Vaihto-oppilasohjelmat, 14–18-vuotiaille
Grace studied abroad in the Netherlands
Mon Sep 09 2024
Grace from New Zealand was on exchange in the Netherlands.
I chose to go to The Netherlands, because my family is originally from here. I thought it would be great to learn the language, learn about the history, buildings, and experience all the food. I love the food! Especially bitterballen, pindakaas and oliebollen.
People have been very welcoming. The school is a lot bigger than what I’m used to, the teachers are nice and relaxed, the students are eager to learn, and everyone speaks English very well. I’m taking English, history, Dutch, maths, PE, religion and art. It’s interesting to see the class dynamics. I’ve noticed that classmates here tend to be a lot closer than in NZ.
My host family has been amazing. I’m especially close to my host sister; we have similar interests and do a lot of things together. My host parents love to travel around the country and show me new things, which I really appreciate. As a family we also have a board game night every week, which I love. The match with them has been perfect, and I’m 100% sure we will stay in touch and hopefully see each other soon again!
If I could give future Host Families advice, I would say: encourage your student to try everything. They might not love everything, but they will be thankful in the end that they’ve tried something new.
Find out more
- Read more student stories from the Netherlands
- Read more about a high school exchange in the Netherlands
- See all our high school exchange destinations