Studying in the Netherlands As an International Student

To be honest, before I started to live in Netherlands, I did not know so much about country other than canals and free weed. However, after I started living there Netherlands was pretty different than I used to think. I was grateful for choosing the Netherlands and particularly Maastricht as a city for studying MBA. Now I want to mention about the main reasons why you should choose studying in the Netherlands as an International Student.

1-Happy Life and Egalitarian Society

You always feel good vibes in the Netherlands. I think there are some main reasons for this fact. First of all cities are small and not crowded. Also, city planning is perfect. Therefore there is no traffic and pollution. I was shocked when I first came to Maastricht since you could almost go to everywhere by walking or by bike. Second, green spaces are abundant in cities and for example, I could go to the woods within 10 minutes from my apartment.

Other important factor is work life balance. Generally working hours in the Netherlands are lower than in other countries. Most people work 4 days per week so you can find more time for your family and hobbies. Therefore they can have more time with their family.

Finally, dutch society is a very egalitarian society. In fact, what I liked most was that living conditions are nearly the same for most people. For instance, I have never seen a homeless man during my 2-year stay. Infrastructure is great and houses are well maintained. If you visit Belgium while you are living in the Netherlands you can easily understand what I mean.

2- The Abundance of the English programs

There are a lot of English programs in the Netherlands. Even some universities like Twente University declared that English is their official language in the university. So you can easily find a program in your field ıf you prefer studying in the Netherlands.

3-Highly Ranked Universities

Netherlands has really foremost  universities ranking in the very  high positions of ranking lists.  Some universities like  Erasmus University ranks in the top 50 university of the world. (QS) So If you have a career plan in the business, finance/ management field it would be very sensible to go to Erasmus. Also, Amsterdam Business School-Amsterdam University, Maastricht University, and MSM Maastricht School of Management are other good alternatives to study business.  I studied MBA in MSM Maastricht School of Management in 2017-2018.  It is one of  best schools of Netherlands  focusing on sustainability and digitalization with quality and dedicated professors.  It also ranks in high positions. Besides, professors are very helpful during your final project. What I liked most was the extraordinary help of my advisor during my final project.  This is very significant to be able to defend your final project. On the other hand, people are generally helpful. When I was doing my research project about incubators most of the company owners accepted to interview me for my project.

Last but not least network is very crucial in finding a job afterwards graduation as I learned in MSM  and some universities have strong connections with companies. For example MSM has partnerships with  significant t companies in Limburg region. This really helps you to find a job after graduation.

4-English Profociency Rate

Dutch ranks first in the world in terms of English proficiency rate. https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/dutch-lead-world-2016-english-proficiency-ranking. Literally, everybody can speak English. I was shocked when I encountered fluently speaking Doctors, cleaners, taxi drivers, and supermarket employees. Therefore you feel as if you are living in England or USA. Amsterdam municipality recognizes English as an official language and it is mandatory to speak English for civil servants working in the municipality.

5-Orientation Year Visa

Another advantage of studying in Netherlands is the right to obtain an orientation year visa. After you graduate from a recognized master’s program you can work in Netherlands for a year without any restriction. Therefore this is a big advantge for non-EU students. A lot of my classmates found jobs through orientation year visas. So you can find a job during orientation year. Also this is the best chance for you to obtain a residence permit.

6-Maastricht

Every international student prefers to live in Amsterdam. However, Amsterdam is not the best place to live as an international student. First, Amsterdam has a big accommodation problem and as a result, rents are higher than other cities. Second the city is overcrowded due to the mass tourists. So it is wiser to think about other cities to study. There are also other international and nice cities in Netherlands. Maastricht can be also be  considered as cities to study. 

I lived in maastricht and I really enjoyed living in there. It has nearly 120.000 inhabitants and it is a lovely small city. You can go to almost anyplace of the city with your bike. Besides, It has a very lovely historic town center where you can enjoy your drink against historic buildings. Maastricht also has a lot of parks and maas river as well. Get on your bike and you are in the countryside within 15 minutes.  I like travelling and knowing different cultures. Maastricht is literally in the heart of Europe. One weekend you can go to Dusseldorf or Cologne within 1,5 hours, the other weekend you can go to Paris within 2,5 hours. Of course, you can go to Amsterdam within 2,5 hours whenever you want. Also you can fly to Spain or Italy from Eindhoven airport which is 1 hour to Maastricht. Haque is my other favorite city also. İt has an amazing beach called `Scheveningen` and it is very ınternatıonal as well.

So far I mentioned about positive sides of living in the Netherlands. However, there is one negative point to stress.

Accommodation problem

This is the negative side of living and studying in Netherlands. I must admit that I was a little bit surprised when I learned the costs of renting. I was glad  and lucky to be able to rent a small studio  apartment which I was paying 1050 euro per month. On the other hand, it is very hard and challenging to find a place to stay.    So you have to be very swift in order to find a place. You should come to Netherlands earlier than the normal schedule. Some months are also more convenient to search for an accommodation since students complete their studies. July and January are more convenient months for searching apartments. If you come in the July you can easily find a room or an apartment. Lastly you can rent through student hotels which are very clean and provide quality service to the students.