Student Stories

Laurine is a scientist at TNO, one of the largest applied research organisations in the Netherlands. She completed the Master’s in Nanotechnology at the University of Twente.

Whatever your goals are at the University of Twente, one thing is for sure: to achieve them, you’ll need to know your way around the campus. As someone who’s spent a good amount of his formative years here, I know a thing or two about finding your way around the UT’s many buildings. Read on for a list of (perhaps unhinged) tips you can use to make sure you remember your room numbers.

My hobbies don’t always get the love they deserve. Sometimes, I forget about them, or other, newer hobbies take their place for a while, or life simply gets in the way. And when it does, I find myself sneaking glances at my guitar and my amplifier, strings waiting to be tuned, my fingers itching to bust out a solo.

I think it’s universal among all university students that the phrase, “Hey, let’s do an icebreaker!” induces fear and terror into the hearts of mortals. Unfortunately, icebreakers are the reality of meeting new people, be it during Kick-In, class, or throughout the year. Who wants to spend ten minutes listening to coffee versus tea preferences? It’s incredibly cheesy. Still, some icebreakers have their charm, and even the eye-rollers are bound to make someone smile. So, in no particular order except for the order of least to most likely you’ll get ostracised, here are the icebreakers guaranteed to make you the most memorable person in the room.

What is studying Applied Physics at the University of Twente like? Student Pepijn moved from Amsterdam to Enschede and can tell you all about it. In this article, he shares his experience: “I’m still really happy with the choice I made.”

I’d be lying to you if I said that I didn’t believe some of these misconceptions about the Netherlands when I first came here. Especially in Asia, where you believe everything an older person tells you, there were some truly head-scratching misconceptions about the Netherlands I was told. And now I’m here to tell you that some things are simply not true.

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 Now, a few years down the line, I’m realising that most of what my family said was a bit outdated, as they had only gone to university decades before the idea of me had ever existed.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.

Preparing for university is… an experience. It’s stressful enough back home – going overseas is an entirely different beast. Getting the confirmation letter was one thing, but actually preparing for life in the Netherlands? I didn’t know where to start. Luckily, looking back, it wasn’t that bad of an ordeal, considering the huge step you’re taking in your life. There are mountains of resources you can use to help you navigate this new chapter in your journey, and now you’ll be able to add this guide to the top – I’ve been there, I’ve done that.

Wondering what essentials you absolutely cannot forget to pack for your thrilling study abroad adventure at the University of Twente in the Netherlands? In this video, I’ll tell you what to pack!

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.