weitere Erfahrungsberichte für Niederlande
Land:
Niederlande
Universität:
Hogeschool Rotterdam
Semester und Studiengang:
4. Semester Bachelor International Management
Aufenthalt:
Sommersemester 2013
Über die Universität:
The Hogeschool Rotterdam is held in modern architecture, offering a very comfortable working environment. Next to the cafeteria one can find a large lounge area with chairs and couches where students study or simply relax. The only downside of the building is the cafeteria itself. The food is quite expensive, and it provides snacks rather than real meals. Luckily, the Hogeschool Rotterdam is located right next to the Erasmus University, whose cantine can also be used by Hogeschool members.
The Ibex Programme consists of 40 students: 20 Dutch students and 20 international students. The international flair is comparable to HDU Deggendorf, as half of the students are from all over the globe. The IBEX is divided into two groups of 20 members each. Therefore, the class rooms were quite small, and the courses were very interactive.
The IBEX programme itself was divided into two periods. The entire IBEX is only four months long, and therefore one period lasts two months. The lectures are three hours each. This is understandable, as there are only approximately two months time for each course. The Programme is almost entirely structured and the courses are fixed. One is able to chose three electives out of numerous subjects (Elementary Dutch, Stock Market Game, Field Trip, The Long Tail...). According to the Hogeschool Rotterdam, the IBEX programme is focused on marketing and finance, but I have to admit that it is more concentrated on marketing than finance.
While the IBEX programme requires individual as well as group work, the IBAC programme, which is also offered to international students, mainly consists of one large group project.
The international office of the Hogeschool Rotterdam is willing to provide student assistance in problem solving as required.
Betreuung vor Ort:
In the first week, the Hogeschool Rotterdam organized a so-called orientation week, in which we went to the beach, where we did some team building exercises, and ate typical Dutch pancakes together. This was very nice to get to know each other at the beginning.
One has to organize ones way to the student dormitory, where the rooms cannot really be compared to those e German dorms. They were much older and not everything was intact. But in the next couple of years, the dormitory will be bought up by a different company and then be restored. This is why we 'only' had to pay 350 € instead of 450 €. This is a lot of money, of course, but the location of the dormitory 'Robert Baelde Hall' is perfect. Around 8 minutes to school by bike, and the city centre can be reached by even less time by bike.
Tipps:
Owning a bike is a must! Without a bike, one will not be able to experience the Dutch lifestyle, and it is very easy to get from one location to another. If it is too rainy, the metro is the best mode of transportation. Buying the so-called OV-Chip Card for 6,50 € is the cheapest way to finance the metro. The OV-Chip Card s a prepaid card you have to upload before taking the metro. But in my opinion the metro is kind of expensive, and one should focus on going by bike if possible.
The food in Holland is a bit more expensive than in Germany. But there is a market in the city centre, which offers fresh food for a much cheaper price.
When being in the dormitory, one receives a checklist in which one has to write what is not completely in order with the room or flat. I can recommend to check and try out everything! Check the freezer, all the plugs, etc....
All in all, it was a great time, and I can highly recommend spending a semester in the beautiful and modern city of Rotterdam.