Natalija's Exchange to Utrecht University of Applied Sciences | The Netherlands
Student exchange was something I always wanted to do but
did not think I would have the courage. It is a chance to discover a new
culture, see a new country and meet so many new people, all while completing
your studies at the same time. I am a person who loves travelling and exploring
more than anything but the thought of going alone and for such a long time made
me nervous. Although I was very scared and anxious, I knew that I would regret
missing out on this experience if I did not go. I was lucky enough to study in
Utrecht, Netherlands. It is a small little town not too far from Amsterdam,
everyone here owned a bike and considered it their primary form of
transportation. One of the best things about Utrecht was the fact that it was a
student city, so nearly everyone you meet is either a Dutch student or an
international student. I enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with so
many like-minded individuals and knowing I could meet students from all around
the globe nearly everywhere I went.
To prepare for this journey I spent a lot of time on the
internet googling everything possible about the Netherlands; I wanted to be
prepared for the culture, weather, people and lifestyle. I read about other
students’ experiences and tried to make myself a list of all the main places I
would like to visit there. I also attended all the Murdoch pre-departure
sessions which helped me meet other students who were also going on this
journey and realise that everyone was a little nervous. Murdoch also reminded
us of all the essential documentation we needed to bring and what information we
should find out about our destination to make sure we are safe in case of any
emergencies. It was hard to imagine I was leaving my family and friends for a
while, but the new experience excited me.
Studying in the Netherlands was quite different from
Murdoch, they are not as flexible with the contact time at the University.
Being an exchange student, I was glad that my class only had 30 people and that
we all attended the same classes throughout the whole semester. This gave me a
chance to get to know all my classmates as well as feel more included. Having
mostly Dutch students in my class made the experience even better, this gave me
an opportunity to meet locals and those from all around the Netherlands. After
the first week we all got quite close and would organise class BBQs and outings
where we could all hangout. Due to most of my assignments involving group work,
we would often meet around the university or at each other houses to work on
the assignments as well as hang out. While this is very different from the way
assignments are done at Murdoch, being an exchange student this made it easier
for me to make friends and complete assignments. I loved how accepting and
welcoming all my classmates were, they all made sure that every exchange
student felt included and would go out of their way to show us around and
explain specific university policies.
When I was not in class or with my classmates, I would
hang out with my roommates and neighbours. I feel so blessed for meeting all
the people that I did during this experience, especially my roommate Giulia who
became my best friend in that short time. Giulia and I would share everything
while living together; we would go grocery shopping, hang out all the time and
support each other. Living in the student village made it super easy to make
friends, I knew most of my neighbours and we would either organise a dinner,
games night, movie nights or parties together all the time. I would see them
every day which made it so much more fun. I met people from all over the world
including Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Finland, Chile, Switzerland, Mexico,
Belgium, Germany, the USA and Morocco. I was also quite close with my
housemates; I lived with three girls one was my roommate Giulia who was from
Italy, another was Wendy from South Korea and Nakita from Melbourne, Australia.
We would frequently organise ‘family dinners’ together and cook for each other.
Sitting here now, trying to put all the amazing things I
experienced and the even more amazing people I met into words is difficult. I
honestly do not know where to begin. It was an experience I will cherish for
the rest of my life! It made me push myself to try new things and experiences.
I am now more confident and have more faith in myself and what I can achieve. It
allowed me to become more independent while also learning to be more aware of
different cultures and customs. I have become a more open and accepting person
who now goes out of my way to meet new people and try new experiences.
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