The Hague University (HHS)

The student bar (El Soos) was the place to be on a weekly basis (for cheap drinks). Although there were much better places for nightlife, the student bar provided the opportunity to regularly interact with the other exchange students and the local Dutch students. Plaza! in Schevengingen was 1 block from our house and so was nice and convenient, good music. Crazy Pianos, good for live music and a dance. One place not to be missed is Six Flags Holland, for a good fun day out....Cremers is a good spot for chilling out and relazing, as is Buddha Bar (nice comfortable pillows).

The house I was placed in was quite a distance from the university compared to other forms of residence. However, it was in a very nice, safe suburb next to the beach, which made it a very positive experience. The cost of the housing was quite expensive in comparison to what local students were paying. My room was also quite small for the price I paid. However, the facilities were good and I developed close bonds with the people I lived with.

Travelling to other countries was relatively cheap for me. Food and drink were quite expensive, especially in terms of eating out, this surprised me. Also, phoning Australia was very expensive compared with that in Canada or the USA, but this was due to the fact that a fixed phone was not available to me therefore I was reliant upon a mobile. Cost-saving tip is to buy fruit, vegies and meat at the local market rather than the supermarket. I also found transport quite expensive, which surprised me.

This was without a doubt the best experience in my life and I would recommend it to anyone. I am now more culturally aware and have a great interest in learning more about other cultures. I feel it has advanced my career in terms of my adaptation skills and my responsiveness to change. I would recommend going to a place where one can travel and be exposed to a variety of cultures.

I did learn Dutch as a part of my course, and found this challenging. This was due to the fact that the majority of Dutch people use English, therefore there were not that many opportunities for me to practice. However, I did try to use common courtesies in most situations, in the native language. I did not find communication a barrier at all. The fact that I lived with other foreign students also exposed me to other languages which I enjoyed. I had studied French at school and so living with some French students allowed me to improve. I have also taken up French lessons upon my return to Australia.