{"id":143198,"date":"2022-08-22T15:13:20","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T13:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=143198"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:24","slug":"whatsapp-groups-set-up-dates-fixed-rotterdam-explored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/08\/22\/whatsapp-groups-set-up-dates-fixed-rotterdam-explored\/","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp groups set up, dates fixed, Rotterdam explored"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the last day of Eurekaweek, students are not just looking back, they are also looking forward. These first-years are ready for student life. But right now -first pizza, massages and Shakira at the festival next to De Kuip.<\/p>\n

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Silent disco at the festival.<\/span><\/p>

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At 2 pm on Thursday, there are just fifty people gathered on the small festival grounds next to De Kuip. That soon changes, and about an hour later the site starts to fill up.<\/p>\n

First-year students hit the dance floor or wander around past the silent disco, the table tennis table or the Xbox, a ball pit, a tote bag-pimping workshop and promotional teams from a range of companies. In the dining area, pizzas sell like hot cakes. Jumbo hands out car-shaped liquorice, although international students grimace at the first bite. When a remix of Hips Don\u2019t Lie<\/em> resounds over the festival grounds, the party really gets going.<\/p>\n

Stress-free<\/h2>
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Andrew is enjoying himself on one of the massage chairs.<\/span><\/p>

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The body of Russian Urban Management master\u2019s student Andrew (23) is slowly shaking to the shuddering of his massage chair. \u201cThe chair feels really relaxing. The only thing that hurts a bit is the neck massage. I think it\u2019s on the wrong setting, that\u2019s not my fault. I\u2019ve gotten through the week pretty stress-free.\u201d Andrew found a house in Blijdorp a few weeks ago and studied mechanical engineering in Enschede before coming here. \u201cRotterdam really feels like a city where a lot is going on. Thanks to the Eurekaweek, I made a lot of friends and decided to join the climbing club. I\u2019m really looking forward to starting now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not far from the massage chairs, first-years and guides are dancing away at the silent disco. The headphones have three channels which students can switch to sing along to karaoke tracks of well-known pop hits. Standing among the dancing students is Emily, an Austrian communications student. She arrived in Rotterdam a fortnight ago still feeling slightly nervous. \u201cThat\u2019s gone now. I have friends, we\u2019ve planned some concerts together and I definitely have an idea of what I can expect from my studies.\u201d She cheers loudly as a friend readies herself for her rendition of Sorry<\/em> by Justin Bieber.<\/p>\n

60 degrees Celcius<\/h2>
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Lily (left) and Laura<\/span><\/p>

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At the food trucks, communications student Laura (21) points out to her friend Lily (19) the red pasta sauce dribbling from the corners of her mouth. Both come from Germany, but they did not know each other before Eurekaweek. Laura laughs: \u201d I made some friends during the week and learned a lot about other cultures. For instance, I made friends with a girl from Kuwait who told me that it is usually 60 degrees Celsius there. I couldn\u2019t understand how you can live like that. But I find these kinds of stories really enriching.\u201d Lily has not just made friends among first-year students. \u201cWe also met a lot of the guides\u2019 friends and now we have all kinds of WhatsApp groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the good start, the two still do not know what to expect from their time in Rotterdam. Laura: \u201cIt could go in any direction, but we already know that we will join a student association. I\u2019m thinking about rowing myself. And I\u2019m sure that we will keep on seeing the people we met this past week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Study pressure<\/h2>
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One of the guides, Shyievi.<\/span><\/p>

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Second-year economics student and guide Shyievi uses several markers to pimp up tote bags. She says that it is thanks to the Eureka programme that her students have realistic expectations of their first year. \u201cI\u2019m afraid I may have put them off a bit with horror stories about students who didn\u2019t manage to get all their credits or who couldn\u2019t handle the pressure. But that\u2019s a good thing, because at least they know what they are getting into. I personally know lots of people who dropped out in the first year.\u201d Shyievi is confident that the introduction period went well: \u201cThey are never going to forget this. Our group had its own dance at the Cantus. They will still be able to do that dance in three years\u2019 time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Andrew drops another coin into the massage chair. \u201cI\u2019ve already planned my first get-togethers with my new friends at the Biergarten. I really love sitting there and it\u2019s just around the corner from where I live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Watch this video about Eurekaweek<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t