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Students' experiences
Gosia Belzak, Poland
I am an exchange student from Poland and I study at Warsaw School of Economics. Thanks to the Erasmus programme I have a chance to study at Hanze University Groningen. I’ve chosen the Real Estate Programme, in detail it is called the International Challenge of Real Estate.
The Netherlands is a fabulous country and from all Dutch cities Groningen is absolutely the best place for students. Lots of parties, lots of meetings with the peers, lots of fun…;-) You can never be bored. People are very open so you can ask them for help and they will explain you everything without any difficulty, what is more if you don’t know Dutch just feel free to ask in English. When you arrive remember to buy a bike…you will really need this! |
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What about the Hanze University Groningen….
What realy surprised me is the attitude to the foreign students. I am treated very individually and when I need help I always get the assistance. We are delivered with all the materials which we need to study. I attend a class of 25 students, but most of the time I spend working on the project which is our main task. We are divided into groups of 6 and are obliged to prepare the presentations, reports, briefs, etc. It gives you the chance to learn a lot, gain new experiences and also integrate with Dutch people to know them better. I can say without any hesitation that after two months of being here I’m very satisfied of choosing this university in Groningen. It has lived up my expectations so far. So if you’re thinking about the Netherlands… just choose the Hanze….I absolutely recommend it and if you have already decided to come here and need some more information about student life or any other useful tips you can contact me, I will do my best to help you.
Best regards and Good luck!
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Emiel Mahler, South-Africa
"Early during my studies I knew that I was interested in international real estate. To my opinion it is very interesting to compare the opportunities and risks in real estate market in different countries.
Due to the fact that I joined the international version of the European Challenge in Berlin, I was able to gain experience in working abroad and in working with people with different cultural backgrounds. I can definately recommend thes programme to all the students who have an international ambition. |
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The next step in my study career was to find a work placement abroad. I found a work placement at Engel & Völkers in Kaapstad, South-Africa. the placement appears to be very interesting and valuable, especially because I get a lot of responsibility from day one.
The South-African real estate market is a very interesting market with a lot of opportunities. For European investors it is particularly interesting to invest in the South-African real estate market because of the World Championship Soccer in 2010. But thehuge profits that can be made, are unfortunately accompanied by the risc that projects can be delayed. Huge delays at building sites are simply known as "TIA", which means "This is Africa". This implicates that accepting the delay is the only option."
Tim Blank, Chicago
"I will be in Chicago for the next five months to fulfil my internship at American Invsco. For my thesis I will do research into the investment opportunities in hotel rooms, together with my fellow student Sandra te Wies. This investment concept is often used in the USA, but is new in Europe. At the moment I am in my ninth week of the placement and I am having a great time!
At arrival in Chicago, our placement supervisors of American Invsco took Sandra and me to our apartment in downtown Chicago. The first week on the job consisted of getting acquainted with our colleagues, attending meetings, having dinner with the owner of the company, looking for inspiration for my thesis and visiting a vibrang blues café. |
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Sandra and I work at the international real estate department of the company. Here we participate in projects of American Invsco in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil etc. Next to that, we are doing research into the real estate market in Amsterdam. The reason for this is that a client of American Invsco is looking for a suitable location for a reggae club in the city centre of Amsterdam. Our job is to give suggestions for locations and to give a clear view on the process in purchasing real estate by foreign investors in the Netherlands.
The rest of the time I am busy with working on my thesis, attending meetings and assisting in setting up an investment club for private investors. The next couple of weeks I will spend even more time on my work placement and writing my thesis. But hopefully I will have some time left to explore Chicago!"
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