{"id":142598,"date":"2022-08-09T11:55:42","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T09:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=142598"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:22","slug":"this-is-how-first-years-find-a-room-friends-and-a-decent-place-to-study-tips-for-you-from-senior-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/08\/09\/this-is-how-first-years-find-a-room-friends-and-a-decent-place-to-study-tips-for-you-from-senior-students\/","title":{"rendered":"This is how first-years find a room, friends and a decent place to study. Tips for you from senior students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you feeling a bit nervous about starting your studies and Eurekaweek? You’re not the only one. These senior students were too and are sharing their best advice with you for an unforgettable time studying at university.<\/p>\n

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Beer cantus during Eurekaweek 2018. <\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

A lot of senior students remember what it was like for them: You still feel like a secondary school student and in secondary school, everything felt familiar. But that time is now suddenly over. You are going off to study at a big university. So, what happens now? These seniors have the answers.<\/p>\n

How do I meet fun people?<\/h2>

You may well find yourself in a flurry of social events in the first few weeks. These events are where you can easily meet people. Third-year International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics (IBEB) student Camille Rocke (21) did not know anyone when she came to Rotterdam. \u201cI got to know almost all my friends through Eurekaweek or the introduction weekend of the study programme. For someone who came from France without any friends or anyone else, it was such a relief to get to know so many people there.\u201d<\/p>\n

For second-year International Bachelor Arts and Culture student Anja Tsalko (21), it did not quite work out that way. She did not hit it off with the first-year students of her first bachelor International Business Administration. Yet she did find a way to fix that. \u201cI met almost all my friends and my current partner through Tinder. I looked for people who I thought would be genuinely fun to hang out with, with the same interests and that was a great success. Occasionally, there were people who had other expectations from a Tinder date, but more often than not, I ended up making a friend or a casual acquaintance with someone even if there was no romantic follow-up to the first date. It is important that you don\u2019t have any expectations about a date, then you can just have fun.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Your chances of finding a place to live with your own front door are ten times better if you and a friend pretend to be a couple \u2018\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

How do I find a room?<\/h2>

Medical student Dino Ga\u010devi\u0107 (23) can highly recommend the student housing cooperative Stadswonen, even if there is a waiting list. You have to wait at least eight months for a place to live, but it is worth it. \u201cIf you are on the list and there is a place to live, you can then get a rent subsidy and your own large room. You are also given priority if you want to move on somewhere else. From the age of 17, I lived in a house belonging to this cooperative with older housemates. That was really nice and it taught me to be independent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Master\u2019s student in Media culture and society Polina Kuzmina (23) has been responding to everything. \u201cIt is very difficult to find a house in Rotterdam, so keep on responding! International students like me should always ask if they are allowed to register. If you don\u2019t register, you can be deported. After all, your chances of finding a place to live with your own front door are ten times better if you and a friend pretend to be a couple. Landlords like the idea of couples because they think they will party less.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where do I get the motivation to study?<\/h2>

What helped master\u2019s student in Criminology Luuk van Tol (26) was that he was challenged to ask critical questions during his studies. \u201cIf that leads to more interesting interactions in the lecture hall, it motivates you to do your best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should I quit if things are not going well?<\/h2>

Studying costs money, grades are important, and if you are not enjoying it, you are wasting your time. But that does not mean that you should just quit when things are not going well. Third-year IBEB and Law student Robina Sediqi (19) loathed the accounting course in her first term. Yet, in retrospect she does not regret that she kept on going with her studies. \u201cIf you are thinking about quitting, at least stay on until the second term so you can make a well-informed decision. In fact, I actually found my studies more interesting later on and I was able to see the big picture more clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

How do I make it easier to study?<\/h2>

Studying can be extremely difficult, according to Anja, if you don\u2019t look into how you can find the best way to study. Which is why she tested out several study methods last academic year. \u201cIn the first block, I read all the literature, while in the second block I didn\u2019t read as much but paid extremely close attention during the lectures. The latter worked better for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polina can relate to experimenting, but for her, structure is especially important. \u201cWhat really helped me was that at the start of a block, I made a schedule of what I had to do. I then went through the material at regular times with people who were just as driven as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Information market for first-year students during Eurekaweek. <\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018On campus it\u2019s possible to study in empty study group rooms\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

How can I improve my concentration?<\/h2>

It may seem easier to concentrate than it is. For IBEB and philosophy student Tomas Havranek (23), for instance, finding a good, quiet study place was a precondition for being able to do his assignments. And he has found that place. \u201cOn campus it\u2019s possible to study in empty study group rooms. It can be really quiet there. Especially once you find your own secret places. Now that I am almost finished anyway, I can highly recommend the third floor of the Van der Goot building. You\u2019ve got plenty of space and a beautiful view there.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Luuk, it was harder to be able to concentrate. He suffers from aphasia, a disorder that in the form that he has is similar to dyslexia. \u201cIf you have a condition that makes it more difficult to study, it\u2019s best to let the study advisor know as soon as possible. Then the study advisor will be aware of your situation and you won\u2019t need to tell them again if you are experiencing problems. You can also request study facilities, such as extra time for exams, which can help you during your studies.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018It wasn\u2019t until I made time for friends that I started to feel better\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Am I only living to study?<\/h2>

That\u2019s exactly what Robina wondered about as a first-year student. \u201cI was overwhelmed by the amount of lecture material in the first year. For me as someone with ADHD, the amount of work was really a lot. So, I started overcompensating. From the moment I woke up until I went to sleep at eleven pm, I was busy studying. I hardly saw any of my classmates or friends. At some point I realised that this wasn\u2019t making my grades any better or my studies any more fun. It wasn\u2019t until I made time for friends that I started to feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Dino, you actually become more resilient to study stress if you take time to enjoy your freedom and life outside of university. \u201cDon\u2019t just go out and party, but make time for a social life as well, keep eating healthy and go and go and get some exercise. It\u2019s very easy to do sports via Erasmus Sport and it doesn\u2019t have to take much time. I exercise four times a week for no more than 30 minutes each time. You simply feel much fitter then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working alongside your studies is another great idea. But even then, it\u2019s still important to see if the work is right for you. Dino was a doctor\u2019s assistant for six months. \u201cI found it really boring to be stuck behind the computer all day and take phone calls.\u201d Third-year Clinical Psychology student Esther Rip (25) gets a lot of satisfaction from the work that she does at a voluntary organisation which helps people with eating disorders. \u201cThe wonderful thing about volunteering is that you can help all kinds of different people, which in turn, makes you happier yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Help! My question has not been answered, what do I do now?<\/h2>

Plenty of people are walking around the campus who are only too happy to help you. For instance, at ESSB there are mentors who are there specifically to help you with questions about life, study tips and making new friends. Keeping in touch with your Eurekaweek guide and study advisor is another good idea. Most likely they can answer a lot of your questions.<\/p>\n\n\t

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