Tips for Exchange Students, by Exchange Students
I asked some of the friends I met during my exchange to share some tips for all of you future exchange students, here’s their advice:
Elijah
On exchange from: Singapore
Home University: National University of Singapore
Studying: Life Sciences
Have an open mind! Living and studying in a new country can be daunting at first, but it is important to be open to all possibilities! You will learn a lot about yourself through exchange, and you will gravitate towards things you enjoy doing more! Especially in the context of travelling and experiencing new countries and cultures alone, I’d say be most open to that, because exploration really makes exchange a fulfilling and enriching experience!
Julia
On exchange from: Sweden
Home University: Lund University
Studying: Law
My advice is to spend some time preparing before you go. If you’re going to study in a country like the Netherlands, where there is a housing crisis, it’s important to start looking for accommodation early. Since I studied law, we could choose our own courses, and by checking out the options beforehand, it was much easier to decide which ones to take. Remember, though, that you can’t prepare for everything. Some things will need to be sorted out once you’re there, and that’s part of what makes the exchange both challenging and exciting.
Ala
On exchange from: Poland / Sweden
Home University: Karolinska Institute
Studying: Biomedicine
Firstly, do NOT skip the introduction week. There’s so much information and organisational things you need to know beforehand, and the intro week is very helpful in providing you with those. It’s also a great time to meet new people who could potentially become your exchange buddies! Secondly, Albert Heijn, as popular as it is, is super overpriced. If you want to save up on the groceries, opt for Dirk or Jumbo.* Lastly, remember to have fun! At the end of the day, what you take with you from this experience are the people you met and the memories you made. Seize opportunities to see new places, try new foods and discover the Dutch culture. My goal for this exchange was to say “why not” instead of “no” to things and safe to say I loved it!
*Editor’s note: This is specific to the Netherlands
Bingxuan
On exchange from: Singapore
Home University: National University of Singapore
Studying: Life Sciences
Search for housing in the Netherlands early on and try to secure accommodation as early as possible. (The Netherlands has a severe housing shortage.)
Belinda
On exchange from: Singapore
Home University: National University of Singapore
Studying: Life Sciences and Psychology
Don’t assume you have lots of time here, live it to the fullest since the beginning of exchange!
Rebecca
On exchange from: United Kingdom
Home University: Newcastle University
Studying: Pharmacology
To try and learn at least the basics of the language in the place where you are going because it makes it less overwhelming when suddenly everyone is speaking a language you aren’t used to, even if you don’t know enough to talk to people it makes it less unsettling if you’re somewhat familiar hearing it.
Savannah
On exchange from: United Kingdom
Home University: SOAS University of London
Studying: Social Anthroplogy
One practical tip from me would be to sort out all your medical and government documents as soon as you arrive so that you can enjoy the rest of your stay stress free.
Maren
On exchange from: Germany
Home University: University of Tübingen
Studying: Molecular Medicine
I would recommend trying to get to know some people that share your interests outside of university. Friends outside your study program can be great to get your mind off the uni stuff for a while and to go on trips with (although that can also work with study mates, of course). I made some good experiences sharing an accommodation with other international students and now I have friends from all over the world. But you will also find an international community by joining a study association like the Erasmus Network (ESN) or an international working group like the UNICEF student team of the university.
Jiayi
On exchange from: Singapore
Home University: National University of Singapore
Studying: Data science and analytics
Have some reset days to rest, it helps to slow things down when life is moving too fast for you to comprehend.
That’s it for the advice, I hope you found it helpful!
If you’re still debating whether or not you should be going on exchange, I have one last post in the making that I think you’ll find helpful, so I’ll see you in my next (and last) entry!
Rebekah
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