“My studies in Spain and the programme at Hanze UAS are both according to European criteria. So there are some similarities. However, the education at Hanze UAS is more practical. At first I thought I should receive more literature from the teachers in order to do research before applying the knowledge. But the internet appeared to be useful and in the end I think I have learned a lot here.

I actually really like the practical approach of the School of Marketing Management, and also the fact that the programme is divided into blocks that deal with different subjects. It is very well possible to do the required tasks and projects within the available time. That is, if you plan well.

I also like that classes are divided into small groups, so usually teachers know everybody, and all students in the class know each other. This creates a good atmosphere. Working in groups is sometimes difficult, but facing the problems of working in a team is a good way to learn how to avoid them before you get to work in the professional world.

If you stay in the Netherlands, you should buy two things. First a bicycle. The bike as a mean of transport is fantastic! Second: buy an agenda. Life for me in The Netherlands would have been much easier if I had used one. Dutch culture is full of meetings, appointments and deadlines, so using an agenda can be really useful!

Apart from that, getting used to living in Groningen is not very difficult. The people may seem colder than Spanish people, but when you go out on the streets some people smile at you and this usually doesn't happen in Spain. And if you ask people to help you, they will explain precisely. The one thing I do not like: the food is not so good.

Finally, studying at Hanze UAS is not very difficult. The university is big, pretty modern and new, with high technology (at least higher than I am used to). You just have to get used to the way things are done.”

Name: Begoña García Moratonas
Homeland: Spain (Guadalajara)
Stay at School of Marketing Management: September 2011 - June 2012
Motivation: "I chose to study at the School of Marketing Management because the programme was the one most related to my studies."

“Hanze UAS affirms: ”Share your talent. Move the World”. The meaning is that the people are able to recognize and appreciate someone else's talent. You can see this important attitude in every teacher; always ready to listen to another perspective and when it is necessary to change his or her mind.

Also, who has the fortune to have an innate talent or is able to create his or her own one, has the possibility and the duty to share it with others. Working in groups, especially with people from different cultures, is in my opinion the best training ever to share everyone’s talent! It provides a good opportunity to listen to other people and try to learn something new, or understand that there are more points of views. This working in groups is maybe the most difficult part of studying here, but I’m glad that it is like that. I am attending university, so I am not expecting easy things, but stimulating challenges.

Lessons are really different from Italy; classes are most like high school was: around 25 people each class and the lecturers know you by name. Subjects are explained more by direct and concrete examples and discussions are always appreciated. Working in teams is just a method to consolidate the knowledge which was explained in class during the lesson. Personally I really like the Dutch method. Writing a report for a real company is amazing. It is motivating to see week after week that the report grows with the contribution of everyone.

Of course the Erasmus programme is not just about studying. Groningen is a town rich of Dutch culture. And the center is often full of young people, students that love living the town 24 hours a day. The town offers a great opportunity to socialize; Groningen has many pubs where you can speak and laugh with friends. Walking around it is also possible to taste the local food, like Frikandel, appreciating more the Dutch culture in this way.

I’m sure that my experience here will be helpful for my future. Living an Erasmus period is like living many different experiences concentrating together. Remembering the days spent in Groningen, there is nothing I would change. I did and learned a lot and everything about this experience makes me smile.

I hope also to have left something to my classmates, as they left something to me.”

Name: Niccoló Englaro
Homeland: Italy (Bergamo)
Stay at School of Marketing Management: September 2012 - February 2013
Motivation: "I chose Hanze University of Applied Sciences because I was really curious about numbers. Almost 50,000 students and the half of that is not coming from the Netherlands. A culture which is open to the global integration and in which you can feel yourself like an active part.”

"Arriving in the North of the Netherlands in February was quite an experience, with refrigerating temperatures around -15°C to -20°C and lots of snow. Yet, people were not cold or impersonal. Everyone communicated with everyone and people were really respectful and helpful.

The classes were mixed and I found it very instructive to study with people with different working methods that I could learn from. However, I come from a private school where all the school activites are quite in detail explained. At the beginning, I had difficulties understanding the Hanze system where everything was written on the Blackboard website. I would have appreciated to receive more information about how to work with the Blackboard system, before actually working with it.

Despite this, I felt very well integrated at the School of Marketing Management after a while. The local students as well as the professors solicited us to take part in the life of the class, the school and the city.

And so I did. On 30 April (temperature was a lot higher and it was a sunny day). I attended Queen's Day. What an event! It was the first time in my life that I saw this many people joined together in the same place with as much of animation and a festival without violence or clash. And I was very surprised by the Dutch who, at midnight, sang all united, their national anthem.

Concluding I can say that studying in Groningen was for me a beneficial experiment. It enabled me to discover new horizons and a different manner to study and work."

Name: Yvann Clio
Age: 20 years
Homeland: Martinique (France)
Stay at School of Marketing Management: February - June 2012
Motivation: "I am a 3rd year student at the European Commercial School in Bordeaux. I had to carry out one period as an ERASMUS student in a foreign country. I chose Hanze UAS."