Living in the Netherlands

Living in a different country (e-course)

Studying abroad is challenging. You may encounter homesickness but can also find it difficult to manage the differences in expectations between your culture and the (different) culture(s) of your environment. In addition, you can face challenges in the differences of taboo’s and the role of religion or hierarchy. E-health platform "Gezondeboel" has developed a course specifically for international students which will help you better understand and cope with the various challenges of studying abroad. IHE Delft student can access this short course for free.

How to access the course

1. Create an account on "Gezondeboel" using your IHE Delft email address (@un-ihe.org).
   Go to: https://mijn.gezondeboel.nl/register/ihedelft
   
   
2. Look for the course "Living in a different country" and enrol to start the course.

About "Gezondeboel"

IHE Delft cooperates with e-health platform "Gezondeboel" to offer a 20 diverse online personal development courses to IHE Delft students for free. The courses will help you understand your feelings, needs, and concerns to manage yourself better. Insights on how your brain works, tools to develop your skills and exercises to bring your new knowledge into practice are provided.

Dutch food

Every country has its own food culture. Did you know for example that most Dutch people eat a small cold meal during lunch, and a large warm dinner around 18:00? 

Video: what do international students think about Dutch food?

Two international students share what stood out to them about food in the Netherlands.

Did you know?

You don't have to resign yourself to having a cold lunch every day while you're in Delft. IHE Delft has microwaves available in the restaurant for communal use. So you can bring your own lunch from home to heat up. And if you don't have time to prepare your own food in advance, you can simply buy a warm lunch at the IHE Delft restaurant.

Dutch weather

The Netherlands has cool summers and mild winters. But on a day-to-day basis, Dutch weather is most of all unpredictable. A typical day can have sunshine followed by rain and wind or vice versa. It is always wise to dress in layers so you can add or shed as the weather changes.

There is a big difference in the length of days between summer and winter. In winter, the sun sets around 17:00 already, while in summer, it’ll be light outside until 22:00. If you’re from a country that gets a lot of sun, or if you have darker skin, taking a vitamin D supplement during winter prevents the lack of daylight having a negative effect on your health.

Winter

When you arrive in Delft, it won’t be long until winter starts. The temperature doesn’t get below freezing often, and snow has become rare in the Netherlands, but if you’re from an area with a warm climate, you’ll still find that it gets quite cold. Usually, the temperature is around 5° Celsius, but combined with rain and wind, the cold can feel penetrating.

Dressing for winter
Make sure to bring a warm winter jacket, a few sweaters, warm gloves, a scarf and/or hat, as well as a pair of closed, warm (and preferably waterproof) shoes. If you cannot bring these items with you, make sure to leave some space in your budget to buy them upon arrival. Stores like H&M, C&A, Zeeman, or Hema are budget friendly options. Here you can get a sweater for 15 to 40 euro, or a warm coat for 40 to 80 euro.

Rain

The amount of rainfall isn’t exceptionally high in the Netherlands, we only get about 700 mm of rain a year. And yet the Dutch still complain about the rain a lot. This probably has more to do with the unpredictability of the weather in the Netherlands than with the amount or frequency of rain. There is also no clear wet or dry season, it rains all year long. So you need to be prepared for rain at all times. It’s advisable to install a weather app on your phone and check it regularly if you want to avoid getting rained on.

Dressing for rain
Delft gets pretty windy. This means that umbrellas break easily. A raincoat (or poncho) with a hood will do a better job at keeping you and your clothes dry.

Recommended weather apps

For the most accurate weather forecast, it’s best to use a Dutch app or websites.

Weeronline.nl and Buienradar
You’ll notice that the “rain radar” has a prominent spot on both websites. The radar shows a fairly accurate prediction of rain up to 3 hours into the future. Both Weeronline and Buienradar also have an app.

Buienalarm
Buienalarm is a phone app which warns you when it is about to rain in your location. Useful if you haven’t gotten used yet to frequently checking the forecast!

Video: What do expats think about Dutch weather?

A few internationals share tips on how to deal with the dreary Dutch weather.

Understanding the Dutch

Dutch people are known for being very direct. Some people find this straightforward way of communicating helpful and clear. To others, it comes across as quite rude. 

Video: Find out how this group of expats experienced the so-called "Dutch directness".