Exchanged | Utrecht Unveilved with Cian

Kian studied abroad in Utrecht, Netherlands for a semester. He chose Utrecht because it had a partnership with his college. His grades during the semester abroad counted towards his overall degree. The learning style in Utrecht was more discussion-based and interactive compared to his home university. Accommodation was pre-booked through a company called SSH, and Kian lived in an apartment with three other people. The cost of accommodation was around €550-€600. Overall, Kian had a positive experience studying abroad. Hello and this is the X James podcast. My name is Kian. I'm Diane and we are those people who study the problem So today we're going to interview Kian So if you want to start with being we're talking about where you studied what you study in college and where you're from Yeah, so hello everyone. My name is Kian I'm from Ballin College here in Cormac and I am a common student and I went on my Rasmus on a semester abroad over to Utrecht in the Netherlands So if you want to tell us what your experience was like how you found living there if you enjoyed it So it was just such an amazing experience I mean all my friends probably fell off of me saying this but Rasmus It's just I couldn't recommend it more and Utrecht as a city. I mean the Netherlands is such a lovely country Okay So I think one of the main questions people have when it comes to studying abroad is How did you choose where to go and why is that the place that you chose to visit? Right. So for the commerce degree if you don't know so in torture You've three options either stay in UCC and then you do your work placement for six months from March until August You can go away on a Rasmus for the full year Or as you can go for the semester abroad come back have six weeks of classes in UCC and then go on your placement So for me, I kind of wanted to get the best of both Rasmus was something I definitely wanted to do So I suppose I always knew that that's what I wanted to do. So there was a list of five universities I think which had the option the partnership with the BCom for just the one semester So there was two in Germany one in Sweden Vienna in Austria and then Utrecht so I suppose I just looked started researching looked all of them up and it would trick just both the city and the university just looked amazing. So that was the top of my list and One to two later anyway got the email and I was going to Utrecht. So I was delighted Perfect. Well, that sounds really great So when you're talking about is it three or four years that your degree is? It's a four year degree and Do your grades count for your semester abroad? Do you have to match the grades? Do you have to match the modules to the modules you study here? Yes, so from what I hear from a lot of other people that like their Rasmus grades, it's kind of separate It's its own thing It doesn't really count but for the BCom if you're going away for the semester It does if you're away for the full year It doesn't so in the BCom your third year grades do count as part of your overall degree I'm not exactly sure the breakdown but what we study abroad does have to match up with the Modules we do here now over there So like modules in third year here you kind of sample the five majors and then you pick what you want to do in final year So ideally we should have been having modules matching them But for some reason or another I'm still not sure why we were ended up in Treasury management and for me Anyway, I suppose with the BCom I love the marketing I love the economics anything finance and accounting is not for me So, you know being delighted to get Utrecht and then figuring out oh, it's four months of Treasury now in the end Got through it. Anyway, you know, it was a big learning experiences and I'm glad I've done it And did you find that influenced your experience? Like did it have a big impact that you knew that your grades counted for your final year? I suppose for classes over there. We didn't have that many hours a week I'd say so how it works over there instead of say a 12-week semester like in UCC It was made up of two mini semesters period a and period B So the semesters over there usually go on to end of January start of February But because we to be back by Christmas, there was a strict deadline of not doing anything after Christmas, you know We didn't really want to spend the money to fly back over just do some exams So that was a fast track option where you finish a Christmas now I think this year for some reason or not or they got a bit mixed up about what a fast track option actually was So we ended up I'd say what's about eight or nine weeks period a and then maybe five or six weeks period B So it was really cramming it like those last few weeks We've four assignments and four presentations to do over four or five weeks Which I suppose at the end of a gradsmith, you know, you kind of want to you've only a few weeks left You know you want to enjoy yourself. So it did kind of take away a bit from the last few weeks I thought just time management, you know keeping your weekends free to go travel So I mean there was all grand in the end really and how did you find the learning style? Was it small classes with that lecture style like it is in UCC or how was it in the university? Yeah, so I'd say that was definitely the biggest difference compared to UCC So in commerce here, there's over 200 of us in the year and say if we're mixed in with another degree in a course It could be over 300 of us in one of the big blue lecture theaters Whereas over there those 18 of us in the class, so it was very different I still properly remember the first day and you know the lecturer they already had everyone's names They were offering to buy us teas and coffee The first class was just everyone introducing themselves the conversation and I thought even the classes instead of you know You're just they're taking notes like each class is what was more of a discussion Which on one hand it puts more pressure on you because they can directly ask you a question Only a few meters away from you if you haven't learned or from your thing, you know, you're kind of screwed But on the other hand you get much more engaged in the classes I suppose here if you're in the pool 200 people It's so easy just to drift away start looking at something on your laptop or glancing at your phone Within the smaller classes like you just feel a lot more part of it So I did really enjoy that as well I suppose whereas here we have a lot of end-of-term exams over there or five of the six modules I did was all assignments continuous assessment We only had one exam and even that compared to here it was on Excel on a computer rather than pen and paper So we definitely struggled with that but Yeah, it was a lot of continuous assessment, which again it was very different But I do find to help you you're more keeping on top of things instead of leaving everything. Oh, yeah, I've study week So true, so yeah, so very different but I did really enjoy it for the different experience I guess because in UCC It's a lot more of an independent learning style. I found that myself. It's when you study abroad. It's a lot more Intimate and there are a lot smaller classes where the lecturers know your name, which would never really happen here I think like even here like, you know, you usually oh here we go readings for the week And I don't think we never really got anything and be more. Oh, yeah Here's like the thing to research I suppose come back with your findings. So I feel like a lot more critical thinking I suppose than just rote learning don't get on the page the exam and forgetting about it Yeah, and so I think one of the main questions I guess from the Irish perspective is accommodation Yeah, how did you find a finding accommodation when you got there? Is there a certain company that you went through? Yeah, so it's surprisingly easy actually so for the Netherlands for the major cities Anyway, there's a company called SSH student support housing I think and basically they pre-book They own a rent accommodation anyway, right by all the universities and all the major cities and it was all for internationals So trying to find a place in Utrecht SSH is the go-to spot. Utrecht does have a major student accommodation crisis But like what's here in Cork, so there were emails sent out saying if you don't get anything through SSH reconsider coming here So it was worse than getting concert tickets I suppose you're up at 6 or 7 in the morning and you've already pre-booked which ones you want and just refreshing the page and Then you know rushing in with all your car details I suppose besides that little panic in the morning, you know rushing in to get it like having the one spot It's just ideal instead of having to get it privately or God knows what so when I get so many stories of people struggling with Accommodation I can't really relate. So if you are going to the Netherlands SSH SSH SSH And if you don't mind me asking how much was the accommodation for people looking to study abroad themselves? I can't remember it was in and around 550 600 I think I can't remember the exact number and is that for an apartment style like with other roommates or what is the what? Is the accommodation like is it furnished unfurnished? Yeah, so in Utrecht I was in what's called the Cambridgeland building, which was literally just across the road from campus, which was ideal Now anyone going to Utrecht, there was another one clearly just up the road called the Johanna building and In hindsight, that's a much nicer building It's nearly like a hotel with how modern and everything it is If you're going to Utrecht like there's nothing wrong with Cambridgeland It's just Johanna things a lot more modern and everything but it was for me So in my own room, and I mean the room was it's quite a big room It was spotless won't complain, but then I suppose a little apartment Two other rooms and one of those two rooms had two people in it So there were four of us all together and now the stage the kitchen fuss going in you know when there's moldy blue bread in the cupboard and everything and As I said, I'm just from Balancolic. I'm from just down the road from UCC so this is my first experience of it was living properly outside a home and Sharing the kitchen when you go in and there's raw chicken where we should not be That was definitely a learning experience and I feel like I sympathize with my mother a lot more about the state of the kitchen now being home, but Yeah, so the accommodation the room was lovely the bathroom the kitchen not so much But again being right across the road from the University and you've the bus and the tram into the city I have to say like it was ideal So I can't really complain too much and how expensive was transport was transport expensive or it was cheap enough compared to Ireland Or what do you think in your opinion? I thought the Netherlands as a whole has such a fantastic transport system You've the buses you've the trams you've the trains all over the country. The system is fantastic. The prices are not So like honestly, I was not expecting how much of an expense transport would be So I'd say to get from the Science Park, which is where the two universities are at the HU Which is the Applied Sciences one, which I was asked and there's also University Utrecht said we're in the Science Park and I say it must be about 10-15 minutes on the tram or about 20 minutes on the bus into the city center and It could be like two or three euro each way, which I suppose that might sound like a lot But if you're going back and forth every day, it really adds up during the week So there was a student transport cars, which it gives you a 15% discount, but it was only on off-peak hours and weekends So it doesn't make much of a difference Now, I mean a lot of people cycle over there anyway I was probably the one in Egypt and the whole country not to have a bike Which I suppose at the start it's all you have to wait for the bus, but then when it's lashing rain, you know You're happy out there. Yeah, but yeah the transport and then I suppose for the trains and So one thing to mention is that from what I understand all Dutch students get trained buses and everything for free on the basis that they graduate So they're able to go across the whole country Unlike us, so from Utrecht to Amsterdam, which if you get the direct train, it's about 25 minutes That'd be about 10 euro then Rotterdam or the Hague which is about 30 to 40 minutes on train would be about 11 12 14 euro But then say some of the day trips I did say to Maastricht or to Nijmegen hope I'm pronouncing that right. I'm sorry Like they could be 30 or a ton or 40 or a ton which you know, it's costly enough when it's only an hour or so on a train So Netherlands fantastic country, but just be prepared to pay a lot for the transport And did you get to travel a lot on other cities in Europe on your weekends or how did you find that? Honestly, the biggest highlight of my arousals of travel So I thought since the start most weekends I take a day just to go or see somewhere in the Netherlands be it Amsterdam Rotterdam Maastricht wherever and so either week or between the period a and period B So I was originally planning on coming home to Cork it kind of aligned with the jazz weekend But then I was thinking okay, I could spend all this money to go back to Cork or I could go interrailing oh, I've been wanting to an intro to flash two years now and Me and my friend we had a whole route planned hostels picked out and then the other side of one by one to drop off So shout out to all of you lads if you're listening So I suppose when it's a week or I look screw it just do it myself I went was it acting in Germany down through Frankfurt to Strasbourg Then went to Paris and then up to Brussels then and then back into the Netherlands So that was about for a week and it was one of the best trips experiences. I've ever had As well as that then we had a ESM. So it was if you had some student network So it's a body where they host all sort of events and guidance for the international students and Again, wherever you're going definitely check if they've ESN like especially for the first few weeks They'd so much on there was an introduction week with those like karaoke night those pub crawl boat tours They kind of faded away a bit over the following weeks There wasn't really as much but definitely for the first few weeks anyway, just get talking to people you know, I thought back to the travel there was an ESN trip to Prague and I've never been to Prague. I am it's always somewhere on my list But you know being in the Netherlands is kind of the complete opposite side of Germany So I was like, okay I never considered traveling there from Utrecht and next thing ESN trip to Prague and it was only I'd say 80 or 90 euro for four nights, which are the god that's a steal And Prague is an amazing city. One of my favorite cities. I've ever been to gorgeous. Yeah, definitely I have to recommend this but it was like was a 13-hour bus trip overnight The four nights, but it was really two nights in a hostel and two nights on the bus. Oh and Prague is pretty far from everywhere. I think when I went there I got like a 12-hour train journey from Budapest. Yeah Again, I love Prague but I Never want to do one of those 13-hour overnight buses because I'm not one for sleeping on transport anyway But then it's every two hours or so when the bus driver is stopping and then there's a big announcement Oh, we are stopping for half an hour So you're finally after dozing off and then you're up again and you're trying to sleep again well worth it for the trip was a great weekend, but That was definitely an experience. And how did you find making friends over there? Did you go over with a lot of people from Congress or did you meet a lot of new people when you were there? How did you find us? So there are actually six of us from Congress over there during the Treasury, which Going moving aboard to a different country. It is very intimidating None of us really knew each other that well beforehand again because the course is so big But I suppose like it was like, you know, you've your Irish family over there You know when the rugby matches are on for the World Cup show is on when you're over there to go into the Irish pub to watch the matches or you know, even just going for lunch or something after classes and The ESL event in the first few weeks Again, I really have to recommend because again if you're feeling anxious or socially awkward But I definitely was you know chances are nearly everyone else is feeling that way like not everyone has the luxury of being away with people from their course or from their country and Okay, you make a fool of yourself. Also what's happened? You probably won't see them again Anyway, so you might as well push yourself. And so yeah, I definitely love the first few years and Introduction weeks. I wish there was kind of more stuff after that It kind of faded away a bit which was a bit of a shame because then you don't really see these people again That's true But I guess you kind of make your friend groups and then they're like there's not as much of a use for them Yeah, one place was I really missed over there was the idea of the society is like what we have here in UCC So a shout out to Europe a society and of course for the Eurasian Society between the two of us and But yeah, there's nothing really like that There's like a sports center with a gym, but that's not really a social thing like so I did miss that And there was a program as well called buddy go dutch Where it's kind of it pairs you up with a local student and I was okay This is a fantastic idea, you know meet a dutch person get to know the culture of all the best places to go for drinks whatever, but I don't know there was like a matching event and The idea of having a social matching event in a big loud club Where no one could hear each other? Yeah So I never I never even met up with my body or really hard from there which was the shame like boss Again, if you're going to the Netherlands, I know who check has it Anyway, definitely look into it and what do you think the biggest mental challenges were for you when you moved over? Is there stuff that you felt you weren't prepared for when you did move? I thought like you're over there, you know, you're not with your family. You're not with your friends So it's not like you're coming home and you can just talk to your parents or meet up with your friends, you know like yeah, you're meeting a lot of new people over there, but you don't have the same connection with them, especially initially and Like I won't beat around the bush. It can be a very lonely experience I'm not saying that to scare people off They suppose with that time, you know, it's what they encourage you to push yourself father Like I've always been an introvert anyway, so it's what sometimes you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone And again, I am NOT saying this to scare anyone Opportunity and again as I keep saying I couldn't recommend it as a smart Well, I think that's really helpful because I think when you do move abroad There is a lot of challenges that you're not prepared for that. You're not told about Yeah, and so what would you like to have known before you went on Erasmus? Is there stuff that you felt like came as a really big shock when you move to the Netherlands? and The price of the transport anyway, definitely this is a hole in that one home. You're like, yeah Whoever whatever the company for Dutch transporters, please lower your prices, please Try to think what else and Was there any big culture shocks to you? Are you felt like their culture is quite similar to the Irish one that wasn't really too much of a culture shock. I suppose like em nothing's jumping out to me now just thinking on the spot and And What did you think of the city? Like what was your favorite parts of the city? Is there any parts of the city? You didn't really like or how did you feel about us? Okay, I thought it's like a more picturesque smaller Amsterdam is how I describe it So it's not really a touristy place the things to do there. So the main icon of the city is the Dom Tower So it was quite the shunned in This is the big torch tower over there and you've all the canals and it's all pedestrianized streets as well Like I suppose like the main core of the city center is the train station right outside the train station There's a big huge shopping center like bigger more five bigger than anything We have here in Cork anyway And then on the other side of that then you're entirely old town with the canals and all the little restaurants and cafes And like there's so many just little Cafes a sit-down I suppose by the time we were there it's kind of coming into winter But if you especially in spring or summer just sitting out on the canal, you know having a drink or pizza or something And what how did you find shopping like doing grocery shopping was that expensive or was it similar to price to Ireland? Yeah, so we had like introduction mentors or something and even in the emails from the University They were saying like groceries would be quite expensive Now something's right, but then something's a cheaper so-called it kind of walked out about the same as here. Mm-hmm So you do have your Aldi and little over there little is a bit outside the city center So I never really got there But there was an alley and I suppose the two real Dutch ones and again probably butchering the pronunciations But you've Albert Heijn, which I suppose is that like the center the thousands of that everywhere and then you've jumbo or jumbo So there's one of them in that big shopping center. So that's what I would usually do my shopping You can get the loyalty cards as well Now it's a bit of a pain because those the apps for the jumbo or Albert Heijn aren't in English So I'm just taking screenshots of loading them to Google Translate But so I did save some to that but yeah, it wasn't much of a difference in back home really So it and how about eating out? Did you eat out a lot or was that how is that price for people going abroad in my house certain expectations? And about the same as here I think one thing I really missed over there was the idea of the traditional Irish chip up And I think going home in shout-out to the frying balance on it They're the best chip going home delights have that again and it was as well. You don't have the same pop culture over there Yeah, so that was the Irish pubs, but like most places to go for a drink. We're just supposed to be like glorified cafes There were three Irish pubs in the city So again, whenever the World Cup was on great atmosphere in any of them if you want to Guinness or your bull was or whatever There's so many Irish people over there Like I was kind of amazed like I hear like the Netherlands is so popular anyway from for Erasmus Like I know other people who went to other cities there But it was during my first week being on the tram and I just hear people speaking on square gap You wouldn't hear that on the bus at home. And now you're in the Netherlands, you know, so it's em the Irish are really everywhere And what is one thing that you would tell Erasmus students who are going to interrupt like one thing that they should do while they're there be it a place to visit like A museum or maybe like a restaurant or somewhere like a park somewhere that you really really enjoyed for me Anyway, one of my favorite I think my favorite place in Utrecht was the botanical gardens So that located right in the science park on it was only about five minute work from my accommodation or from the universities That was my daily work. So usually you have to pay to go in but as a student from one of the universities You get in for free. So I really made my value of a dash I'd be in there every day like again when you're away like like it can be overwhelming and that's normal, you know So like for me feeling anxious or stressed or anything just put on some music podcast and just wander around the gardens That's so lovely like to be two or three different loops or roots in there. So every time would be like a different Pathway and it's just so peaceful in there. There's like a green houses or like a tropical house as well with them Butterflies and everything. So I definitely in Utrecht. That was my favorite spot I was so sad when they closed the start of December then for the winter. What am I doing? Okay, and this is gonna be your last question What is one piece of advice you would give to people who are going to study abroad? Just don't be afraid to take every opportunity That's available to you. Like no matter how socially anxious you may be or feel too introverted or anything Just you know It's such an incredible opportunity to have the chance to study abroad for four months so many people can only dream of that People your same age terrified at the opportunity and you know, it is scary going over But it's just take every opportunity and just have an amazing time And if you are someone listening going on a razzmiss I wish you all the best and I hope you have an incredible experience as well. Lovely. Well, thank you Kian We'll be back again next week Interviewing me this time. I think I'll have to come up with the interrogation questions Thank you for listening. Thank you. Bye You