{"id":101016,"date":"2019-07-25T13:01:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T11:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=101016"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:24","slug":"you-never-get-bored-of-living-in-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/07\/25\/you-never-get-bored-of-living-in-the-netherlands\/","title":{"rendered":"‘You never get bored of living in the Netherlands’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Upon arriving at Het Park in the west side of Rotterdam, German IBCoM student Anabel Arndt (22) already feels serene. \u201cI usually hang out in Kralingse Bos close to university, but this park is also quite chill. If the weather allows, I personally love going to parks and just spending time with friends\u201d. It is a typical cloudy day in Rotterdam, yet the park is brimming with colorful flora and perfectly trimmed gardens that feel welcoming to any visitor, even on a cloudy day.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPietro Vigilanza<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Unique to Het Park in Rotterdam is the Space Needle-like structure, the Euromast, which gives its viewers a perfect panoramic view of the city. From its 185 meters high vantage point you can see all important sights of Rotterdam, such as the Markthal or the Erasmus Bridge, and even have a gaze at neighboring cities Delft and The Hague in the distance.<\/p>\n

How did you initially decide upon the Netherlands and Rotterdam?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI was finishing my high school diploma at Dusseldorf in an international school, and I knew I wanted to study in English. Holland was quite close so I decided to apply initially to RSM. The reason I chose Holland and particularly Rotterdam, is because I heard great things about the city and I had also the opportunity to visit the city. I really like that Rotterdam doesn\u2019t have the traditional Dutch city feeling and has a quite a young vibe to it. Young in the sense that there are many students, there are student events, there are a lot of start-ups, and during the evening a lot of young people are walking around the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe architecture itself is quite recent. It\u2019s not the traditional old Dutch architecture that you can see inthe other cities\u2013\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty sure Rotterdam is the only city with a tower like this one for example. The university was also an important factor. The UK has good universities, but it is quite expensive, so Holland was a really good alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

In regards to the language, did you ever feel it was an issue?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSince I speak German and English it is quite easy for me to understand Dutch, and sometimes I try to speak some Dutch with the locals. Language is really not an issue; everyone speaks English \u2013 from the older generations to the younger children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was it easy to make Dutch friends?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, to be honest I don\u2019t really have many Dutch friends. I can\u2019t say that I am fully integrated to the country, but I do feel Dutch people are friendly. My impression initially was that they were too direct. At the beginning it bothered me\u2013 No! Actually thinking about it, at the beginning I was not aware that people here are so direct, but over time I got used to it. At some point I also became quite direct with people.<\/p>\n

Dutch people often keep their Dutch circles, and I didn\u2019t really meet Dutch people in my studies for that reason. I think it\u2019s normal since people simply gravitate towards the people they feel more comfortable with. During the start, I initially spoke with people from my own nationality or other international students.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you do for fun in Rotterdam?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to fun I really like to spend time with my friends going out to the park or for drinks. Night life in Rotterdam is good, but limited compared to cities like Amsterdam which offer more variety. Amsterdam is just more chaotic\u2013 it can be a Monday night in Amsterdam, and the streets are still full with people.<\/p>\n

During summer there are a lot of music festivals in the Netherlands which I do enjoy a lot. I recently went to Lentekabinet festival located in a small forest. There is a lot of music to discover in the Netherlands and in almost every genre.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you particularly like about the city and the Netherlands?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I like the most from Rotterdam is that it is still quite a big city, but it doesn\u2019t feel that big. It is really easy to get around the city, and even to travel to other cities such as The Hague or Amsterdam. With the train you can be in any city within an hour time which makes it easy to travel during the weekends. I really like going to Utrecht. The city looks pretty old with its architecture, and there are really nice places where you can sit next to the canals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also like going to this place called Giethoorn, which is really cute. The place looks like it came straight out of a Snow White fairytale.\u201d<\/p>\n

How about the food here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the biggest fan of the Dutch food. I don\u2019t even like the fried snacks\u2013 they are so \u00a0basic. Actually, I would call it \u2018efficient\u2019 in the sense that the usual Dutch sandwiches and dips are very portable, and other things like \u2018bitterballen\u2019 are made from leftover meat. There are a few other good places in Rotterdam for dishes like ramen, but in general I think the city has to improve on that aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon descending the Euromast, Anabel reveals that she is quite content with the culmination of her studies \u2013 she just finished her three-year bachelor and is about to start her masters in September. \u201cI\u2019m staying in Rotterdam for another year for my masters in Marketing at RSM. Overall I\u2019m happy that I\u2019m staying another year in the city, I never really get bored of the Netherlands and Rotterdam. After my masters I will see where I decide to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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More internationals going to touristic places<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t