Agnese and Matteo, exchange students
Matteo Dell’Oro and Agnese Vanoglio from the University of Milan, Italy, studied at the University of Humanistic Studies as exchange students in 2023-24.
Agnese: I chose the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH) as I saw some courses on the website that I was really interested in, such as ethics and politics. These are fields that I would like to specialise in. The university is small, but that means that everyone is always available to help you if you really need anything. At the UvH, contact with other students and the professors plays a very big role in the education. I think it is useful to be able to debate with others as this allows you to better understand your own ideas. I would like to teach in the future, and this is a method that I will definitely use myself.
Matteo: At the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH), dialogue and debates with students and professors are a key part of every lecture. Lots of fascinating discussions come up in class. This gave me the opportunity to practice my English and to improve my speaking abilities. What is more, the UvH is not too big and people welcome you and help you with the experience.
Agnese: I would recommend Utrecht as an Erasmus destination as it is a small cosy city with everything that works really well. I really enjoyed discovering another culture that is not so different from mine since I am European, but not so similar in terms of: civic education, food culture and above all methods of teaching. These matters are different to what we have in Italy.
Matteo: Utrecht is a cosy city full of students and internationals. What I enjoyed the most was constantly meeting new people from different environments which I think is good for growth. It was a super cool experience! The most challenging part of my exchange I would say was the first few weeks before I had made any friends. To deal with this, I just started talking to people, and they let me into their community.
Agnese: My tips for Eramus students coming to the Netherlands? You must visit the Christmas markets in Maastricht. You should also try chocomel (hot chocolade) and buy a poncho for the rain.
Matteo: If you go on exchange in the Netherlands, you must explore the entire country. The Netherlands is not a big country which means that you can travel around by train quite easily. You can go on day trips to other close, super nice cities. Don’t forget to try the stroopwafels!
Agnese and Matteo: 'We had lots of fascinating discussions in class.'