S.A. Astatine’s mission is to represent its students from Advanced Technology, Nanotechnology and Robotics. A significant portion of these students is international. Thus Astatine also wants to adequately represents and help them. One of these ways is through this webpage. Here you international students will find advice on how to survive the Netherlands. With tips ranging from what stores are for what to some simple customs and vocabulary.
First off, you are now living in the Netherlands. Congratulations! We hope that you’ll have an amazing time here. But you need to fill your cupboards and flesh out your living space. Luckily there are stores for this, but which ones are the right ones to go to? This section is to help you with that.
- Supermarkets
- Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Coop and Plus: These are the more costly supermarkets. They offer more variety than the cheaper brands, but that of course comes at a price. Great if you are not tight on budget.
- Lidl, Aldi, Dirk and Medikamente Die Grenze: These are the cheaper supermarkets. Shopping here can safe you a couple of euros per trip. Their products may be cheaper, but that does not necessarily reflect in the quality. They do however offer a little less variety. So if you shop here, you might have to make an extra stop at another supermarket once in a while.
- Any Toko or Asian supermarket: These are great places to get relatively inexpensive herbs to make your dishes just that bit better. Their Asian offerings are higher quality for less costs, so make sure to go by here if you wish to make nasi, curry or anything from that area of the world. Their herb quantities are also higher than those of the supermarkets, so make sure you have room for them.
- Drugstores
- Kruidvat and Etos: These are drugstores chains found throughout the Netherlands. The Kruidvat is generally speaking a bit cheaper than the Etos, but if you are looking for a paracetamol after a busy night of studying (or another activity) you can find them here. The same goes for sunscreen, skincare and other non-prescription drugs.
- Warehouses
- Action: The Action is an amazing store where you can buy nearly everything related to managing a household. Their products range from pots and pans, to gardening tools to charger cables. They have products for every room in the house. Be that the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or others. The biggest upside? It is also very cheap. If you want something that holds out a little longer you should however go to a different store.
- Mediamarkt: That store is the Mediamarkt. The name already implies it, the Mediamarkt has everything to do with media. They are on the more expensive side, so less of a go-to for students than the Action, but if you need something to last you can find it here. Their catalogue includes such items as phones, kitchen appliances and vacuum cleaners.
- Department stores
- Hema and Xenos: The HEMA and Xenos are a store where you can find a lot of different products. From skincare, to polaroid cameras, to party decorations, the HEMA has it all. You can even find some basic affordable clothing. Generally a good store to go to if you are looking for something but are unsure of what exactly it is. The Xenos on the other hand is more so focused on vanity household items, but also some gifts.
- SoLow XXL: This store in the city center has a lot of random products. The best way to explain this store is to go there yourself. The only thing we can tell you about it is that it has a lot of random and some very useful stuff laying around.
- Additional stores
- Clothing; Primark, THE STING, C&A and ZARA: These stores offer inexpensive clothing of decent quality for every season you’ll experience during a year in the Netherlands. There are of course plenty other options, but these are some of the more student budget friendly ones.
- Hardware stores; Gamma, Praxis, Hornbach: Here you can find hardware for you house. If you need a shelf or paint to refresh the look of your room, you can find it here. Out of the three all are good options, however Hornbach is a bit cheaper than the rest.
- Furniture; Ikea: Need I say more?
We hope that you now know where you can buy your stuff during your stay in the Netherlands!
Sadly, surviving the Netherlands is not as simple as just going to stores. There are some other things you might want to take into account.
For example: the Dutch value their time. So they highly appreciate you respecting their time. If you arrange to be somewhere at some time, be there on time! Or be prepared to find a, relatively, grumpy Dutchman. When something happened causing you to be late, shoot them a text. They may still be a little grumpy, but definitely a lot less so. In student life this is less prevalent, but some people still hold it in high regard.
Even though the Netherlands is a small country, there are still vast differences between parts of said country. People from Amsterdam might react a lot differently than those living in Twente. Keep this in mind, because they also might both want to say the same thing but in completely different ways and tones. However, as a general rule: The Dutch are very direct. They mean no disrespect, most of the time, but if they think something is weird they will tell you. In addition to this, there is not much taboo in the Netherlands. This also means that you don’t have to be afraid to jump in! Or address your own topics.
Current government policy might not imply it, but in most of the Netherlands people have a very social mindset. Quite a lot of people do volunteer work, donate blood or do other kinds of social work. You can also see this in every association on campus. All boards and committees are run by students, so make sure to thank them for the work they put in! This thinking also slides into everyday life, where people try to stay mindful of others. However, as always, there are exceptions. Some people are just jerks. You should treat them no different than you would do any other dickhead, in my opinion at least.
This has hopefully, somewhat, prepared you for your upcoming stay in the Netherlands. If you have any questions regarding Dutch things, don’t be afraid to ask them. Most people are happy to help, and if one of the people you ask is an aforementioned jerk, just ask the next person. They will most likely be very open to helping you out with your questions. The board is also always here to help you out if needed, they might not have time at the moment you ask them, but don’t worry they will come back to you.
So for now, enjoy your student life in the Netherlands!