Olivia’s Study Abroad Experience in the Netherlands

Economics and Business Management BSc student Olivia reflects on her study abroad experience in the Netherlands. She shares how living and studying in Rotterdam helped her grow in confidence, independence and academic focus.

What key skills did develop while studying abroad?

They vary across all platforms, from social to academic to independent attributes.

Living away from family and friends means you truly have to be independent. You push yourself out of your comfort zone, which is something I feel much more confident doing after my time abroad.

In terms of academics, the year abroad allowed me to explore multiple different options that were different to those available on my course at Newcastle. This taught me that it’s always good to try something new, but also helped me gain a rounded perspective on economics. It helped me work out which area I would like to pursue.

The university was keen on group work and presentations, neither of which I really enjoy previously. But now know I can complete them with ease.

Lastly, the area I know I developed the most was the social side of things. My perspectives have been enriched hugely, driven by the wonderful people I met in diverse and multicultural settings.

What was the social scene like? Were there many opportunities for socialising and meeting other students?

I was really surprised at how easy the university made it to make connections. It's around 80% international students so they hosted many events where you could network to meet friends. They have an outstanding amount of societies – the Erasmus Student Network was based entirely around international and exchange students meeting up.

I met my best friends so quickly and with all the events that had been organised for us, I settled into university life within the first few weeks. There was an introduction day with a pub crawl finish, a boat party, exchange mixers, and plenty more besides.

I also joined the Economics Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR) society which meant I met lots of lovely Dutch people too. The timetable at Erasmus is pretty busy – all in-person, and with more seminars, so this helped hugely in making friends.

Have your future plans changed as a result of your study abroad experience, or have you got new ideas for your future? 

My future plans have definitely been affected by my year abroad! I now have lots of different options for what I will do after university. This might be moving back to the Netherlands, living abroad in a different city, or even moving to London. City life really suits me as a young person.

I am grateful for how much the year abroad gave me valuable time to clarify what area of economics I would like to pursue – I plan on venturing into environmental economics after my degree.