This guide talks about my experiences at TU Delft which may help future exchange students. While it was written for TU Delft, many of these tips can be applied to any other Dutch university. This guide is fairly (ok, fine - very) over-detailed but contains everything I would've liked to have known before coming here. # Packing Most residences that TU Delft offer through DUWO are very well equipped, including furniture, basic kitchen and cleaning utensils, and bed linen. This means that, generally, you can pack light. However, I still suggest bringing the following items: - **Clothes** - Ok, this is a pretty obvious one. But I would suggest trying not to pack too much if your baggage allowance is tight. If you're arriving for the Spring semester, you definitely need to bring a warm jacket. If you're arriving for the Fall semester like I did, I didn't bring many warm clothes. I just bought cold-weather gear and jackets etc. (preferably second-hand) over here. * **High-power USB-C Charger** - These are sometimes referred to as PD chargers, and, depending on what devices you have, can charge just about everything. All of my devices (including my laptop!) are compatible with these, so I only needed to bring one charger in my carry-on bag. * **Small Tactical Torch** - This is a weird one, but it's a great self-defense item when travelling overseas. You can disorient people with the strobe function, and it's useful in a pinch almost anywhere. Most airlines don't consider it a threat so you can chuck it in your carry-on baggage. I carry one whenever I'm out at night. * **AirTags** - Even if you have mostly Android/Windows devices, these are an absolute no-brainer. Put one in your checked luggage and put one in your carry-on. It's reassuring being able to verify the location of devices. They work extremely well too, and when purchased in a pack of four, they're only $160AUD. I've got one on my Dutch bike, and one on my room keys. You'll need an iPad or iPhone to do the initial setup though. * [[TU Delft Exchange Guide#Euro to AU Power Plugs|Euro to AU Power Plugs]] - at least three! # Accommodation This is the most important part of applying for exchange. Forget about everything else until you've sorted this out. Okay, maybe not _everything_, flights and actually finishing your application to TU Delft is pretty important too. But, you'll need to secure accommodation as early as possible because it is **extremely competitive** in The Netherlands. Luckily, TU Delft reserves accommodation for exchange students through it's university housing provider DUWO. The places aren't guaranteed, and they're certainly not unlimited, so don't take it for granted. The entire accommodation process is fairly straightforward, and most of it is self-explanatory. My headline piece of guidance here is **do not delay any part of the process**. Once you receive an email, do the next step immediately. For example, once you've been sent your financial letter, pay it as soon as possible - this allows you to secure your room earlier than other students, giving you a greater choice of rooms and buildings. **You only have four days to choose a room on the Housing Portal** once it opens in mid-May onwards. > [!note] > The ROOM website that DUWO uses to reserve accommodation will **crash almost immediately** whenever a new housing "batch" opens due to hundreds or thousands of accommodation-hungry students accessing it at the same time. > > Be patient and apply a liberal quality of the F5 (reload) key around the affected area. Within 5-10 minutes, the website will become usable again. There are many different buildings to choose from if you have early access to the housing portal. Here are some popular choices: ## Professor Schermerhornstraat It's modern, clean and everything is fully furnished. Each tenant has a private room and bathroom. You'll typically have ~7-8 roommates and a common (large) kitchen. It's also known as the International Student House (ISH) for a good reason - it's a great place to meet new students coming into TU Delft. For this reason, I chose Prof. S. I did a bunch of research before choosing this place. I found this awesome video which is a pretty good summary of what it's like:  There are different groups of rooms to choose from, each facing different directions depending on the colour of the block. **I recommend choosing something from the yellow or green block, which are units 85-103.** Most of the rooms in each of these blocks faces the canal on Kanaalweg. It's an awesome view. **The best room overall in Professor S. is 103-4.** It's on the top floor, it has a small balcony (which almost *none* of the rooms have), and it has an awesome view. All of the other people on the floor, including me, were very jealous :) 101-6 is also a great option! ## Professor Korvezeestraat > [!todo] # Travel > [!hint] Tip > **Book your flight now.** Seriously. If you're reading this and you've been accepted for exchange, book it now. It'll save you tons before the prices soar closer to your departure date. If you're worried about losing money if you have to cancel your exchange, many airlines offer a pretty decent change/cancellation policy. Read [[TU Delft Exchange Guide#^6a0c0e|here]] for more. - No commercial airline flies directly from Sydney to Amsterdam. You'll need to have a layover, usually in Dubai (Emirates), Singapore (Singapore Airlines), Washington DC (United Airlines), Qatar (Qatar Airlines) or Seoul (Air Korea). - Pick a short layover, trust me. Anything 6 hours or over and you'll wish you picked something shorter. - I don't have any experience with other airlines, so I can't compare, but I recommend Emirates. The airline food is actually edible, the seats are decently comfortable and the staff aren't anal about baggage allowances. Use the code STUDENT at the flight searcher checkout and you'll receive all sorts of goodies. These are (at time of writing): ^6a0c0e - **10% off** airfare - **Free cancellation/refunds** and **Free changes**. - **40kg of checked baggage allowance**, nearly *double* the normal Economy allowance of 23kg! At risk of stating the obvious, 40kg is *a lot* - I could barely lift my 30kg bag onto the conveyer belt. Note that each individual item cannot exceed 32kg. - **At no airport did Emirates check the weight or dimensions of my carry-on baggage.** This is purely anecdotal, so don't rely on this information, but I suspect they don't mind. My guess is they're only visually checking you're not bringing something that clearly won't fit into an overhead container. - At Schiphol Amsterdam airport, you're likely to be asked the purpose of your visit. You'll also need to providing supporting information. I suggest printing a copy of your **Proof of Enrolment**, your **Residence Visa Application (outcome)**, along with a printed copy of every document you've received from TU Delft. # Technology ## Euro to AU Power Plugs You should bring **at least 3 Australian powerboards + AU-EU adapters**. This lets you plug your Australian devices in around your apartment, and at the university campus. Don't bother with universal power adapters unless you're planning to travel to somewhere outside of the EU - they're crap, take up too much room, and their electrical contacts barely have any grip on the socket. The EU uses the same electrical specifications as Australia so everything that works in Australia will work here. ## Sim Card If your phone supports it, I suggest using **Dual Sims**. Keep your Australian sim card, and buy a cheap roaming pack to bridge the few days gap between arriving in the Netherlands and getting a dedicated sim card. You should keep your Australian sim card because many online apps, possibly including **your Australian bank, PayPal, Okta** and many others use SMS verification for 2-step verification! You can still receive Australian texts overseas, even if you have roaming off. # Finance ## Debit Cards At time of writing, The Netherlands is a mixed bag when it comes to using VISA cards. Some retailers, such as Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the national train service, equivalent to Transport NSW) and Jumbo are happy to take VISA, while others such as Albert Heijn, Blokker and Xenos will flat out **deny every VISA card**. This is another reason why you need at least some cash. While I don't have a credit card, I have heard that credit cards are rarely accepted here too. **Get multiple international debit cards.** I recommend, in order of importance/prevalence: - **WISE Card** - you've probably seen ads for these plastered all over Sydney, and they are actually very good. Simply transfer Australian dollars, and you can convert it into whatever currency you desire, and spend like a local. The exchange rate is also not (typically) crap. - **Revolut Card** - a good backup to the Wise Card. Works in much the same way. I quite like the Revolut card because many international students also have it, and paying them back for beers in any currency you desire is a piece of cake. - **\[your bank\]'s Travel Card** - most Australian banks offer a travel debit card. The exchange rates are typically pretty horrific, but it's a good to have as a backup. Don't load much onto one - you're just wasting money. Bring a bit of cash. If your phone goes flat, you lose your cards, or the internet suddenly implodes, cash will still work. It's also pretty much the only way to pay at retailers that don't take VISA (if you don't have Maestro or Mastercard). ## Dutch Bank Account A few days before you depart from Australia, sign up to **ABN AMRO** bank. It's one of the largest Dutch banks, and recently, they began permitting applications for clients without a BSN number. You'll need your passport to confirm your identity, and they will then send your bankcard and activation details to your Dutch address. I recommend doing this a few days before you depart because the bank card will be available for you as you arrive - don't do it too early, otherwise the outgoing tenants may dispose of the mail. Make sure you apply for the student package for no monthly bank frees. **Remember to provide ABN AMRO with your BSN number and proof of residence once you receive it!** * Having a Dutch bankcard will let you pay for retailers that do not accept VISA. It will also allow you to pay for online payments with iDEAL, which is a well-adopted payment method in the Netherlands. It will also let you automatically top-up cards such as the public transport OV-chipkaart. # Admin There are a few steps to getting your Residence Permit in the Netherlands. This lets you legally reside in the Netherlands without contributing towards to the 90-day Schengen Area limit. * **Book your biometrics appointment.** You'll receive an email that you'll need to give your fingerprints and photo in Den Haag, which you can book online. It only took me twenty minutes to do and it was easy to access by the train. *Bring your passport!* * **Book your municipality appointment.** Go onto the Gemeente Delft website and book an appointment to get your Burgerservicenummer (BSN).*Bring your passport!* * At some point in late August or possibly September, you'll be informed of a pickup appointment for your residence card. Mine was in Utrecht, and the line for picking them up was **ridiculous**. Get there early and bring headphones and snacks - I waited nearly three hours. They're better managing the whole process now though, so it might not be as bad. And finally, *bring your passport!* # Transport ## Bikes **Get a bike. ASAP.** This may seem obvious, but it'll really open up more places to visit and shop around Delft in the '15-minute' radius of your accommodation. Walking is good exercise, but The Netherlands has had over 60 years of bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policy - it'd be a shame not to use it. If you don't know how to ride a bike, learn. > [!tip] Don't want to buy a bike? > You can use services such as [Swapfiets](https://https://swapfiets.nl/) to rent a bike affordably for a few months. It's usually around 18€-20€ a month. * Ride/drive/walk on the right. Overtake on the left. This takes some getting used to for Australian students. * **Do not walk or ride on the wrong path.** Unlike Australia, The Netherlands has usually has dedicated pedestrian and bike paths. Bike paths are usually smooth red asphalt, while pedestrian areas are usually tiled stone. Walking/riding in the wrong areas will annoy everyone. * Dutch bikes are unique(ly better). * Many have back-pedal brakes, which don't require any handbrakes to slow down. It takes some getting used to but you'll wonder why all bikes don't have them once you get used to it. * Almost all have ring locks which prevents the back wheel from spinning when locked. Your bike can still be stolen by simply carrying it away rather than riding it, but it deters opportunists. Many locks will intentionally retain your key while riding so you don't have to put it back in your pocket. * My personal favourite Dutch bikes are "omafiets" which are literally "grandma bikes". They're constructed such that the rider sits upright and in a very comfortable position. They're extremely common and incredibly enjoyable to ride. Get one! * Some bikes have gears, while others are single-speed. Get whatever you feel comfortable using. * Dutch bikes are built like a tank. They're steel and don't break often, besides the occasional puncture. For this reason, older ones are often rusty, very heavy and noisy. ## Public Transport * Public transport is rather expensive. Getting the train from Schiphol Airport to Delft was nearly 20AUD at time of writing, compared to around 8AUD for the same distance in Sydney. If you're trying to save money, consider avoiding short trips that could be easier taken on a bike. * There isn't any public transport student discounts available for exchange students. Although, there are public transport subscriptions available called **NS Season Tickets**. At time of writing, these may be of interest to prospective Exchange students: * **Dal Voordeel** - €5.60/month, gives a 40% discount for off-peak hours and weekends. Pays for itself with a few trips! * **Weekend Vrijs** - €34.95/month, gives unlimited travel on weekends and public holidays. Expensive but awesome for weekend trips. * Subscribing to any of these, even the free **Basis** subscription also grants you to the bike rental service **OV-Fiets**. Renting a bike is currently priced at €4.45 a day, which is pretty cheap! ## Driving Driving is different than in Australia, besides the obvious such as driving side. Because cycling is respected as a transport method, you must absolutely respect cyclists if you cross paths. Overall, Dutch roads and the driving experience in general are exceptional quality, so long as you respect the rules and everyone on the roads while you're at it. > [!info] > You may have heard that in a collision between a car and a bike, the **car is automatically at fault.** While I'm unsure if this is true in every situation (e.g. if the bike rider ignored a give-way sign or traffic light), the bike rider almost always gets the benefit of the doubt in a collision. Be very careful when driving. I wouldn't recommend driving if you don't already have a car (public transport or cycling is much less stress and money), but you should regardless get your International Driving Permit in Australia in case you have a good reason to drive. ## Safety * Pay attention to signs, especially as a cyclist. * A sign with a bike and the word "toegestaan" beneath it means *bikes are allowed, but not prioritised.* You need to give way to pedestrians. These signs are usually seen in outdoor plazas where there are people about. * Whenever you see the word "*uitgezonderd*", this usually means that whatever the sign is marking does not allow cars to pass, but does allow bikes. * Use left and right hand signals to communicate with oncoming pedestrians, cyclists and drivers - it lets them know you're turning and so, they're safe to move out (or not). Make eye contact and check the person has seen you. * Don't freak out if drivers, bike riders and pedestrians pass by you very closely in low-speed areas. I've found that it's normal for people to cut it close if the risk of crashing or injury is low. * There are lots of canals in Delft. Many do not have barriers, but do have trees or other bikes in the way. In any case, pay attention to where you're riding. Don't go for an impromptu swim. # Shopping ## Supermarkets There are some very common supermarkets and retailers in The Netherlands that can be found almost everywhere, even in multiple places in the same town. Unlike Australia, The Netherlands has small branches of stores everywhere - similar to Woolworths Metro in Sydney CBD. - **Albert Heijn** is very common and has good products. It's usually the most expensive. - **Jumbo** is a bit cheaper and still has a good variety of products. It's my usual pick for shopping. - **LIDL**, **ALDI** and **SPAR**, among others, are also available. Many larger shops let you pick up a hand-held scanner gun to let you scan products as you place them in the basket. This saves you having to re-bag them at the checkout - awesome! Don't forget to scan the QR code with the reader once you reach the checkout. To exit the store, you'll also need to scan your receipt at the gate. > [!warning] Heads up! > **Scan absolutely everything.** This story is purely anecdotal, but I've heard some people in Jumbo have received 100€+ fines for forgetting to scan even one item. There are also random checks when using the hand-held scanner gun, so keep that in mind. The Netherlands also has some Uber-Eats-like services such as Flink, which are specifically designed to deliver groceries as quickly as possible. While the prices are higher than regular supermarkets, and a delivery fee is added, it's super convenient if you've forgotten an ingredient for a meal, or you're just lazy and need a pick-me-up snack. ## Second Hand Stores Great second-hand store places: - Terre des Hommes **(Delft)** - de Flinstones **(Delft)** - Stichting Kringloopbedrijf Delft, Rotterdamseweg 404, 2629 HH Delft, Netherlands - Kringloopwinkel RataPlan Delft # Culture - The Netherlands has a very high percentage of English speakers, so learning Dutch isn't a necessity. However, even learning some basic phrases will go a long way. - As many other students have noted, the Dutch are direct. Most aren't trying to be rude, they're just efficient in communication. Small talk isn't common. If you have a strong Australian accent (like I do), talk clear as some people won't understand you! - Dutch people will usually switch to English as soon as they hear your accent, so don't be offended even if you're trying to talk in Dutch.