From New Zealand to South Korea: Tilburg students on studying abroad

Language barriers, new friends, and an indigenous introduction week, the strangest things can happen when you study abroad. Three Tilburg students share their exchange experiences. ‘Back in the Netherlands, I immediately felt homesick for Seoul.’

Many students choose to spend a few months abroad to broaden their horizons, meet new people, and of course, study.

But a new country, an unfamiliar university, and few familiar faces come with their own set of challenges. Is studying abroad a once-in-a-lifetime experience or more like a fever dream?

Students Ellis de Jong, Iris Toetenel, and Paul van den Hurk look back with Univers on their time abroad.

Iris Toetenel (22): ‘It felt like walking on the moon’

Program: Master in Business Analytics and Operations Research
At the time: Bachelor in Data Science
Destination: Auckland, New Zealand

‘New Zealand attracted me because of its stunning nature. And of course, it’s special to travel to the other side of the world. Just getting there, a 23-hour flight with a long stopover in Kuala Lumpur, was already an adventure.

‘People in New Zealand are kind and helpful. Everyone speaks English, so it’s easy to make friends. New Zealanders are very approachable, and that helped me connect with locals. Still, you mostly spend time with other exchange students, since everyone wants to explore the country and the city together.

‘I lived in Auckland, a modern and lively city where nearly a quarter of the population resides. It’s hard to compare Auckland to the rest of New Zealand, apart from a few large cities, most of the country consists of small villages.’

Goosebump moments

‘The country is even more beautiful than you imagine. Hiking is the best way to get to know it. During my first weekend trip, I visited a national park with three volcanoes, one of which last erupted in 1975. You can do New Zealand’s most famous hike there, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

‘We started at seven in the morning. The first two hours we hiked in the dark and even through some rain, but later the sky cleared. The landscape was breathtaking, emerald-colored lakes, steam rising from the ground. It gave me goosebumps; it really felt like walking on the moon.

‘Another highlight was a road trip with friends I’d met there. We stayed overnight at the Mueller Hut, which overlooks Mount Cook, the country’s highest peak. It’s one of the best places in the world for stargazing. The wind was intense though — gusts of up to 80 km per hour. For a moment, I thought we might blow away.’

Cultural immersion

‘New Zealand has the indigenous Māori people, who have a strong presence at the university. They organized an introduction weekend for exchange students, and we slept in a Marae, a traditional Māori meeting place.

‘Most people know the Māori from the haka, a ceremonial dance that was once used in battle, now performed by national sports teams like the All Blacks.

‘That weekend, we also got to experience Māori food traditions. Within their culture, children and women eat first and as much as they want, then the men can eat. It sometimes meant the guys in our group got a bit less, haha. Fortunately, everyone took it in good humor.’

And the studying part?

‘My program, Data Science, is a joint degree between Eindhoven University of Technology and Tilburg University. It’s less common for Eindhoven students to go on exchange, so I arranged mine through Tilburg.

‘I had already completed most of my credits but still wanted to study abroad. In New Zealand, I mainly took extra elective courses — including one on wine science, which was surprisingly tough without a chemistry background, but really interesting. In the end, all the courses were manageable.’

While you’re in the neighborhood

‘Before flying to New Zealand, I spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur. During my semester, I took a week-long trip to Fiji — just a three-hour flight from Auckland.

‘After finishing my classes, I traveled around New Zealand for another month. On the way home, I stopped over in Seoul, South Korea, for a week. It’s a beautiful city. If you’re already flying halfway around the world, you might as well make the most of it.’

Paul van den Hurk (21): ‘I raised my hand, and the class stared at me in shock’

Program: Bachelor in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation
Destination: Seoul, South Korea

‘I wanted to go far away for my minor — preferably somewhere in Asia — to meet people from all over the world. Singapore was too expensive, I already knew Thailand, and in Hong Kong there’s a whole bubble of Tilburg students, which I wanted to avoid. So I chose South Korea, and I don’t regret it.

‘Before I went, people in the Netherlands told me not to arrange housing through the university but through a Korean man named Jason. Jason is a legend, he made my stay amazing. He rents studios to international students and organizes Korean barbecues and weekend trips for his tenants.’

Korean culture

‘Seoul is a megacity with about 45 universities, yet I quickly felt at home. I love talking to people, and through Jason I met 65 other Europeans in my first week. That group made my experience unforgettable.

‘I had a room with a rooftop terrace and an open-door policy, everyone was welcome. It was harder, though, to connect with South Koreans, partly because of the language barrier but also the culture.

‘I tried to find out how to join the university tennis club, but most locals walked away nervously or said they didn’t speak English. It took me two weeks to figure it out through another international student.

‘Koreans aren’t unfriendly; they’re just afraid of making mistakes. The performance culture there is intense. I took an intermediate accounting course, quite challenging for me, and when I raised my hand to ask a question, the whole class stared at me in disbelief. Even the professor seemed surprised. Not judgmental, but like “wow, that’s brave.” In the Netherlands it’s completely normal.

‘South Koreans are also less individualistic. The city never sleeps, stores are open 24/7, and you’ll see people sweeping the streets at one in the morning, wearing safety helmets. There’s a strong collective drive, which keeps the city clean and vibrant.’

North and South

‘South Korea is incredibly safe. The tension with North Korea doesn’t really affect daily life. I visited the border once, it was strange but also funny.

‘South Korea tries to free the North from its dictatorship by sending over large balloons carrying books or films. North Korea calls it “sending poop” — and in retaliation, they literally send back balloons filled with poop. So yes, sometimes there are diapers flying across the border.’

Adventurer at heart

‘I love experiences, adventure, and meeting people. During my half-year in South Korea, I did all sorts of crazy things, traveled through Mongolia with nomads, visited Japan and China, and spent New Year’s in the Philippines. Most of those trips came after my studies ended, since attendance at lectures was mandatory.

‘When I got back to the Netherlands, I really missed it. I was homesick for Seoul.’

Ellis de Jong (23): ‘It got dark at one in the afternoon’

Program: Master in International Management
At the time: Bachelor in Organization and Management Studies
Destination: Roskilde, Denmark

‘Denmark was actually my ninth choice, after getting wait-listed and lacking enough credits the first time. But in hindsight, I’m so glad I went. I was incredibly nervous at first, but six months later I was crying on the plane because I didn’t want to leave. I’d built a life there and still think about it often.

‘The nerves disappeared quickly when I joined the international introduction week. Everything was well-organized, and I already had a room assigned before I arrived. I lived on campus with fourteen others from countries like Mexico, Spain, and South Korea.

‘Just like in the Netherlands, international students tended to stick together. I made mostly international friends, simply because it was easier. I had some Danish housemates too, but they were a bit more reserved.’

Drinking culture

‘Even though the university was in a small town between Copenhagen and Roskilde, I was never bored. There was a bar on campus where students could hang out and have affordable drinks. Denmark itself is expensive, but campus prices were fine.

‘One of my minor projects was about Denmark’s student drinking culture. It’s similar to the Dutch one, but Danish students tend to spend much more time at the university bar. You don’t see that as much in Tilburg.’

Easy credits

‘We didn’t have many classes, and there were no exams, just essays, projects, and presentations. I’ve never earned credits so easily. Of course, it helped that I didn’t have a job or many social obligations there.

‘There was plenty of time to make new friends. Every Sunday we had dinner with all our housemates, played volleyball, or watched movies. It was quite cozy and with the cold Danish weather, you stay indoors a lot.

‘It got dark around three p.m., and I thought I was used to that as a Dutch person, but this was another level. On the coldest day it was minus 18 degrees. I even bought a proper winter coat there to survive the cold.’

Exploring Scandinavia

‘I took lots of trips around Scandinavia with a friend from Leiden I met there. We visited Sweden and traveled through Norway up to Lapland. Lapland was unreal, it got dark at one in the afternoon and light again around ten in the morning, so we tried to use every hour of daylight.

‘But seeing the Northern Lights made it all worth it. Suddenly, colors appeared all across the sky. Sometimes they faded, then came back again. We were surrounded by nature — an incredible experience.

‘Scandinavia is beautiful, but what I learned is that you can have fun anywhere if you make the effort. And that’s what I did, I had an amazing time. I’d recommend everyone to spend their minor abroad.’

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