{"id":80435,"date":"2017-09-18T16:39:33","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T14:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=80435"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:51","slug":"hoe-overleef-ik-een-hospiteeravond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/09\/18\/hoe-overleef-ik-een-hospiteeravond\/","title":{"rendered":"How do I survive an ‘hospiteeravond’?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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\tEsther Dijkstra<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Everyone knows your mother shouldn\u2019t tag along, right? But what do you need to do to get that room when you\u2019re invited to a \u2018hospiteeravond\u2019? EM asked four students who recently organised such evenings for tips.<\/p>\n

#1 Don't copy-paste<\/h3>

It starts with the messages exchanged, says Nikki Jansen (22): \u201cI look at the first sentence. It\u2019s hard to believe but some people put the wrong name in their opening sentence. That\u2019s when you know it\u2019s a copy-paste message. These are rejected immediately. I also advise people to keep it short: who you are, what you do, and why would you be a good fit for this house. No one wants to read a long text, especially when you have a lot of people responding.\u201d<\/p>\n

#2 Try to have fun<\/h3>

And on the evening itself? Max van Winden (21) compares it to a birthday party where you don\u2019t know anyone. \u201cWhatever else you do, try to have fun, don\u2019t take it too seriously. The housemate selection evening is meant to see who clicks with the other housemates, says Stan van Aaken (23). \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t work out, don\u2019t take it personally or feel you did something wrong. You just weren\u2019t the right fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

#3 Don\u2019t force it<\/h3>

According to Max, the most important thing is to \u201cBe yourself.\u201d But don\u2019t force it. Luna Goudswaard (21), who until recently lived in an all-female house: \u201csome people can be really pushy, interrupting others, something I find very irritating. Give other people a chance to speak.\u201d Stan also cautions against overdoing it: \u201cDon\u2019t try to come across as something you\u2019re not, and don\u2019t brag. People see right through that.\u201d<\/p>\n

#4 Gifts are akward<\/h3>

Should you bring a gift? Beer always makes a good impression, says Nikki. But another kind of gift? \u201cDon\u2019t do it\u201d, says Stan. Gifts were sometimes a feature in the housemate selection evenings organised by Luna. \u201cBring a gift only if you can pull it off without making things awkward.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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EM <\/em>is looking into the student housing market in September. We will publish several stories about the room shortage and the living situation of (international) students. Do you have tips, questions or comments? Mail them to erasmusmagazine@em.eur.nl.<\/p>\n

Read all articles in our special about housing shortage.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Read all articles about housing shortage in Rotterdam<\/h2>