{"id":87377,"date":"2018-05-29T07:57:33","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T05:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=87377"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:00","slug":"op-kamers-wonen-vind-ik-zonde-van-mijn-geld","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/05\/29\/op-kamers-wonen-vind-ik-zonde-van-mijn-geld\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I feel that paying rent would be a waste of money\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I had to wait a while for Kelly de Jong to emerge from the Central Post multi-company office building, located right next to Central Station, as her work placement coordinator at the AD Rotterdams Dagblad newspaper publisher refused to let her go home until the article she had written was absolutely perfect. \u201cThis afternoon I had to go to a special construction vessel that was moored at the Cruise Terminal. I had to deal with a lot of technical information. I had three columns\u2019 worth of text, which my supervisor then summarised in two sentences.\u201d While we were waiting for her train to arrive, De Jong was able to laugh it off. \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t written the story myself, I\u2019d never read it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gap year<\/h2>
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De Jong is a second-year student taking the International Bachelor\u2019s degree in Communication and Media (IBCoM). \u201cI used to want to be a journalist or writer. I actually once commenced writing a book, and I used to dream of becoming the Netherlands\u2019 youngest published author.\u201d Yet she wasn\u2019t sure what to do after graduating from secondary school. \u201cSo I considered taking a gap year, but my father didn\u2019t like the sound of that. He was afraid I\u2019d never go to uni after taking some time off.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one of EUR\u2019s Open Days she learned about the IBCoM degree, and it was the opportunity to study abroad for a while that drew her in. \u201cI wanted to continue living in Rotterdam while getting my degree. I may be biased because I\u2019m from Rotterdam myself, but I think Rotterdam is a great city,\u201d she told me. By now we were on the train. \u201cStaying in Rotterdam allowed me to continue to live with my dad. Moreover, it\u2019s a wide-ranging degree course, which will give me a few years to make up my mind about what I actually wish to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most beautiful station in the Netherlands<\/h2>

She nearly quit last year. \u201cI failed two subjects and was afraid I wouldn\u2019t get all the credits I needed. But in the end I found I was too late to unenroll, and then it turned out I only had the one re-sit.\u201d So far, her favourite subject has been International and Global Communication. \u201cMainly because I thought the lecturer was great and we weren\u2019t allowed to use laptops, meaning we actually absorbed more of the subject matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018In August I\u2019m going to San Francisco on a student exchange and once I get back, I will move in with my dad again\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

We arrived at Rotterdam Lombardijen station. \u201cSurely this is the most beautiful station in the Netherlands, right?\u201d said Kelly with a huge grin. Her bike was parked right next to the entrance. We were discussing her near future. \u201cIn August I\u2019m going to San Francisco on a student exchange and once I get back, I will move in with my dad again. I wouldn\u2019t mind finding a place of my own, but I feel that paying rent would be a waste of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Chicken and gorgonzola <\/h2>

Her work placement had failed to rekindle her former writing ambitions. \u201cPerhaps I\u2019d rather do something involving marketing and communications, thinking up a long-term strategy with a team. Things need to be done a little too quickly for my taste at the newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n

At home her father had a meal of penne with chicken and gorgonzola waiting for her. \u201cHe cooked that especially for me, because he himself doesn\u2019t like pasta at all!\u201d After properly making the acquaintance of the cook, yours truly was dropped off at the train station again. The next morning I read a nice story<\/a> about a unique ship that dumps rocks.<\/p>\n\n\t

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