I am a dual degree student (Dutch, German, Philosophy) and as a student on a language pathway, the year abroad is this holy experience that every student is either working towards or hears the older students regularly refer to as a ‘turning point’ in your life.
By Lily Thacker
It is true to say that, as a second year student, the Year Abroad seemed rather daunting and at some point I even feared that I would never ‘make it’ in the Netherlands. Well, I can tell you now, one month after leaving the University of Groningen, that I couldn’t have been more wrong, and I wish I could tell the former me that we really did make it and that it was fantastic. Okay, I had hoped and expected that my time in the Netherlands would improve my Dutch and my knowledge of the Low Countries. What I had not anticipated is that it would also open up the world to me.
In my family, it is a running joke that I can’t sit still. I am always off on some kind of adventure but my time ‘on the continent’ really took this to the next level. You could always find me on a Flix bus, an NS train, in a hostel and when I was at home… booking my next journey! After trips to Copenhagen, Berlin, Krakow and Cologne, I realised that I’d lived so many dreams that younger me had dreamt of and it was the confidence of living abroad that really allowed me to do this. It also feels rather special when arriving back in The Netherlands feels like arriving home!
The house that became a home
It all started in the student house that was going to be my Dutch home. I was lucky to live in a flat with people from all across the world. It was this immersion and blend of traditions, languages and cultures that I felt really opened the world up to me. In a way, our flat was like a family; we experienced life in the Netherlands for the first time together, learnt from each other and helped each other through highs and lows (one of the highs definitely being the authentic carbonara from my Italian flatmates!). Another thing that remains a ‘core memory’ would be our flat’s Christmas day: we each cooked traditional foods from our own culture resulting in the biggest feast ever, from Swedish Jansson’s Temptation to Italian Panettone. I, of course, had to cook Brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets while Christmas music in English, Māori and Portuguese played in the background!
My time in Groningen gave me friends from all across the world, and my time adventuring and learning from them is nowhere near done, as trips are already planned to visit each other!
Find 'you'
If I had to give any advice to students waiting to go on their year abroad, it would be to remember that everyone’s experience is going to be totally different, and the most important thing is that you take time to find ‘you’ in the city you’re staying in. For me, this looked like exploring Groningen on my bike, spending quality time with my flat mates and finding all the best cafes and bookshops! Be kind to yourself and soak in all the experiences the Netherlands will offer you, I can promise you won’t regret it!
Veel succes!
Lily Thacker
