My experience of being at university in the Netherlands and living here

my_qualifications: I’m a final year undergrad student in the Netherlands doing psychology. I’m moving back to Mumbai in a couple months once I’m done with my course. Just wanted to highlight some points about the pros and cons of being in the Netherlands for anyone who is possibly considering it! All this is just from my experience, yours will probably be different so:)

Pros: 1) Walkable cities: so it’s really nice to take a walk around the streets with a mostly proper footpath, other than sometimes when there are cycles on the footpaths. 2) clean air of course 3) good public transport system: well connected with buses, trams and trains. They don’t always run on time though and sometimes don’t even show up. 4) most people here speak English so that helps! 5) generally safe, other than the big cities like amsterdam.

Cons: 1) healthcare system is not accessible: I’ve had multiple poor experiences with the healthcare system here. From gps not picking up the phone, to giving me the wrong diagnosis and medication. To visit a specialist in a hospital, you need a referral from the gp and you can’t do anything if the gp doesn’t pick up. Had a much better experience in Mumbai with the doctors instantly diagnosing me and helping me out! 2) high cost of living: rent is steep in most places and supply is very less of housing. Most things are super expensive. 3) loneliness/boredom/homesickness: I live in a relatively small city and it gets very boring here. Nothing much to do. So we usually need to go to the bigger cities, where again there’s only so many things to do and see. 4) things are just cheaper and more accessible in India 5) job market is tough here, not a lot of opportunities 6) weather is unpredictable and can get very cold 7) food is lowkey bland 😅

If anyone is interested in knowing anything more, please comment and I’ll be happy to help!