11 april 2023

11 April 2023

Truly International

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11 april 2023

Welcome to the Netherlands

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This presentation covers four aspects:

1. practical information

2. mental preparation

3. life and study in Holland

4. other suggestions

Pre-departure briefing

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1. Practical information

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Be prepared!

A. Before departure

B. Arrival in Holland

C. Formalities & other things to do on arrival

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A. Before departure

Arrange your documents!bring official documents in your hand luggage!

• Collect your passport and visa from the Dutch embassy• Check validity of date of entry on your visa• Copy of your passport and plane ticket• Passport photos • Birth certificate• Marriage certificate (if applicable) • Medical insurance• Copy of your degree certificate• TOEFL or IELTS certificate• Scholarship letter (if applicable)• Evidence you have enough money to live on • Admission letter + tuition fee receipts• Address of university, student house + telephone number of your

contact person at the university

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Visa validity dates

Type of visa

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Flight arrangements

• Arrange your ticket through

an international agency or airline, such as:

KLM www.klm.com

Approximate costs:

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Luggage

1 suitcase no more than 20 kg!1 item of hand luggage, no more than 10 kg

Don’t forget to bring:• small rice cooker (or buy in Netherlands)• dictionaryDon’t bring food like sambal, noodles, etc.

For on the plane, in your hand luggage• Comfortable clothing and shoes• Book to read• Some cash (there are cash machines in the arrivals

hall at Amsterdam airport)• Medical records, prescriptions for any medication• Important documents

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Rules: suitcases

The new rules cover liquids

such as water and other

beverages, gels, pastes,

lotions and the contents of

aerosol cans, but also

toiletries such as toothpaste,

shaving cream, hair gel, lip

gloss, creams, and food items

such as yoghurt and peanut

butter.

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Rules: hand luggage

• Liquids and gels in containers of no more than 100 millilitres

• The containers must be carried in a sealed transparent plastic bag.

• There is a limit of one transparent plastic bag per person.

• The volume of the transparent plastic bag may not be greater than 1 litre.

• The transparent plastic bag must be re-sealable.

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B. Arrival in Holland

• Arrival at Schiphol airport• Passport control: show them your passport & visa, admission

letter, return ticket and evidence of finance• Locate your luggage

• Are you being picked up at the airport?• If not, head for the airport train station and buy a ticket for your

final destination.

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Arrival at Schiphol

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Formalities and other things to do after arrival in Holland: checklist Inform the Neso of your address and

email address in the Netherlands

Register at university / international office

Register at town hall / immigration service (within 3 days of your arrival) *(you may get separate instructions from your university too)

Register with IND for VTV (long stay with MVV)

…..your university will help you!

Register with your own embassy!

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Other essentials

Open a bank account(ABN-AMRO, Rabobank, Postbank)

Don’t forget to bring passport & visa, residence permit, address in the Netherlands

Arrange your housing(university housing, student housing)

Buy a mobile phone(T-Mobile, Vodafone, KPN, Orange)

Get a bicycle!!

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Student housing

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Not feeling well? • Health insurance• Valid from date of departure• Don’t forget to extend the policy beyond

the end date of your enrolment

• Go to a GP or family doctor (‘huisarts’)• Diagnosis• Go to a pharmacy (‘apotheek’) for

medicines

In case of an emergency:• Call 112 (police, fire, ambulance)• Hospital

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Ready for takeoff???

Ready for life as an international student???

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No!!!

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2. Mental preparation

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2. Mental preparation before departure

A. Realization of being away from

home

B. Culture shock

C. Different education system

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A. Realization of being away from home

• Homesick

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• Lovesick

• Missing food

from home

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Culture shock

• The Dutch!

• Forthright way of communication

(language, body language,

environment)• Values (truth, time orientation, yes-

no, independent, dress, friendship)• Calvinism (hard work, sober, no-

nonsense)• Mindset “You can do it yourself” • Almost always on time• Privacy is important• Male/female equality• Everything is closed on Sunday• Ugly student housing, often no

campus

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Visiting people

• Visiting people• Dutch do not like

spontaneous or

unannounced visits• Coffee is always ready to

be served!• Gift for your host: flowers,

cookies or chocolates

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Phases of culture shock 1. Tourist phase / honeymoon

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Phases of culture shock

2. I-hate-this-country-phase

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Symptoms of culture shock

• Angry about minor

inconveniences• Irritability• Withdrawal from people who

are different from you• Extreme homesickness• Sudden intense feeling of

loyalty to own culture or

groups• Overeating or loss of appetite• Boredom• A need for excessive sleep

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Symptoms of culture shock

• Headaches• Upset stomach• Small pains really hurt• Depression• Loss of ability to work or

study effectively• Unexplained crying• Marital or relationship stress• Exaggerated cleanliness• Feeling sick much of the time

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Phases of culture shock

3. Adjustment and acceptance

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How to overcome culture shock

• Hang out with

people/friends• Join the sports club at your

university or in town• Join a student club

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Stay in touch with home

• By phone

• Internet

www.skype.com

www.internetcalls.com

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C. Different education system

• What, no campus? • Timetable• Punctuality • Your class members

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The international classroom in Holland

• Different types of lectures• Independent, problem-based learning• Practical assignments• Group assignments and self-study• Work experience (internship)• Research• Grade system• Essays, exams• Interactive

• Students are expected to be assertive, be able to work independently and develop a ‘critical’ opinion.

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Ready for take-off ???

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YES: ready to go !!!

But perhaps you would like to learn some more about living and studying in Holland?

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3. Living and studying in Holland

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Start living in Holland

A. Holland in general• Shopping• Food• Transport• Religion• Weather

B. Student life in Holland

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1. Shopping

• City centre• Shopping etiquette

• Take a shopping bag with you• Paying in cash/by ‘chipknip’

• Bargaining is not customary• Eye contact and greetings• In general: Monday to Friday 9:00 -

18:00 hrs, Saturday 9:00-17.00 hrs• “Koopavond” - late night shopping:

one evening each week shops close at 21:00 hrs (Thursday or Friday)

• “Koopzondag” – Sunday trading: shops sometimes open on Sundays.

• No informal section

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Shops in Holland

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2. Where to buy food? • Ethnic shops such as Asian

(Indonesian, Vietnamese, Chinese,

Thai) Moroccan, Japanese, Indian

etc.• Buy food at the supermarket

(Aldi, Albert Heijn, etc.) Some

supermarkets open from 8:00 hrs till

22:00 hrs• Avondwinkel: shops that are open till

late at night from 22.00-6.00 hrs• Market: 1 or 2 times a week• University canteens• Restaurants (expensive)

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Dutch eating

• Dutch way of eating: one hot meal a day

(lunch or dinner)• Typical Dutch food

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3. Transportation

• Bicycle• Train• Tram/bus• Taxi – very expensive• Discount card

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Bicycles

• Buy a second hand bicycle (€25 -

€100)

• Always lock your bike and switch

your lights on at night. Preferably

attach your bike to a bike stand,

railing, lamppost, etc.

• Observe the traffic rules!

• Ride carefully.

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4. Religion

• Churches• Prayer rooms• Ramadan• Halal food available at ethnic market:

Moroccan, Turkish, etc.

Also served in some university canteens.

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5. The weather

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B. Student lifestyle

• Member of a club or association• Member of sports club • Hang out• Terrace culture

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Life and study in Holland

€700 - €1000 a month (total expenses)

Two options:• 10 hours a week, all year round. • Full-time during June, July and August only• If not working officially (zwart werk), you

are not covered by insurance.• We don’t recommend working while

studying!

Cost of living and part-time jobs

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Some tips for students!

• Get together with other students to cook an international dinner

• Make a roster for household chores, like cleaning and doing the dishes

• Respect each other’s culture and customs

• Try to get engaged in activities with other students at your university or in your city.

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Public holidays in Holland1 January New Year’s Day

21 March Good Friday

23-24 March Easter

30 April Queen’s Day

1 May Ascension

4 May Remembrance Day

5 May Liberation Day

11-12 May Whitsun

25-26 December Christmas

Traditions in Holland

5 December Saint Nicholas

September Prinsjesdag

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1. Van Gogh Museum

2. House of Anne Frank

3. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

4. Keukenhof

5. Delft (historic city centre)

6. Kröller-Müller Museum

7. Delfshaven

8. Madurodam (Holland in miniature)

9. Kinderdijk (famous windmills)

10. Archeon (technology museum)

Top 10 tourist destinations

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Travelling through Europe• Schengen possibilities• Transport options

• You could visit

London

Paris

Berlin

Rome

Barcelona

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4. Other things you might like to know

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Websites and addresses• Embassy website:

• Ministry of Dutch foreign affairswww.minbuza.nl/en/home

• International Studentswww.internationalstudents.nl

• www.internationalstudy.nl

• Nuffic (Study In Holland, Neso, StudentBase)www.nuffic.nl

• Insurancewww.ips-lippmann.comwww.myaon.nl/students

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What if…

• my parents want to visit me?• I can’t find the university/classroom/my house? I am lost!• I have difficulties with the study programme? (heavy workload)• I fall in love with Holland or with a Dutch girl or guy and I never

want to leave Holland again?• I want to complain about my study programme (badly

organized, exams, etc.)?• I can’t ride a bicycle yet?

Other questions?

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Please do join the student association in Netherlands

AND

Please do join the alumni association when you finish your study programme!

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And don’t forget to have

your degree certificate

authenticated before

going back home.

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IB-Groep

Diploma Recognition & Legalization Dept.• IB-groep has been appointed by the Ministry of Education to keep track of

who can issue what degrees, and who can sign them.

Address:

IB-Groep

Kempkensberg 4

9722 TB  Groningen

The Netherlands

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You will need three stamps for legalization

One from IB-Groep• Legalize signature

One from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs• Provide official translation

One from the Embassy (or Consulate) of your country in the Netherlands

• Legalize signature and Dutch procedure

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Good luck and the best of success with your study programme

in the Netherlands!

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