Going to University in the Netherlands

According this (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Study_in_the_Netherlands) going to Uni in the Netherlands is not a bad idea. There are English speaking courses and it's really cheap. However, realistically can you go to a country and not speak any of it and not feel left out? Will there be other English people there with me?

Reply 1

bakefrancis

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

According this (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Study_in_the_Netherlands) going to Uni in the Netherlands is not a bad idea. There are English speaking courses and it's really cheap. However, realistically can you go to a country and not speak any of it and not feel left out? Will there be other English people there with me?

Everyone on the course will speak english fluently. Would you plan not to pick up the local language over a three year period?

Reply 2

multiplexing-gamer

OP

15

Original post by bakefrancis

Everyone on the course will speak english fluently. Would you plan not to pick up the local language over a three year period?

Yes I'd love to! I think that'd be great, it's actually 4 years, do you think I'd become fluent after my time there? I'm just thinking in the first couple of months everyone makes friends so I dont want to be left out...

Reply 3

hollo

13

I know people who've done Erasmus years in the Netherlands and they got by just fine...pretty much everyone there speaks at least English if not a few other languages and everyone on your course would be fluent. Dutch is meant to be pretty hard to learn but you would pick it up and they probably have cheap language classes for students.

Reply 4

see-are

in holland everyone seems to speak english anyways

Reply 5

River85

17

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

According this (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Study_in_the_Netherlands) going to Uni in the Netherlands is not a bad idea. There are English speaking courses and it's really cheap. However, realistically can you go to a country and not speak any of it and not feel left out? Will there be other English people there with me?

The stereotype is that the Dutch speak better English than the English (or people from any Anglophone country). There's an element of truth in this, particularly in urban centres where English is widely spoken.

There will be international students there, including students from English speaking countries. Those who aren't from English speaking countries are still likely to speak English fluently or at least reasonably competently.

Reply 6

bakefrancis

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

Yes I'd love to! I think that'd be great, it's actually 4 years, do you think I'd become fluent after my time there? I'm just thinking in the first couple of months everyone makes friends so I dont want to be left out...

You have to be employed in the netherlands to be eligible for the student finance/grants. You'll have to pick up the language to an extent in order to work, unless you are lucky enough to get a university job that might be more english orientated. Most of the international courses are dutch and german majority with a huge diversity for the rest. If everyone is fluent in english, then there should be no problems with conversing with people on the course. Learning some german and dutch before going would aid things.

If you live in a country for 4 years majority of the time there and you aren't fluent by the end, i'd be surprised.

Reply 7

multiplexing-gamer

OP

15

Original post by bakefrancis

You have to be employed in the netherlands to be eligible for the student finance/grants. You'll have to pick up the language to an extent in order to work, unless you are lucky enough to get a university job that might be more english orientated. Most of the international courses are dutch and german majority with a huge diversity for the rest. If everyone is fluent in english, then there should be no problems with conversing with people on the course. Learning some german and dutch before going would aid things.

If you live in a country for 4 years majority of the time there and you aren't fluent by the end, i'd be surprised.

I dont think I plan on getting a job at University, but if I did it'd only be basic. I'm only in year 11 now so I could start learning Dutch in the Summer Holidays to give me abit of an advantage...

Reply 8

bakefrancis

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

I dont think I plan on getting a job at University, but if I did it'd only be basic. I'm only in year 11 now so I could start learning Dutch in the Summer Holidays to give me abit of an advantage...

Well you are either going to have to save a large amount before you go or have your family fund the whole degree. 1700 euro tuition plus minimum 5000 euro expenses per year. 27000 euros is a lot to save prior to a degree.

Reply 9

multiplexing-gamer

OP

15

Original post by bakefrancis

Well you are either going to have to save a large amount before you go or have your family fund the whole degree. 1700 euro tuition plus minimum 5000 euro expenses per year. 27000 euros is a lot to save prior to a degree.