Think quaint old-timey university buildings, windmills, tulips for days and more bikes than people – this is the small city of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands where Kate spent an entire semester studying at the University of Groningen, earlier this year.
“It was so easy to romanticise my life, just getting on my bike and cycling around.”
Kate recalls, “I think the best part was settling into this new town and getting to know the culture and their way of life.” “And doing that with other international students meant that I got to learn from them.”
Currently studying a double degree in engineering and arts at ANU, Kate was drawn to the technical problem-solving side of engineering and understanding the broader socio-cultural contexts of these real-world problems. “The benefit of studying a double degree is that I get to study quite different subjects every semester, it gives me a really diverse perspective.”
Day in the life in Groningen
Studying abroad wasn’t just about biking to her classes, learning about Dutch video games, watching Dutch films and witnessing the most beautiful sunsets sitting by a canal – it was the rich international student community that made the experience truly special.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
During her first week in the Netherlands, Kate was grouped with other exchange students. “I got to make heaps of friends from around the world.” While settling into a completely new place, doing it with other international students meant she could learn not just about the Dutch way of life, but also about other cultures from around the world, drawing parallels to her own experiences back home. She says, “We didn’t have much in common, but I think that’s what made it great.”
Now in her fourth year of study, Kate hopes to work in sustainability in the future. “It gives you a niche perspective,” she says. “For example, in a lot of group projects, we have to consider the social side of an engineering project and so it really helps bring a different perspective to your studies.”
During her semester break, she got to travel to other parts of Europe, visiting family and catching the Northern Lights in Iceland.
Reminiscing about her semester abroad, “I’d do it all over again,” she says, smiling. “You just really have to embrace it and savour it.”
She describes the Netherlands as “the perfect place to go on exchange. It’s like Australia but different enough that you still feel challenged.” With its high student population, warm and English-speaking populace, the Netherlands made Kate feel at home—whilst keeping life fun and spontaneous.
Advice for future exchange students
Kate encourages anyone thinking about studying a semester abroad to start planning early and seek advice from ANU staff and other students.
“It can feel difficult to make an exchange program work with a degree like engineering with so many foundation course requirements,” she says. “If you know what semester you plan to go on exchange, it is easy to design your course load to have a semester of electives or courses that are easy to find credits for overseas. I left my planning a little late, however CECC student services and ANU academics were incredibly helpful and willing to help with making the exchange a possibility.”
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