My top 5 reasons to #StudyInNL
Choosing a degree and moving to another country might be a difficult decision. I made a specific list with pros and cons. Although this kind of list tends to be very personal, I will share with you the main reasons I used to motivate my choice. As a disclaimer, I should tell you that I do not live in the Netherlands at the moment. But I did live in the Netherlands for my studies and I’m planning to go back for studying in the future. So without further ado, here are my top 5 reasons to #StudyInNL.
"Whether it’s for the education, the opportunities, the pretty sights or the people, the Netherlands is a truly amazing place to be."
1. High quality and cheap education
When it comes to Dutch Universities, 2 main things come to mind: affordability and quality. When you dig into the world of Dutch education, you find out that Dutch universities are considerably affordable. Also in comparison to other universities abroad, Dutch Universities have relatively cheap tuition fees. On top of that, there is a good scholarship available: the NL Scholarship.
When it comes to quality, it might be wise to check the international rankings, such as the THE World University Ranking, the QS Top Universities and the Academic Ranking of World Universities. The results speak for themselves: many Dutch Universities rank quite high in the international polls, with special highlights to TU Delft, Leiden University, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2. International experience
When it comes to the Netherlands and the English language there are 2 main strong points that help the international student a lot: the Dutch can speak the English language very well, and there are a lot of English taught courses in universities, making the country very attractive to international students.
This welcoming character, in addition to the helpful nature of the Dutch people, makes the country very prepared to receive international students. And trust me, this is very, very helpful when preparing the practical matters of studying abroad.
As a result, the diversity of students in the classroom really enriches the experience. It not only provides for more interesting discussions in class, but also for personal growth, because you get in touch with people from all over the world who all have very different points of view.
3. Orientation Year
When choosing a country to study, it’s logical to consider the possibility of your future residence and employability after obtaining your degree.
A huge pro in the Netherlands is the Orientation Year Residence Permit. After finishing your degree, you are allowed to stay another year in the Netherlands to search for any type of work, which increases the chances of permanent residency.
4. Lifestyle and culture
Imagine you went to the Netherlands, got your diploma and found a job. Now you just have to live the rest of your life, right? How would that be? Well, besides pretty sights and great education, life in the Netherlands is also appealing because, as reported by the World Economic Forum, Dutch citizens have the best work-life balance in the world.
In the same sense, as I have been told by many, the work atmosphere in the Netherlands tends to be less hierarchical and more collaborative, making it very pleasurable and enhancing people’s quality of life.
5. Study in NL
I could list an infinity of other reasons, but after all is said and done, the last and the most sincere reason I could provide is that, in my experience, studying in the Netherlands gave me even more reasons to want to #StudyInNL.
Whether it’s for the education, the opportunities, the pretty sights or the people, the Netherlands is a truly amazing place to be. There’s something there for everyone, so don’t be hesitant if you choose going to the Netherlands. I’m sure you’ll be enchanted too.