Studying in Holland (2022)
If you are a foreign student that would love to study in NL, be prepared for the anything (or the worst). As well know that universities themselves are advising to avoid coming if you don’t have a place to live… How crazy is that. I don’t think I have ever witness a university avoiding students due to housing problems.
Although Amsterdam and other regions are very ideal places to embark on your educational journey, sometimes it is a bit overrated. The tuition itself is way more for internationals (talking about 20K difference) than dutch students (around 2K) for the same courses. Oh and by the way, did you know that dutch students don’t have to pay for transportation? you’d think it would be the same for internationals but.. NO. On top of tuition fees + very expensive accommodation, we also need to pay for transportation, unlike dutch students (it’s not like we pay more right?.. )
Courses are way different, although the professors are super nice at VU, it is mainly a research path which includes reading a lot of articles online + group work. As well, the education in the country itself is different than North America or Asia, so search up whether it fits with your experience/ambitious.
Accommodation
Not only is it hard for regular working people to find housing in this country, but now it is becoming a really serious topic for future students. I know sometimes the news outlet might exaggerate on certain things but trust me, it WILL be really hard to find a room. My best advice is to connect with friends who might be from here or talk to a realtor. I personally don’t think it is possible to rent a room from abroad. Therefore, if you really wan to study here, I would advise to come to the country and go PHYSICALLY to the possible places you can rent.
There are a lot of scams nowadays due to necessity of money (hello inflation) and advantages of circumstances (hello international students). Therefore, be careful, be mindful, and be ready to spend a lot of money on top of tuition + apartment + transportation.
Don’t underestimate the chaos
Overall, it has become pretty clear that international students & expats are no longer welcomed in the country because the country itself cannot afford housing for anyone. I would recommend visiting holland for holidays but for the long run as of now, it is better to invest your money somewhere else. Trust me, I would of advised people to come here two years ago (I did my masters here duh). However, with the situation of inflation, no housing, everything becoming super expensive, Invest or save your money until the situation becomes a bit better.
If you are still willing to come to study here, I hope everything goes smooth and you have a lot of luck! There are always people willing to help, but do know that it will take time, it will take tears and frustration and hopefully not a lot of panic attacks. Nowadays living in Holland is not only a problem for international students but also for local and expats since everything is becoming more expensive with little room of opportunities or chances to find the ideal place to live without donating a kidney.
