{"id":128775,"date":"2021-07-16T13:31:04","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T11:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=128775"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:43","slug":"these-international-students-went-back-home-but-yearn-to-return-to-rotterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/07\/16\/these-international-students-went-back-home-but-yearn-to-return-to-rotterdam\/","title":{"rendered":"These international students went back home, but yearn to return to Rotterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three prospective second-year international students who chose to leave the Netherlands during lockdown share their experience and thoughts on students\u2019 life away from the Netherlands. Though going back home was the best option, they look forward to come back to Rotterdam this September.<\/p>\n

Haruhi Sakaki (Psychology) has been back in Osaka (Japan) for two months now. Yushan Cho (Econometrics) went back to Taiwan at the beginning of May with one of her friends. They look forwarded to coming back for a fresh new start in September. After leaving the Netherlands for Curacao last November and having come back in May, Seajae Sambo (Law and Business Administration) is enjoying studying here after studying at home for six months.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s no point in staying here\u2019<\/h2>
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Yushan Cho in Taiwan<\/span><\/p>

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Haruhi Sakaki left Rotterdam two months ago. Besides having some issues with her landlady, online classes tired her. After hanging in there for almost the whole academic year, she felt that \u201cthere was no point in staying here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yushan Cho made the same decision for similar reasons at around the same time, going back to Taoyuan (Taiwan) at the beginning of May. Seajae Sambo, who went back to Cura\u00e7ao in November 2020, found the little-to-no social life under strict lockdown in the Netherlands demotivating for her as a social person. \u201cI lived in Utrecht, where I don\u2019t have any friends nearby. I needed to get away from being inside too much. It\u2019s better back home in Cura\u00e7ao. We couldn\u2019t party there either, but at least eating in a restaurant was allowed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Way back home<\/h2>

Taking a flight was a challenge for Haruhi. Given that the Japanese government was strict on how the covid-test was taken and checking this before boarding, Haruhi took two PCR tests before the flight. \u201cIt was stressful.\u201d Haruhi frowns. \u201cThe first test I took was not qualified. And I didn\u2019t make it to the second appointment. The third time it finally worked.\u201d After landing in Japan, she was tested again and quarantined in a designated hotel for two weeks.<\/p>\n

Saejae and Yushan were relatively luckier. They didn\u2019t encounter significant difficulties regarding the tests, flights and following quarantines.<\/p>\n

Time difference and deadlines<\/h2>

Looking back, the three freshmen had different feelings about their lives at home. For Saejae, it was the retreat that she exactly needed. \u201cBefore I went back, I wasn\u2019t depressed but already on the edge of it. I got much better at home with family and friends. I couldn\u2019t imagine what my life would be if I were to stay in the Netherlands longer,\u201d she says. But she returned to the Netherlands after six months, because \u201cthe time difference made it hard to keep up with the deadlines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Haruhi Sakaki in Japan<\/span><\/p>

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Yushan shares the same struggles. Besides online classes scheduled as late as 11pm in her time zone, the feeling of disconnected continues. \u201cI and my classmates only meet at online tutorials, or sometimes during study sessions. That\u2019s it. And they are the closest friends I got in my program for the entire year, which is kinda sad.\u201d Yushan sighs. She also found it hard to maintain communication with her professors. \u201cWhen I had questions, I first turned to Google, then to fellow students, and only then to the professors,\u201d she explains. But \u201cthe happy side\u201d was that she could be with her family and more friends at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Haruhi, staying at home felt like a vacation to her, which is, from her point of view, not necessarily the best for studying. \u201cIt\u2019s chill. But I felt that my English-speaking skills decreased because I don\u2019t have many chances to speak English outside the online classes.\u201d Haruhi chuckles. \u201cMy routine is different from everyone else in the house. And with more distractions, I tend to procrastinate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018I want to go back to Rotterdam\u2019<\/h2>

The difficulties and problems didn\u2019t keep the first-years from staying hopeful. Seajae returned to the Netherlands in April, which was \u201cthe right time\u201d, according to her. \u201cI have a goal to achieve as a student,\u201d Seajae says firmly. After being mentally recharged from being surrounded by her support system, she was, once again, motivated to study. And the limited social activities then became an opportunity for her to stay focused. \u201cAfter coming back to the Netherlands, my grades went up a lot,\u201d she smiles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Haruhi misses her friends and life here Rotterdam very much. \u201cI stopped checking Instagram stories at some point because I get jealous of my friends\u2019 life here. It also feels weird to study from so far away. If I were in Rotterdam, I could at least go to campus and be in the vibe of students.\u201d She looks forward to a fresh new start after summer, not worrying, even about the seemingly hardest issue, housing. \u201cIn the worst-case scenario, I still have my friends\u2019 place to stay at for a while,\u201d Haruhi says, hopeful. \u201cI want to go back to Rotterdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yushan also wants to come back to Rotterdam in September and turn her online friends into offline friends. Besides the fellow students she met in classes, she met a penpal online and has been exchanging letters and wishes to see him when she\u2019s back. \u201cWe actually met once, weeks before I left. I plan to send him a letter from home. I hope to see him again in Rotterdam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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