Student Report
Name of the University: Tilburg University
Exchange semester: Fall 2015
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
After getting the first email from Tilburg university about how to prepare for our
exchange semester, we did not have to start the application online until April 2015. The online
application system introduced by the university is very useful and use-friendly. However, it is
wise to do it in advance as there are some documents required signature from your home
University (BI). The majority of the time, the documents for visa procedure took most of the
time and duration. This will be discuss in the visa section.
In the online application, you select courses that you are planning to take in your
semester abroad. You are required to prepare the Learning Agreement listing the classes that
you are willing to take and have them approved from your dean at BI. It is recommended to
list more classes than the classes that are actually intended to take because one or two of the
four class that you are planning to take abroad might not be approved or the schedule for
those classes might clash. Therefore, it is wise to add more classes to have in approved when
you need a plan B or plan C.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
In terms of visa and immigration procedure, European citizens as well as Norwegian
students do not need to apply for visa to study in the Netherlands. However, if you are student
from outside of the European Union, there is likelihood that you will have to go through the
immigration procedure. Even though you are holding the valid resident permit from Norway,
you will still need to apply for another visa for your stay in the Netherlands. There are some
countries that visa are in the list of visa exemption. It is wise to check in the website of the
Dutch immigration. In any case, if you need a visa you will be contacted by the immigration
office from the university and all of the information will be available in the welcome email
from the university.
In a case that you need a visa, the university will apply for visa on behalf of you so it
is not recommended to apply for visa on your own because it will be complicated at a later
stage of the procedure for yourself and the university. One thing to keep in mind is that as
long as you receive the information about the visa application and requirement of the
documents, you should start preparing the document as soon as possible because the
procedure takes some time and your visa and departure date might be delayed. Additionally,
you will have to submit all of the required documents in hard copies after uploading the soft
copies to the university when it is proven that you documents have met all requirement.
The difficulties arise when you have to choose the location to pick up your visa stamp
at the Dutch embassy. However, the embassy of the Netherlands in Norway does not handle
consular affairs including visa applications. Therefore, you are directed to pick up your visa at
the embassy in Stockholm, which in the only consular office in Scandinavia that handles visa
application. So applicant has to be present at the consular office in Stockholm after making
appointment. You need to bring all documents required for visa and your passport there in
Stockholm. So you have to submit the passport to the Dutch embassy in Oslo after you have
arrived in Oslo from Stockholm and your passport will be forwarded to Stockholm by the
officer in Oslo. This procedure takes about 3 weeks to one month. Nevertheless, there is a
shortcut to make the passport submission fast but it is at your own risk. You can submit the
passport right when you are in the consular officer in Stockholm and travel back to Oslo
without passport. It might be sufficient to have only a copy of your passport and your
Norwegian residence permit card if checked. By taking this shortcut, you shorten the
procedure by one week. This was how I did it but you have to assess the risk yourself of doing
so. As you can see, it was quite a long process so start as early as you can.
Travel
All of us travelled to the Netherlands by plane.
We were well informed by the university about the preferred arrival days in Tilburg. It is
recommended to arrive on either one of these two arrival days because you will receive your
welcome package of all the information needed for our stay, your social life and they will help
you settle down in your new town. You can also buy bikes on this day but it is likely that the
bikes are sold out quickly. Therefore, it will be very beneficial to arrive on the informed arrival
days. The direct flight from Oslo to the Netherlands take approximately 2 hours. The earlier
you purchase the ticket, you cheaper it gets as we all know. Surprisingly, if you are under 26
years old, you can buy air ticket from Norwegian Air Shuttle or SAS for a very low price.
Tilburg is located closer to Eindhoven airport but there are more flight options if you fly to
Amsterdam. Once you arrive in Amsterdam, you have to take a train from Amsterdam
Schiphol Airport to Tilburg which will take about one hour and a half. This trip will cost you
around 19 euros and you usually have to change the train in Breda. If you fly into Eindhoven,
you can take a train from Eindhoven central station to Tilburg for in less time and cheaper price
than travelling from Amsterdam.
Housing
In terms of accommodation, it is quite limited in Tilburg for students, especially for
those who come to the city for just a semester because most of the contract will preferably be
written and signed for a year. There are mainly three ways of getting your housing organized;
1) from agency outsourced by the university 2) subletting a room from outgoing students 3)
from other reliable housing agency in Tilburg. I tried the first options through the company
organizing the student dorms for Tilburg University called yourroomintilburg.com. They had
very limited amount of rooms compared to amount of students so it was very competitive.
The accommodation was fully reserved after twenty minutes of the opening of the reservation.
I had to give up my reserved room there because the agency requested strictly that you have to
pay all rent in advance within 48 hours after reservation; almost two thousand euros must be
paid to the agency without being able to customize your arrival and departure dates. They are
fixed without flexibility. Therefore, I had to find my accommodation through the rest of the
two options aggressively. There are some Dutch outgoing students that are willing to sublet
their room while they are gone. This can be an option through Facebook. Finally, the housing
was organized through the private agency called Temporary Housing Tilburg. Generally,
there are two options of renting a room from the living-in landlord or renting the whole
apartment. We had access to the kitchen and living just like of the households. It is
recommend to take private renting from the Dutch students or housing agency because the
living environment and the condition of the student dorm is not suitable for master students or
those who need privacy and quiet time. You are sharing the floor, the toilet and bath room and
the kitchen with about 14 other students. This can be challenging. Last thing to keep in mind
is that you must make sure that the person or the housing agency really exists before
transferring the deposit money and the renting contract is on place and lawful because this
was done at our own risk.
Costs
In terms of living expenses, it is difficult to estimate because it also depends on your
lifestyle. Roughly, the rent can be in a range of 350 euros to 700 euros. It usually includes
electricity, water, heating, and internet. In the Netherlands, everyone uses bike to commute
from one place to another. Bike bought was 70 euros (price can be up to 120 euros depending
on the condition and the seller). It is great to buy one to do like the Dutch do. The classes in
master degree provided the literature list in advance so the student can download them from
library database. There was only one class that required book but luckily, the electronic
version can be rented from BI library online. Therefore, the cost of book was zero if the
required scientific articles were not printed. Food in the Netherlands is much cheaper than in
Norway. Monthly food cost was about 400 euros. In addition, there were some social events
that we attended costing about 100 euros per month. Lastly, there are some extra cost for
traveling around the Netherlands and neighboring countries that was budgeted for. In
conclusion, the total monthly expense was about one thousand euros.
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
NOK 350
NOK 0
NOK 400
NOK 90
NOK 160
Culture and language
In terms of culture, the university organized cultural and language workshop for
exchange student during the TOP Week. The workshop was helpful in learning about Dutch
culture and basic Dutch words for foreigners. There are also Dutch language course but the
seats are limited as it is free of charge. If you are interested to attend it, you have to sign up
early. When you are abroad, you will always experience culture shocks and exclusion from
the local people because you do not speak the language. However, Dutch people speak good
English in general so there is no problem getting around the country or asking for directions.
People are willing to help. Dutch students mostly stick together and it was difficult to
integrate into the group especially when you have to form a group by yourself, you have to
ask to join or form a group with other exchange students.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Tilburg: Tilburg is located in the southern province of Noord-Brabaant. Although not
that familiar to most Norwegians and other foreigners, Tilburg is in fact the the sixth largest
city in the Netherlands, with approximately 200 000 inhabitants. In general, the city is
perceived as a «student city», with several opportunities, and a great student society really
taking care of and integrating international students. Furthermore, the university has
approximately 400 incoming exchange students each year, in which reasonably are in a
similar situation as you, and therefore are presumably looking for the same activities and
social gatherings.
University location: Tilburg University is located approximately three kilometers
outside the city centre, thus implying 10-15 minutes by bike. Alternatively, there is a railway
station in both locations. The university campus is logically designed, with buildings
representing each faculty located within a bounded area. The buildings are referred to by their
first letter (e.g. the Academica building is labelled the A-building, and the Olympia building is
named the O-building). There are several smaller cafeterias in these various buildings, in
addition to a large canteen placed in the Restaurant building (R-building) in the middle of
campus. Also, more known chains as Starbucks, Subway and Albert Heijn (super market) are
available. The library is located in the middle of campus (L-building). It has quite nice locals
and facilities, and provides computer workplaces for both individuals and groups.
However, beware that coffee and food are not allowed within doors. Beyond that, the facilities
are common to others libraries with regards to additional workplaces, reservations etc.
Study structure: A remarkable notion is that, depending on the department you are
taking courses, the semester might be split into two blocks (e.g. in Social and Behavioral
Science - for Leadership and Organizational Psychology). This implies that some courses are
held exclusively in block 1 (August-October), while others run only in block 2
(October-December). Reasonably, this should be considered when choosing the courses.
Furthermore, as the courses only last for approximately 6-8 weeks, they tend to be rather
intense, with up to two meetings (lectures, seminars, workgroups) each week. Check out their
website (www.tilburgunivesity.edu) for more information.
Course registration: Before arriving Tilburg, you should consider which courses to
attend, as you need to get the courses approved by your international coordinator at BI. Also,
the available spots are limited, and will suddenly be taken, so make sure to be precautionary.
After your arrival, you will have to register through your personal profile at their webpage. If
desired, you can attend an introductory course in how to use «Blackboard» (equivalent to
@bi), and how to register for classes. This course takes place during the introduction week
(the first week). Alternatively, they publish a practical manual for how to proceed when
registering on the Blackboard.
Arrival: At the beginning of the TOP-week (introduction week) every international
student will be placed in a «mentor group». This will remain your reference group for the rest
of the semester. Accordingly, attending the different events and activities is essential in order
to form some relations and make friends. The day usually starts with an academic activity
(e.g. introductory course at the Library), followed by a social event, different activities, and
ends with a party. One of the absolute highlights is the «Beer Cantus», a gigantic beer-party
where you drink lots of beer and sing songs. Most students in Tilburg join a student
association during their studies, either for academic, or purely social reasons.
The International Office: As an exchange student, you receive sufficient and
relevant information from the international office. This is located in the A-building, and can
also be contacted by mail at any time. In other words, if you have any questions, they will
quickly reply to your e-mails, or they are available at their office for drop-in. Upon arrival,
you are asked to step by the international office, and they provide information about
everything needed, and also give you a welcome package including flyers, advertisement of
interesting arrangements taking place etc.
Promoting BI and Norway: In October, a «Study Abroad Fair» took place at campus.
This is an adequate opportunity both to promote BI (and exchange to institutions in Norway
in general) by sharing experiences and information to fellow students, professors and friends,
as well as meeting new people, making new relations, and having a good time with other
exchange students.
Social activities: Regarding social activities, the introduction week lay the foundation.
Because of this well-organized arrangement, you make several relations and friends.
Furthermore, the local students are open and friendly, and many of them are also attending the
activities in which you will attend as an exchange student. The mentors of each mentor group
are usually Dutch. This is advantageous with respect to gather information of local and
regional tips. Furthermore, by purchasing a membership at the sports center (also located at
campus), you have excellent opportunities for great social activities and gatherings. E.g., you
can attend various group sessions (e.g., fitness, cycling/spinning, running, yoga, pilates,
power, pole dancing, zumba), book different sports rooms and materials (e.g., squash, sauna),
or attend training sessions with an comprehensive sample of more than 50 sports (e.g.,
boxing, football, volleyball, running, futsal, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, cricket, karate,
handball, hip-hop and modern jazz dancing). Additionally, the student association arrange
several trips (both within the Netherlands, and to other European countries), a
Netherland-rally, as well as games, weekly dinners, and many other social activities. The
board of ESN and various committees really do their best to make the exchange semester in
Tilburg a great experience. Overall, the exchange experience in Tilburg made it possible to
get to know both native and international students in several activities.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The teaching style is predominantly based on student participation. In many courses
student groups are required to hold presentations and lead discussions afterwards. However,
student participation is registered on a pass/fail basis, and does not count for the final grade.
In general, less emphasis is put on theory than on practice during class discussions.
Although active participation is expected, it is not demanded, apart from in the
presentations. In general, Dutch students are used to participating in class, and a lack of
comments is rarely a problem. Be aware of that many of the courses have mandatory
attendance in lectures.
The workload is generally higher than on BI. Many lectures start with small exams in
order to test if students have read for the lecture. It is therefore necessary to read all material
carefully before every lecture. The results of these make up a proportion of the final grade.
Furthermore, many group papers require students to contact real organizations to get data,
which often takes up a disproportionate amount of time.
Course materials
Course literature consists mainly of books and online articles. Some courses use only
articles. Since we are taking courses with first year master students, the level of the literature
is easily manageable.
Exams
Written exams is based mainly on course material, but information given in class that
is not directly addressed in the course material, might be useful if you wish to obtain a high
grade.
Most common evaluation methods are:
o Final exam (written)
o In-class tests throughout semester
o Small individual papers
o Presentations
o Group papers
o Class attendance
o Class participation
Be aware of that the Dutch grading system is very different from the Norwegian one.
Grades run from 1-10, and a final grade of 5,5 is required to pass a course. In practice only a
very small proportion of the grading scale is used. They say that 9 and 10 is “reserved for
perfection” and are rarely given, but they can be obtained if you work very hard. On master
level, most students pass a course, and grades generally range from 5,5 to 8,5. Based on the
distribution of grades, 8-10 would be equal to a very good result in Norway (A or a strong B)
and the average grade lies between 6-7, equal to a C. For Norwegian students grades are not
converted, and your Dutch grade will only be registered as a pass at BI (provided that your
grade is above 5,5).
Library and technology
The library on campus is unfortunately very small compared to number of students,
and is very crowded during exam periods. Places for group work and stationary pc’s are
definitely prioritized, leaving little space for regular reading places or desks where you can
use your own laptop. Most places needs to be reserved on beforehand.
The IT system makes it hard to access text resources and databases from home, and
requires a VPN client.
Description of courses
Course code & name
Complexity within
Organizations
Occupational Health
Psychology
Master/
Bachelor
master
Exam form
Prerequisites
2 group
presentations,
peer-evaluations,
3-hour written
exam
Bachelor
degree in
social science
master
8 small tests in
class, 2 small
individual
papers, group
Basic
knowledge of
psychology
Approve
d as
Elective
Elective
Comments
The course
had
interesting
subtopics,
but was
ill-structured
Worth
taking, as BI
does not
offer a
Work Group
Psychology
master
Personnel Psychology
master
Performance
Management
Learning and
Development
paper, 3-hour
written exam
4 small tests in
class, small
individual paper,
group paper,
pass/fail
presentations
Basic
knowledge of
psychology
Elective
5 small tests,
group paper,
3-hour written
exam, pass/fail
presentations
Basic
knowledge of
psychology
Elective
master
Group paper,
final exam
Elective
Master
Group Paper,
Final exam
Basic
knowledge of
HR and Org.
Psychology
Basic
knowledge of
HR and Org.
Psychology
Elective
similar
course
Heavily
based on
student
participation
with
students
doing most
of the
preparation
and lectures.
Lecturer acts
more like a
coordinator
Half of the
lectures run
as student
presentation
s and
student-led
discussions
Lecture and
Seminars
-
Sum up the exchange experience
It was a great decision to go abroad to Tilburg. Even though it was quite some extra
work to organize your stay in Tilburg, it was totally worth it. We got to know a lot of people
in the Netherlands and we have made a lot of international friends that will surely turn into
life-long friends. Tilburg is a great place to study. It is a student town, it is very cozy and
tranquil yet vibrant with student parties and local festivals.