A master's degree in Holland is the first stage of postgraduate education. Dutch master's programs are quite flexible and varied; they include long internships and exchange studies. Training is conducted in Dutch or English language, and the number of English-language programs is growing every year. Thanks to this, the popularity of Holland as an educational destination is growing: in 2016-17, every tenth student came to the country from abroad.

The country's universities are divided into several large groups. Two of them are of interest to foreign master's students - research universities and universities of applied sciences. Master's programs at these types of universities differ in objectives, content and duration.

Education in Holland is paid, but its cost is significantly lower than in the UK, USA or Canada. At the master's level, students are offered a greater choice of scholarships than at the first higher education level, especially for research universities. In addition, applied universities encourage work in their specialty during their studies, so it allows you to immediately apply the acquired knowledge in practice.

Research Master's degree in Holland

Research universities combine academic activities and fundamental Scientific research, which allows them to participate in international rankings, annually occupying high positions. The goal of the programs offered by universities of this type is to prepare future scientists and specialists in all subject areas with deep theoretical knowledge and a thorough scientific outlook.

Master's research programs last 1-3 years, depending on the chosen subject area and the undergraduate education received. The longest research programs and the highest teaching loads are in the fields of engineering, Agriculture, mathematics, natural Sciences, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmaceuticals.

Students do not have to obtain a second higher education in the specialty they acquired in their bachelor's degree - they can choose a related field that is quite close to their first education, or they can change their specialization, but in this case, their studies may last longer.

Applied Master's Degree in Holland

Universities of applied sciences are career-oriented, the purpose of the programs they develop is to train practitioners. Applied universities do not conduct basic research and do not participate in international rankings, which is why they may be less known to foreign students. The main advantage of their programs is the mandatory long-term internships, which allow students to gain professional experience while studying.

The duration of applied programs depends on the subject area and previous education and ranges from one to two years, but some programs, for example, in architectural specialties, can last up to 4 years. Often in syllabus application programs include an additional foreign language, since in Holland specialists who speak several languages ​​and have a good understanding of cultural characteristics are highly valued different countries able to work well in a team and have developed communication skills. Of course, learning Dutch is also encouraged, and despite the fact that almost the entire population of the country speaks English, employers are more likely to prefer a candidate who knows Dutch.

Teaching methods in the Dutch master's degree

The Dutch higher education system adopts a problem-oriented approach to learning, which is very different from the Russian one, and initial stage may present certain difficulties for students from Russia and the CIS.
You can learn more about the features of studying in Holland in comparison with Russia here.

Dutch master's degrees

Research programs lead to MA (Master of Arts) degrees in the humanities or social sciences, MSc (Master of Science) in engineering and technical fields.

Applied programs also lead to MA or MSc degrees, but in addition, master's degrees with a specific subject area are common in Holland - for example, M.Aarch.

Education received abroad is always prestigious. A diploma from a leading university in the world gives you the opportunity to work in large companies in leadership positions and receive a decent salary.

Universities in Holland occupy a worthy place among the world's higher education institutions. Every year more than fifty thousand students from different parts of the world come to the Netherlands to study quality education and start successfully moving up the career ladder.

Among the advantages of a master's degree in the Netherlands are:

1. — completion of training in English, which has already become local residents practically family;
2. — high quality of education;
3. - small price.

If you are planning to enroll in a master's program in the Netherlands, you should take care of your own housing. Educational establishments do not provide hostel accommodation for students. You have to rent an apartment or room near the university. However, the university will help you find and choose inexpensive housing.

Choosing a program for admission

Conventionally, they are divided into universities:

• — applied sciences;
• - research.

At the University of Applied Sciences, the student will deepen his knowledge and improve the level of professional training. The advantage of such training is the ability to combine it with work. As a rule, a training program using this system lasts up to two years. Upon completion of training, graduates are often offered favorable conditions for employment and continued work in their specialty.

Master's degree in research universities are chosen by applicants who want to receive theoretical knowledge and develop analytical thinking. Universities offer programs entirely focused on scientific activity or in preparation for future employment. Here you can get an education in order to conduct teaching activities in the future. Training lasts from one to three years.

We collect documents and issue a visa

To enroll in a master's program in Holland, you must provide a diploma of higher education and a certificate confirming your knowledge of foreign language. Admission to training is carried out based on the results of testing, in which the applicant demonstrates the level of knowledge. Since studies last from September to July, obtaining a student visa will not be a problem.

What the cost of studying

The cost of training depends on the prestige of the university, as well as on the chosen specialty. However, education here is slightly cheaper than in England, with the proper level of quality. Approximately annual training will cost ten thousand euros.

Research universities offer some international students the right to receive scholarships that cover all or part of their tuition costs. There is a state program for Russian students - the Huygens Scholarship.

What after training

Students who successfully pass the final exams and receive a master's degree have the right to get a job in their specialty. According to official data, Holland is considered a country with one of the most low levels unemployment in the world. Business services are well developed here, and the pharmaceutical industry is developing. By the way, students have the right to earn extra money during their studies. After receiving your diploma, you can continue your career in the chosen organization.

A master's degree in the Netherlands is an excellent opportunity to get a quality education at a leading university in the world at an affordable price.

Master's programs are offered by both applied and research universities in the Netherlands. The duration of training varies from 1 year to 3 years. As a rule, the shortest programs are in the humanities and social sciences. Specialists in technical and natural fields spend two years studying: chemists, physicists, biologists. Master's degrees in medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and architecture are the longest: you won't be able to get a degree in less than 3 years.

It is worth noting that universities of applied sciences are aimed mainly at the practical application of knowledge, as well as obtaining management skills by students. Research universities focus on scientific work: studying here is often chosen by those who dream of building a career as a scientist or becoming a teacher.

Education in all universities in the Netherlands is carried out in the “Dutch style”, aimed at developing critical thinking and a creative approach to tasks. Classes are largely held in the form of dialogue, when master's students actively participate in the discussion of the topics being studied. The Dutch master's degree course ends with writing scientific work about 120 pages long.

How to apply for a master's degree in the Netherlands?

Each Dutch university has its own list of requirements for applicants. But in most cases, for enrollment you must provide the following documents:

• Diploma of Higher Education;
• An extract from the diploma indicating the subjects studied, grades and number of hours;
• Certificate of passing the language test (IELTS from 6.0 points). If studying in Dutch - test NT2 or CNaVT (not lower than level B2).
• Recommendations from teachers;
• CV (resume) and essay in which the applicant writes about his scientific plans.

Please note: admission to a master's program is possible with a Russian bachelor's degree. However, it is not recommended to change your subject area: in this case, you may receive a refusal from the admissions committee.

Cost of studying for a master's degree in Holland

Prices for master's studies in the Netherlands range from 7,000 to 20,000 € per year. At the same time, wide prospects for receiving grants and scholarships are open for talented students: they are allocated both by the universities themselves and by various organizations. Among Russians, one of the most sought-after scholarships is the Huygens Scholarships Program (HSP), which allows you to cover tuition costs for up to 24 months.

Rotterdam School of Management is one of the leading business schools in Europe, regularly ranked among the top ten strongest schools in the international rankings of the Financial Times and national ranking Elsevier. It is also one of the three most important research centers in Europe, bringing together more than 250 world-renowned scientists.

RSM is one of the 1% of global business schools with Triple Crown Accreditation - an exceptional achievement highest quality business education, research capacity and professional reputation.

Ksenia Odintsova, who completed the master's program in HR management at RSM, spoke about the features of studying in Holland, how it works educational process, what opportunities does studying at a leading business school in Europe provide, about the culture of the Netherlands and the friendliness of the Dutch.

How did your admission to the master's program in Holland turn out?

In fact, for rather personal reasons) I graduated from the Faculty of International Management at GSOM St. Petersburg State University, and during my exchange studies I went to Austria (WU) for a semester. It was my third year, and there I met my boyfriend from Holland. He also came to study in Austria as an exchange student. When I returned, our relationship continued, but, in fact, I needed to finish university, and so did he. And so when I graduated, I left my job at Citibank at that time and moved to Holland in March (the next year after graduating from university). All this time I worked a little, helping friends with projects. The rest of the time I studied Dutch because I had to pass exams to obtain a residence permit.

And after moving to Holland, did you immediately decide to apply for a master’s degree?

In fact, everything somehow ‘worked out’ – even before moving to Holland I started looking for a job, but the year was quite difficult (2009). Friends of Peter, my boyfriend, had big problems finding work then. Of course, I had to look at some small companies that work with Russia, this kind of employment. That is, it was really difficult to find something at that time. And of course, I understood that finding a job in Europe with only a bachelor’s education is very difficult. Of course, there is also the question of language - at that time my Dutch was not at a high enough level.

When I arrived in Holland, it seems to me that I “suffered” for another 2-3 weeks - I didn’t really want to go back to studying (because it required a lot of effort during my bachelor’s degree), and I thought that I didn’t want to study again, but wanted to work .

But then Peter finally convinced me and told me to go to graduate school. He himself studied at Erasmus for a master's program in financial economics.

At the time when I started considering programs at Erasmus, there was about a month and two weeks left before submitting documents. In fact, I spontaneously made a decision, literally spent 2-3 days thinking about which program to enroll in, and in the end I chose HR Management. That is, I made the decision about whether to go to university or not at lightning speed, because I understood that this would clearly increase my chances on the labor market in Holland.

On what principles did you choose the program?HR?

Firstly, I wanted to stay within the business anyway. It was mine basic education, and enrolling in a master’s program, even in a slightly different area of ​​business, was not so difficult. Plus, I looked at what universities there are in general, but as for business, in Amsterdam, of course, there are also universities, but Erasmus University is the oldest university in Holland. I settled on it. Of all the faculties, I was attracted by the Faculty of Economics and Business and the business school itself (Rotterdam School of Management). At the Faculty of Economics and Business, I was considering a master's degree in marketing - the only one that could be to some extent related to what I had previously studied. I considered it also because I had little time and I didn’t have to take the GMAT for this program. To be honest, I didn't know how good my chances were of passing the GMAT right away since I never studied for it. Of course, I expected that I could, but I knew that many people don’t pass the first time and so on.

And the program forHRDid you consider accordingly at Rotterdam Business School?

Yes, at RSM (Rotterdam School of Management) I chose a master’s program based on the principle of exclusion. Some areas were not very interesting to me, for example, I immediately dismissed finance. I excluded strategic management for the same reason (I graduated from international management and, in my opinion, this is not a specific enough program, it does not give you any clear direction in terms of your future specialization). After, public administration I was also not interested in the very form of future work.

In the end, I settled on HR and marketing. I was leaning between these two directions. But as a result, I still decided to choose HR, because I had few statistical subjects in international management before (this, by the way, was the reason why the Faculty of Economics and Business subsequently refused me). We had, of course, statistics and math. analysis of different levels, but this was not enough - they needed a bachelor's degree with a good statistical background. I chose HR because it was the second field that I was interested in, and I actually thought that in the future, when I work in Holland, with such an education it would be easier for me to find a job.

It was necessary for HRGMAThand over?

Yes need. For any RSM faculty, of course, you need the GMAT, TOEFL, and the rest of the package of documents.

That is, toGMATdid you prepare in a couple of weeks?

It turned out like this: there were a month and a week left for two exams (GMAT and TOEFL). I spent 3 and a half weeks preparing for the GMAT, then, as soon as I passed it, I had about a week and a couple of days left for the TOEFL. For TOEFL this was enough for me, I have already taken it several times and, in general, I do not think it is too difficult an exam. For the GMAT, of course, three weeks is extremely short, but it depends on what the initial base is. It seems to me that this is a critical period; you should not take such an exam without preparation. My result was 670.

A great result, especially considering such a short preparation!

I remember that for the master's program at RSM you had to score at least 600, and 650, it seems, was required for the PhD. At that time, RSM still allowed the submission of all documents and applications before the TOEFL and GMAT results were “in hand.” They gave a second deadline for submitting these results in a month. You give them your password and login so that they can log in and check that you passed both exams before the second deadline. I remember that it was like that for me, they accepted me. Basically, I just managed to meet all the deadlines. I had everything in deadline, but, of course, it’s better not to do that. I read that decent applicants start preparing for the GMAT a year in advance. This, of course, is terribly frightening, but nothing.

Was your master's program a year long?

Yes, it was a year-long program - you start in September and have to finish in August. More precisely, at that time, it was not limited at all - in Holland you can write a diploma, by and large, as much as you want. Now, however, this has been somewhat limited due to the financing of the entire higher education system.

What are your main impressions of the program?

Studying in my program seemed quite easy to me, but I think this most likely applies specifically to HR, because in finance, as Peter told me, everything was much more intense.

It seemed to me that it was easy there, at least because of the schedule. In the first semester, two courses run in parallel, then you take the exam at the end of October - beginning of November, and then before the New Year you take two more courses and then take the exams in January. Firstly, this is very cool, because nothing gets in the way in your head, only two courses are going on at one time. No matter how many assignments you have for them, it’s still only two courses, it’s not crazy when you have time to do everything. There were days when there were no classes at all, there were days when there was only one lecture, that is, there was enough time.

What are the features of studying in a master's program?RSM?

Of course, there were a lot of tasks, in this regard I cannot say that nothing had to be done. They required quite a lot of time, because all the tasks were in a group - this basically changed my view of learning. There were also a lot of group assignments at GSOM, but this cannot be compared with RSM - absolutely all assignments there are group assignments.

For the most part, groups are formed in random order, that is, you cannot attract your smart friends J, but you end up in a group with whomever you find yourself with. Get out as you want, because guys are different, with very different views on how to perform these tasks. You always work in different groups, then they change, and by the end of the course you have time to work with almost, if not the entire group, then definitely with 70% of the group. The groups are usually large, 5-6-7 people, and the tasks are quite complex.

Another important point about the language: my English then was, and is now, very good, because before that I English speaking countries studied and lived. But the literature we studied was quite complex in terms of vocabulary. Even I sometimes, when I read, needed to use dictionaries or consult someone to understand what I was talking about. we're talking about. I had to read a lot, maybe I say it was easy, because I was used to studying a lot at GSOM. And if a person goes there, then he needs to improve his English very much, because then it will take a lot of time.

‘Ambassadors’ of master’s programs at Rotterdam School of Management

How was your program built?

The order was like this: in the first semester There are 2 main courses at the beginning, then you take an exam in November, then you completely forget about them, then the other 2 - that is, the focus is always in one direction, this is good from the point of view of preparing for exams. The exams are held very close to each other. For example, your exam period may begin on November 1, on November 2 you will have an exam, and on November 4 there may already be a second one. Here you need to plan your time. I remember there were even 2 exams on one day, which means you need to clearly plan your time to prepare.

In the second semester we had electives (optional courses). You could choose 1 elective from your courses in the program, in my case from the HR program, and you could choose the second in absolutely any direction. I took one course on leadership and another on negotiation. From now on, you begin to work very actively with your diploma. In fact, we had certain deadlines when we needed to meet with the supervisor or do something. They were tougher than at GSOM, so to speak. And despite the fact that in the second semester there are only 2 elective subjects, there is a lot of work there.

By the way, it was quite difficult for me to write my diploma in Holland. There is a very strict attitude towards practice and you really have to do it clearly. Supposed full study, and you need to somehow get into some company and build your research. That is, it is better to start worrying about your diploma in advance - from October-November, otherwise it will be difficult to complete the program in a year.

What topic did you write your thesis on?

I had a topic “Cross-cultural Code Switching” - this is a certain concept that reflects the change in human behavior depending on the context at a particular point in time. I conducted a series of interviews with Shell employees. I spent 1.5-2 hours with each interview, and I had qualitative research. I identified certain criteria that a person relies on depending on, for example, the environment and so on. As a result, I later got confused in my research J. Quantitative research is still somewhat simpler, it is more specific. In my HR program there was a course on statistics, they dived very deeply into research methods, so that later they could use it in their research. Qualitative methods they don’t clearly apply to RSM, so you need to study them in depth yourself.

Who studied with you in the program - what is the approximate composition of the group?

There were approximately 60-65% Dutch (who originally studied for their undergraduate studies at RSM or other Dutch universities), then another 10% were other Europeans (Germans and Swiss, mainly who completed their undergraduate studies in their home countries). The remaining 30% were guys like me, plus there were a lot of Asians. There are a lot of Indonesians in RSM in general (it's a former Dutch colony), but there are also quite a lot of them in the country because they have special programs financing, support, etc. There were a lot of Chinese, guys from Hong Kong. It was especially difficult to work with them in groups, because their reading language is good, but it is very difficult for them to speak, and it is difficult to find understanding, especially if you speak quickly. And the rest are from the CIS countries, several Americans, Canadians... By the way, there are quite a lot of Russians there, and Ukrainians too.

What is the age composition? Are there any guys with work experience?

Mostly from 24 to 26 years old. Approximately this age, because the Dutch finish school at 19 years old, then their bachelor's degree lasts differently at universities (3-4 years).

As for work experience, the Dutch generally approach this very easily, they like to live a fun life J. A bachelor’s degree is somehow not particularly important for them; many, by the way, are only ‘going to’ a master’s degree. First of all, it's only a year. Their logic is this: I’d rather have fun for 3 years, and in the last year I’ll study hard and graduate with honors, with honors. This is what they do, and besides, during their undergraduate studies, many work in student jobs - in some bars, at the university as assistants. That is, few of the master's students have work experience.

I know that inRSM The culture of student clubs, events is very developed, and life outside of school is very rich. Did you participate in anything?

Yes, it’s just abundant there! First, there is a large student organization that everyone can participate in. It's called Star, and it's the biggest student organization in the world, as far as I know. For example, I worked, one might say, in a master’s club. You have a certain budget, have company contacts, and you can organize events yourself, participate in Star’s general recruitment events, find ways to get into the company, etc.

Star often had, for example, the following tasks: they needed some kind of business case with a certain company, and it was aimed, say, at finance. Then the guys from Star, responsible for the financial program, organized some kind of competition as part of their master’s degree, selected guys to participate in this project for this company. Then some of these guys could get an internship at this company. In general, the main thing that Star had was a lot of internal contacts with various companies. They were divided into different levels, for example, large international companies, some Dutch companies, and so on. At Star, basically, you get to know very big amount people and make a lot of contacts.

Besides this, it was a very interesting program: you are doing some kind of project for a real company. This project is divided into certain functions, that is, part is allocated to finance, part to statistics, marketing, and so on. Then, when you present the project, you go to one of the offices of this company. When I was studying, the guys went to Sao Paulo to present their project. This is all financed by the company, they really worked, that is, if you participate in this project, you will seriously spend 50% of your time there. The project is very complex, this is no joke. In any case, it's super interesting, everyone can get there, it doesn't matter if you're Dutch or not. It just depends on your level of initiative.

In addition, career days were held twice a year. There, again, you could participate in various projects, attend lectures, and play business games. I myself also participated in various business games. You get, again, contacts with people from different companies.

There were also a lot of circles and clubs for career interests. Guys, when they are already studying for a master’s degree, have a different attitude - ‘the fun is over, we are already ready to work’ - all with such a practical bias.

I remember that many guys found their contacts this way: they got an internship or wrote their diploma with a company, and only then stayed to work with it. At some point in time I already knew that I would need to leave Holland, so I can’t tell you from my own example how it was (my boyfriend moved to work in Moscow, so I immediately planned to look for work there). I can only say that I myself received a lot, a lot of contacts, and if later I knew that I would stay in Holland and look for a job there, I think that it would definitely help me. Recruiters who saw them remember, and you remember them - this makes it easier to get into the company. And I remember the guys from Russia, they then went to other European countries to work, so this is all quite real and depends on how active and proactive you are.

I was also an ambassador for my master’s program, you can also sign up for such a program. You will participate in the days open doors for students and so on. Each master's program selects its own ambassador; you answer questions not related to what you can find out on the website, but related to what you see in your life and studies.

What opportunities are there for sports?

With a student card, as elsewhere in Europe, you generally get a lot of discounts everywhere. I remember that I went to the gym, which we had in one of the buildings at Erasmus. Dutch guys are very passionate about sporting events, this is also very important for them. In general, they are very social: whether it’s sports, working on cases, something like that, group work. There is also a lot in terms of sports. In general, the city is like this, everyone rides bicycles, and not just like that, on a daily basis, but also for sport. That is, I came home on a regular bike and switched to my mountain bike. In general, the city is very sporty. Everyone is constantly running around you, riding the same bicycles.

What are your impressions of the country itself?

In Holland everything is very friendly and absolutely comfortable if you only speak English. Personally, I needed Dutch because I was applying for a residence permit, but in general no one needs Dutch there, everyone there, from those who sweep the streets to 90-year-old grandmothers, speak English to some extent. In this regard, they are very well savvy. In fact, it’s even difficult to learn Dutch there, because when you say something in clumsy Dutch, everyone still answers in English, even those who sit at the checkout in the supermarket.

In terms of studies, for example, I still have a lot of Dutch friends. From my own experience, I know that as an international student you usually mostly communicate with foreigners, but this is not quite the case here. The Dutch are very open, they are absolutely internationally oriented, they are not afraid of anyone) I still have the same number of Dutch friends from my studies as I still have friends from other countries. Therefore, with regard to the language and general openness, in this regard they are great fellows and it is still very interesting to study there. You learn a lot about Holland, they tell you a lot.

But in Rotterdam, for example, where the school is located, every third person speaks a language you don’t know, and there are a lot of foreigners in general. And, in general, 70% of the population of Rotterdam are not native Dutch. There are many immigrants there, of course, this is a city where many immigrants from former colonies emigrate. In terms of religion, you can also see a very wide variety. Hindus also study with you, for example, there are a lot of Muslims, of course, because in Holland there are a lot of them in general. It’s very interesting, in fact, it expands your worldview completely, changes and expands your horizons. In this regard, it is very interesting.

In general, there are a lot of international companies there, mostly something to do with logistics, because it’s a port, or with finance. There is a lot of work there for foreigners. And there is a very open and friendly atmosphere, more attractive to foreigners. For example, if you compare it with France. I have never studied in France, but I have been there a lot. There is still a different atmosphere there in this regard. In general, the French attitude towards foreigners is very different from the Dutch attitude towards foreigners. They are absolutely calm, very open, they even ask questions and treat you kindly, so in this regard it’s very cool there.

What was the most useful thing about the entire learning experience atRSM?

In general, of course, I have only the most positive memories from studying at RSM. As for the study itself, I will probably have a similar opinion with many others, that, Despite the fact that studying seems easier, it is more useful for work, or something. I don't know which one the right word choose, because everyone, for example, teachers at RSM, are practitioners, they work, that is, some have their own businesses, others consult companies. This is not just learning from a book. You have literature, you read it at home and should already be prepared for the lesson, and when you are in class, there are a lot of special cases, examples of what happened yesterday at work. I remember that we were even invited to lecture by directors of departments of different companies. The cases that we worked with in groups are not all antediluvian ones from some book, but something real that happened in reality in the company: real numbers that you work with. In this regard, I really liked this practical orientation of my studies. Still, despite the fact that you read a lot, you do a lot in the group and gain a lot of experience from the teacher. In Russia, after all, studying at universities is more connected with literature and theory.

Well, plus all the connections that you make with companies during your studies, if, again, you are very active yourself, it’s very useful, very cool.

So, I have only positive memories: both about the country as a whole and about my studies. Now it’s probably very cool there. In terms of amenities, everything is also very well organized there. In principle, you don’t need to have anything there - neither the Internet, nor a computer. The libraries there are huge, come and study.

What advice would you give to those who are just choosing a master's program?

I can judge from my own experience - when I was still studying international management at GSOM, I really liked the program and it was interesting. But it seems to me that when you choose a master’s program, you need to choose clearly, because it greatly influences your future choice of profession. For those who graduate from such 'vague' master's programs, such as international management, something strategic, after that it is difficult to understand where to go, because, it seems, there was marketing, and HR, and finance... You can do a little of everything, but nothing In particular, you can’t do anything specific. For example, those who studied personnel management or finance had a clearer picture of everything. After international management, some of us went to work in a bank, where I also worked for the first time during my studies, some chose personnel management, some chose some exhibitions, some work at summits. In my opinion, it is important for a master’s degree to choose a clearer direction and specialization.

(All photos courtesy of Ksenia!}

[Many thanks to Ksenia for open communication, a lot useful tips and interesting information!]

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There are legends. About the admission system, the quality of teaching, the conditions provided, etc. And there is no more truthful information than first-hand information - from a person who studied in Europe.

If in English universities As more and more Russian students try to enroll, they are ignored. But as it turns out, it was in vain. A graduate of one of the Dutch universities, Alisa Kapitonova, spoke about the conditions provided by the local education system. ()

Studying changes your worldview

“The longer I live here, the firmer my decision to stay in this country. Studying here completely changes your worldview on the student-teacher relationship, on the acquisition of knowledge. And the concept of corruption goes somewhere into the distant past, into a slightly bitter memory of one’s homeland. I live in Utrecht (this city is one of the 4 main cities in Holland), I rent a room of 20 square meters for 350 euros, but you can find it cheaper.

All students work here, as the ministry allows (up to 10 hours a week). I work part-time to improve my Dutch (even though I study in English). Training is mostly paid, about 15-35 thousand euros per year (10 times less for locals) - as for free training“It exists, but you need to know where to go and where to find out what.”

Study and work

“After studying, I plan to stay and work here, and I really like this language myself. Many students here work to pay not only for their accommodation, but also for their education, although not everyone does this, because... it's hard. In order to start education, of course, you need funds to pay for training, for paperwork, for moving and for the first time of residence, you also need funds. These are mandatory expenses that cannot be avoided. After adaptation, you can already earn extra money.”

“Recently, a law came into force that after receiving a bachelor’s or master’s degree, a foreign graduate is given the right to stay in Holland for the next year to look for work. And after 2 years of work, you can also request a passport. But the truth is, this is not such a simple procedure. Here it is necessary to fill out the request correctly so that there is no refusal, otherwise you will have to go home.”

Creators and whiners

“In general, all Russians who arrived in Russia can be divided into 2 groups: creators and whiners. The first ones learn the language, join society and feel happy in Holland.

The latter are sure that everything in this country is complicated: it is difficult to learn the language, it is impossible to pass the license, and only the Dutch themselves can find work. Although, if you type the word Russisch on a good job search site (for example), you will see how many workers are required with knowledge of the Russian language. In Holland there are currently many companies starting to work with Eastern Europe.

If you want to work in the Netherlands, don't miss the chance. The main thing is the desire to make efforts to achieve the goal. But there are really not enough specialists here now. That is why it was decided to allow students who have completed higher education, stay in the country on the condition that they have a job. And they are sorted out for work already in their last year. So the wolf is not as scary as they paint him.”

An important factor

“A local diploma is valued all over the world. The education of this country is simply not so advertised. But you don’t feel such a definition: “Oh, Russians, there are so many of you here, they’ve come in large numbers.”

And this is really an important factor for many, because it’s nice to study when there is no serious psychological impact. After all, you are a guest in this country. Otherwise, it turns out that if you put your head down and take learning seriously, then everything will work out. You can get a diploma and a job, and the quality and level of the diploma allows you to do this. The main thing is desire and action.