Study Abroad Guide
For Fontys ICT
Overall experiences stay abroad
If I had to sum up my overall experience of the past half year in Helsinki, I would say it has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I can, without a doubt, recommend a study abroad to other students.
Why exactly? Throwing yourself in at the deep end by going to a foreign country, where you are on your own, forces you to get out of your comfort zone. But once you take those first steps you will meet the most amazing people, visit places all over the world and have moments you will never forget.
Experiences about culture and country
Before I went to Finland, I heard many good things about the of quality of life they have. This was one of the reasons I choose to go to Finland, and I would say it matched my expectations.
During my stay I spend a lot of time with people from all over the world with different backgrounds. This gave me broader perspective on a lot of things which in turn made me more empathetic.
Helsinki is a great place to live, it’s easy to get around with public transport and once you’re in the city center you can reach most things by foot. Student life is very vibrant even though the alcohol is quite expansive. That’s why I would recommend a trip to Tallin in Estonia to buy some that won’t hurt your bank account as much.
Motivation study programme
For my minor I wanted to follow classes about topics outside my current education to get out of my “ICT bubble” so to speak. I choose classes about communication, business, marketing, and culture to name a few.
I learned a lot of things during these classes and met so many new people. Most interesting to me was learning about the differences between cultures but at the same time seeing the similarities. Seeing how people differ but still get along.
Ambassadorship FHICT
I have acted as ambassador by sharing what I have learned at FHICT and about The Netherlands in general. I would like to think that I gave a few people an idea how it is to study and live here.
Everything I learned abroad will stay with me forever and it differently changed how I make decisions. I will take these lessons and experiences wherever I go and tell them to whomever wants to listen. In doing so I hope to inspire people to go study abroad themselves.