Hi there! This is Erika Hana, an exchange student from Indonesia who has just finished her six months experience in Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. I participated in this exchange through a program called Indonesia International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) in which I could choose to study one semester abroad in the university I want to go with courses of my own choosing – and I chose to study here! There are plenty of reasons why I chose the Netherlands and RUG, from my curiosity about its culture, to its long history with Indonesia. Nonetheless, not gonna lie, the main reason why I chose RUG is because of the courses that they offered! Aside from the courses offered are very diverse, the courses provided are really different from what most universities offer. During my study, I enrolled in five subjects in different faculties, which are Religion, Space, and Place and The Sacred Image from Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Introduction to Criminology in Faculty of Law, FDI, Trade, and Geography in Faculty of Economic and Business, also Dutch Society in Faculty of Arts.

With only six months here, I experienced a lot of adventures that I might not be able to get anywhere else. Cultural differences – including study habits is definitely the thing that most distinguishes the way I study here and in Indonesia. Since my original major here in Indonesia is Information Systems in the Faculty of Computer Science, I spent most of my time inside labs doing coding to make a program work. However, here, my time is not only spent in the classroom, but also many other interesting activities outside the class! As an example, while studying Religion, Space, and Place, I got a quest (in other words: task) from a lecturer to find hidden churches that are spread throughout the city of Groningen. I remember I spent around two hours biking to find all of those churches which now look nothing like the church in general. Of course I had difficulties understanding the maps (it was in Dutch) but luckily, I have one of my Dutch friends who’s willing to help me translate and complete my task!

Another project that I was really excited to do is when I made an online art exhibition with my group for the final project of The Sacred Image course. I never had one before and I really had a good time designing it with my group mate. Not only for the class purpose: that online exhibition is also open for the public. Through this project, I also gained good friends who always suggested to me fascinating places in Groningen as well as the Netherlands, before I returned to Indonesia. Remember: recommendations from locals always work!

In short, my experiences here were really a once in a lifetime experience. When else at the age of 20 would I have been able to come to a country so far away from my home and learn on another continent about things I really didn't know before? As a bonus, I made friends from all over the world! The lecturers here were also very helpful, so I never felt left out even though I'm studying a whole new subject. So, for those of you who are considering taking a semester here, don't hesitate! Experience it and you will never regret it!