buy health insurance as soon as possible. You may be severely punished for not having insurance, which also makes you feel at ease. You really don't want to use the Dutch health care system and end up paying 400 euros for an ambulance! In addition, health insurance can give you some important services (especially for students), such as psychological and sexual health clinics.
Step 4 find a job
Amsterdam is expensive, really expensive. The good news is that it is relatively easy to find a job in Holland. Many shops, cafes, cinemas and restaurants are always looking for extra temporary employees. In addition, the minimum wage is usually quite high, with 265,438+65,438+00 euros per hour for people aged 0 and above. Before I worked at IamExpat, I worked as a chef in a restaurant.
Buy a bike
Public transport in Holland is very expensive. Fortunately, this country is very flat, cycling is not only easy, but also almost the main mode of transportation! Thanks to the special bicycle lanes all over the country, you can visit various cities in the Netherlands quickly and conveniently.
Bicycles can be very expensive; A second-hand bicycle may cost more than 100 euros, while a new one may cost between 150 and 500 euros. Electricity bills can run into thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, although bicycles are expensive, riding bicycles can save you a lot of public transportation costs and make you healthy immediately.
Know the city
As I said, Amsterdam and other Dutch cities are very expensive. However, by exploring and trying different things, there are many ways to enjoy life without spending a lot of money. I can spend hours talking about everything you can do in Holland, but what's the fun? Go out and explore!
The two suggestions I will share with you are: try different supermarkets. Places like Albert Heijn offer branded products, but they are much more expensive than places like Vomar. Secondly, knowing where your student status is can save you money and ensure that you make use of your student status.
One last piece of advice
I have an extra suggestion for you, so you should feel lucky because I said you will only get six. To tell the truth, this is not entirely a suggestion, but it is also worth knowing. Don't be put on because you don't know Dutch-the whole country can speak and understand English almost perfectly.
This is not to say that you should not try to learn a language. Actually, it's just the opposite. The Dutch are very grateful to those who try to speak Dutch, even if it is simple Alsjeblieft! Just don't let language factors affect your decision to study in Holland.