Xiaoyu Zhang

After working for five years, I felt the urge to charge myself by learning something new and experiencing a new culture. I know Erasmus University Rotterdam through a former colleague. She shared her wonderful experience at Erasmus and in Rotterdam with me, which stimulated my interest in applying for a master’s specialisation here.

An new journey

Although I have been abroad several times (either travelling or short-term exchange programs), living abroad for a long time is really different. When I first got here, I felt overwhelmed by all the things that I had to do, such as registration at city hall, opening a bank account, and even finding a place to live. But as soon as I cracked them down one by one, a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction give me the strength to carry on.

(But don’t worry, if you arrive in September, you can do all these at the one-stop-shop on campus.)

Tough Love

I am glad that the admission board offered me a premaster program at first, which really helped me to build a solid foundation for my current master specialisation. The study load was not what I had expected. I don’t mean that it is so difficult that no one can pass the finals. It’s just how the difference between the educational systems in China and in the Netherlands. And my academic experience in sociology or tourism studies was limited.

Learning Dutch

I really enjoyed the globalisation course, which inspired me to view the world from a different perspective. I am happy to see how I grew with the help of teaching staff and my fellow students. Now I am learning Dutch because I want to explore more about the Dutch culture and learning the language would really help.