I was selected to go on exchange to the Netherlands to The Hague University of Applied Sciences. My apartment is right next to the main campus but my own campus is actually located in the neighboring city of Delft. The distance to school is about 10 kilometers each way, so one of the first things I did was buy a bike. I basically jumped straight into Dutch culture because cycling is extremely popular here and a very convenient way to get around.
Instead of traditional courses I have been working on a project based course for my entire exchange. During this course we complete two projects in collaboration with Universal Robots, which has been both very interesting and completely new to me. Local companies contact our school to offer projects and students get to choose which ones they want to work on. It has been a great experience to collaborate with two Dutch companies and to see what the working culture is like here. The projects have required a lot of time and effort but at the same time I’ve learned many new skills and techniques that I’m sure will be useful in my future career.
When I think about the differences between Finland and the Netherlands this project-based learning is definitely one of them. In my field in Finland it’s not possible to complete a full semester project course with students from different study backgrounds working together. It has been a valuable opportunity to study in a new way and I honestly feel that it has served me very well. Dutch people are also very direct in the way they communicate which surprised me at first. However I think it’s a great quality because it leaves no room for misunderstandings about how things will be done.
I’ve also had plenty of free time so my exchange hasn’t been only about school. Thanks to the Netherlands’ location I’ve traveled to Belgium three times, visited France once, and explored several Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Haarlem. I’m a big sports fan so I’ve treated myself to matches featuring Ajax, ADO Den Haag, and even Olympique Lyon when I was in Lyon. I also went to Amsterdam to watch a DP World Tour golf event where Sami Välimäki and Oliver Lindell were representing Finland. Otherwise I’ve spent most of my time enjoying the beautiful scenery of Delft, surrounded by canals as well as Scheveningen, the largest beach in the Netherlands located in The Hague. Buying the bike was definitely a great decision as I’ve cycled all around The Hague and Delft and seen almost everything there is to see.
Time has flown by here and I honestly don’t feel ready to return to Finland. This has been an incredible experience and the Netherlands has turned out to be an amazing country.
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