Student Stories

Your student room isn’t just your bedroom; it’s also the place where you eat, study, relax and invite friends over. And all of that within just a few square metres. Let’s be honest, that can quickly become quite chaotic… Fortunately, with a few smart choices, you can use your space in a much more efficient way. Here are 8 tips to help you get the most out of your student room!

Nico is a talent assessment specialist at Red Bull, a global beverage and media company. He completed the Master’s in Psychology with a specialisation in Human Factors & Engineering Psychology at the University of Twente.

If you’re choosing the Netherlands as your study destination, you will likely already have a certain image in your head: cycling to your lectures past canals, historic windmills and tulip fields. Okay, perhaps you don’t fall for those clichés that easily, but do you really know what you can expect as a student in the Netherlands? To ensure you’re prepared, let me debunk some of the biggest myths about studying in this small country in Western Europe.

It's officially spring. The temperatures are rising, the first rays of sunshine are shining through the windows of your student house, and you see... a dirty kitchen counter and dusty shelves. Time for some spring cleaning! With housemates who probably have just as little motivation to clean as you do, this might sound like an impossible task. Don't worry, though; with a strategic approach, it's actually not that bad. Here's how to go about it!

I don’t really drink coffee. I’ll have it if I’m in a good cafe, but most of the time, I prefer fruity drinks. And if I’m going to get coffee, I don’t really bother with the fancier stuff – just a normal flat white or a cappuccino will do. However, contrary to popular belief, Enschede has some REALLY good coffee spots; spots that have made me look at the menu and think, ‘I don’t mind trying the blueberry coffee.’ That’s why, for this article, I’ve taken on the noble task of trying out and rating some of the best coffee spots in Enschede.

When I started getting ready for college, I looked at a bunch of websites and guides to figure out what I needed to bring abroad, and also listened to advice from my older family members. Now, a few years down the line, I’m realising that most of what my family said was a bit outdated, as they had only gone to university decades before the idea of me had ever existed. I was told to bring things that would never see the light of day from my suitcase once I got to my destination. In this article, I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen to you. No nonsense about bringing a mechanical alarm clock just because your uncles didn’t believe in modern phone alarms.

Satellites are often associated with space agencies, GPS tracking, weather forecasting or climate research. But the applications of satellite data reach far beyond what most people expect. For Nikhil Sakpal, satellite imagery became the foundation of his career, in which he focuses on monitoring and protecting vital infrastructure – from railway corridors to oil and gas pipelines. Find out how his path led him from India to the University of Twente in the Netherlands and ultimately to his career at ROSEN, a global technology company focused on infrastructure safety.

The Netherlands is renowned for its excellent education system and vibrant student life. This means that a lot of students are trying to find housing every year, which is why finding suitable accommodation can be a challenge for both local and international students. However, with careful planning and resourcefulness, students can successfully secure housing. I'll tell you all about it!

If you’re moving abroad, it only makes sense for you to want to integrate yourself into the country you’re moving to. To do this, the most important step is to learn the language – not necessarily master it, but just learn enough to get by. Learning Dutch allows you to communicate with the locals, learn about their culture, and make friends. Not learning Dutch only puts you at a disadvantage – besides, having an extra language in your portfolio is always a good idea.

University is the perfect time to pick up a new skill. For me, it was cooking – now, I’m not gonna be getting any Michelin stars any soon, but I can hold my own in the kitchen. My favourite dishes are traditional dishes from back home in Indonesia, but I had no idea where to get ingredients – at first. If you miss the taste of home, and are unsure of where to get ingredients, then you’re in luck. Enschede has some pretty nice foreign goods stores where you can get most of everything you’re craving. Read on for a compilation of my favourite international stores and restaurants in Enschede.