About My Journey

Nijmegen, Netherlands

As you know I began this blog to share my experiences while studying abroad. In order for you all to understand what I write about, I must first explain exactly what it is I will be doing.

The Place of all Places

I chose a school named Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It is located on the South eastern side of the Netherlands near Germany. The City of Nijmegen is about what I am used to considering their population is just over 164,000 people which is the same as Springfield, Missouri. With that being said, Missouri State has just over 24,000 students and Raboud University has about 19,000. Radboud University is known for their large exchange student population and I have heard they are very good at welcoming new international students.

The City of Nijmegen itself is a charming old city. It is actually the oldest city in the Netherlands and still contains a lot of history. The primary language spoken in the Netherlands is Dutch but almost everyone speaks English as well. Even though English is spoken, does not mean that we will always be on the same page. I know that there will be cultural differences and interesting ways of life that I will need to get used to and learn from. That is what makes traveling abroad so exciting and rewarding.

The Time Frame

The official fall semester at Radaboud is August 23, 2015 thru January 30, 2016. I will be arriving in Europe approximately 2 weeks early on August 10 in order to travel with my family and go through the orientation process at the university. My parents and I will be traveling through Ireland, Wales and the Netherlands before ending in Nijmegen. Next for me will be a week long orientation to get aquainted with the city, the university and with all of the students. The real semester begins promptly after that on the 23rd.

In the Netherlands the classes are set up as block classes with two blocks per semester. I will be taking half my credits in classes up until the end of October, or early November. Next I will take the other half of credits in classes that technically end at the end of January. The education system is set up a little different at Radboud where the classes are more discussion based instead of lecture based. This also means that the instructors can issue your final exam earlier than the end of the semester. The professors there are usually understanding of your time frame there in the Netherlands and can let you finish finals before Christmas. This is ultimately my goal. If all goes well, I will be back for Christmas with my family and return to regular classes for the spring semester at Missouri State.

The Dutch Way of Life

I will be living in an apartment just a short bike ride from campus. In this apartment I will have my own room but will share a bathroom, kitchen and laundry with an entire hall of students. (hey, atleast I have onsite laundry and my own room!) This apartment complex will house many International as well as Dutch students. This means while I may meet some people from the United States or from the Netherlands, I will also be meeting people from just about any other country in Europe and across the world. I will rent a bike and ride it everywhere. I will ride to class, to the Sports Center, the City Center and even to get groceries. This, I hear, is the norm in Holland. Cycling is the Dutch "Way of Life". If there is one thing I know about the Netherlands so far, it is that there are bikes everywhere. Maybe I will return with legs of steel from all the pedaling!

I am glad you have found my blog. If you read this first entry then I applaud you. I do imagine my next posts being a little less boring and basic. In the meantime, if you would like to learn a bit more about my new home click here.

What to look for next: What is Holland and Why am I going there?