Doing Business in Europe in the Netherlands – Hi! My name is Chelsea Lake and this summer I had the opportunity to study in the Netherlands at Hanze University in the city of Groningen. This blog post will take you through my experience so far and give some insight as to what will be in store for you if you decide to do this program.

After many hours of flying, waiting in airports, and a lengthy scenic train ride, I arrived in a city called Groningen. This would be my home for the next 3 and a half weeks and how exciting it has been. We’ve toured breweries, taken country side trips, met tons of amazing people, and spent many hours exploring the beautiful city. Studying abroad has opened my eyes to so many different cultures and I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made in coming to the Netherlands.

This year I and 62 other students have been living on a boat hotel called the MS Andante. How interesting it was to find I would have a roommate in such a tiny cabin room! It has been quite an experience and I wouldn’t trade it for any other. I’ve loved it so much I plan to come back for sure in the future.

One of my favourite things has been the bikes. The Netherlands is the biking capital of the world, it is very flat and more people have bikes than cars. We bike to and from school every day and even though I fell off (twice) it has been amazing. I would almost go as far to say I want to start biking when I go back home to Nova Scotia, but there are too many hills.

This program is intensive in school work and immersive with the life here in the Netherlands. You can expect a full day of school followed by drinks with your friends, or a day at the beach, or a business excursion to a major company! The experiences are endless. I highly recommend that any student given this opportunity should take it.

Overall I have gained so much experience in just one month and met so many amazing people. The highlight of my trip was probably having the opportunity of competing in a sales pitch to Philips and having the honor of winning. Any one of these experiences could be yours if you take the chance, don’t miss it!

Chelsea Lake

Business Administration Student

NSCC Kingstec Campus