Madalina Postelnicu (20), Romania
24 Mar 2011
Bachelor's in Tourism and Leisure Management, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Deventer
One must-know tip for new students is to not miss the introduction week. This week is really important for building your social network and getting to know lots of people with whom you’ll have a lot of fun during your entire study period.
After arriving in Holland, the university helped me integrate in the culture and society. The first thing I did after my arrival was discover the city I was planning to live in for the coming years.
Dutch hospitality
What surprised me most about Holland and the Dutch people is their hospitality. I was impressed that no matter where you go, there are always people willing to help and support you.
After one year of living in Holland I can say that I know enough Dutch to make myself understood in the supermarket and cafés. I am not able yet to speak fluent Dutch but since all Dutch people will speak English to you it is not necessary to know it.
As regards education, the biggest shock for me was the relationship between students and teachers in Holland. In my culture, the teachers are situated up very high, but in Holland they are almost like one of the students. They even have casual chats with us, just to ask how we are doing. So far I haven’t found anything that I don’t like about the way of teaching and I hope that it will stay like this.
