If I had to describe the Netherlands in a word, that word would be ‘free’. Studying abroad isn’t only a chance to acquire knowledge: it’s also an act of liberation for many of us foreign students from all different countries.
Here, we’re joyfully free of all the social, class and family pressures of our home countries.
I was born in Beijing, a big, crowded, noisy city. As a child, I was always dreaming about a place with blue skies and sea. Three years ago I came to the Netherlands, the place in my childhood dream, and discovered that besides the blue sky and sea, the most beautiful thing this country gives people is freedom.
A friend once said, “Almost everything is allowed in Holland. And if something is forbidden, it should definitely be forbidden.” At that time, I’d only lived here a short time and didn’t fully understand what he meant. But I do now.
It was as a TU Delft student that I first discovered the true meaning of freedom. Here, nobody takes attendance at lectures, leaving the responsibility of studying and passing exams up to the individual student; nobody cares what people wear when they go to university; and nobody even pays attention if an interracial couple walks hand in hand down the street.
Uniforms
I love China, but people and society are conservative. I first noticed this while attending secondary school, where wearing school uniforms was mandatory. When we were given those dull dark blue uniforms to wear, my mind was full of confusion. I like the sky to be blue, trees green, flowers red…and I should be colorful too! Wearing the dark-blue uniforms made us all look the same, and I didn’t like it.
Later I learned that uniforms were standard in other countries too, like England and Japan. Uniforms dictate conformity. Perhaps they benefit the educational process somehow, but has anyone thought about the downside: personal creativity and individuality are prohibited. Now I’m grown-up and facing all kinds of discipline; for example, I must dress in a certain ‘proper’ way at work. Because we must all eventually face this adult social pressure, we should have more freedom when we’re students.
University
After entering university in China, I really began to understand how disciplined the society is. Attending lectures is mandatory, and university lecturers take strict daily attendance, calling each student’s name aloud.
One day, a friend asked me to call out her name during attendance, because she didn’t feel like attending the lecture. It was a large lecture hall with more than 70 students in attendance, and since the lecturer didn’t know students by face, he wouldn’t know if I raised my hand twice. Unfortunately, that day other students also knew of my friend’s absence and wanted to help her too: when the lecturer called out her name, four hands were raised simultaneously! The lecturer wasn’t amused. Certainly our behavior was wrong: honesty is the most valuable character trait. But if educators gave students more freedom, for instance, to decide if lectures are important for learning, we wouldn’t have to behave this way.
Dating
In China, having love relationships while at university isn’t always appreciated. The father of a close friend forbid her to have a boyfriend during her university studies. “You must put all your effort into study,” he said. “Having a relationship will distract your attention from your study!” Needless to say, my friend didn’t agree with her father, they constantly argued, damaging their relationship, but she couldn’t change his mind. By denying the freedom to love, people get hurt.
Another friend was once close to a foreigner, but her mother reminded her: “You’re not allowed to have a foreign boyfriend!” The reason for the rejection of interracial love can be conservatism, social-class-ethnic prejudice or fear of the ‘unknown’. But relationships shouldn’t be forbidden due to differences in nationality or race, because all these thoughts merely stifle the freedom of loving.
Yes, if had to describe the Netherlands in one word, that word is ‘free’. Love’s the most important thing in a relationship; love transcends all borders and cultures. If you don’t believe me, just ask my international friends at the TU. A girl from Romania told me, “I have a Dutch boyfriend, he’s nice and we get along great!” An Egyptian guy said happily, “although my girlfriend’s Spanish and works in Spain, we always see each other during holidays.” A Turk who has a Chinese girlfriend said, “I never imagined that I’d have a girlfriend from China, but we don’t have any problems arising from different cultural backgrounds.”
All of these friends are happy that here in the Netherlands nobody criticizes their ‘international’ relationships. This is the wonderful freedom and acceptance that Dutch society gives to people.
Trust
Religion is another area in which people in this country feel comfortable and free. In this Christian country, as to be expected, there are lots of churches where people can pray and honor their God. However, mosques also exist for Holland’s Muslim citizens. Here, people are free to believe whatever convinces them, and with this I recall the word ‘freedom’ again.
Thanks to my time in Holland, I now have a different understanding of this word. Freedom means acceptance and understanding by society. In Holland we do feel comfortable because we’re free to do things and different behaviors are accepted by society and the people around us. What I’ve learned in the Netherlands is this: People need to have more space and trust, more understanding and support from society to make their lives more shiny and joyful.
I was born in Beijing, a big, crowded, noisy city. As a child, I was always dreaming about a place with blue skies and sea. Three years ago I came to the Netherlands, the place in my childhood dream, and discovered that besides the blue sky and sea, the most beautiful thing this country gives people is freedom.
A friend once said, “Almost everything is allowed in Holland. And if something is forbidden, it should definitely be forbidden.” At that time, I’d only lived here a short time and didn’t fully understand what he meant. But I do now.
It was as a TU Delft student that I first discovered the true meaning of freedom. Here, nobody takes attendance at lectures, leaving the responsibility of studying and passing exams up to the individual student; nobody cares what people wear when they go to university; and nobody even pays attention if an interracial couple walks hand in hand down the street.
Uniforms
I love China, but people and society are conservative. I first noticed this while attending secondary school, where wearing school uniforms was mandatory. When we were given those dull dark blue uniforms to wear, my mind was full of confusion. I like the sky to be blue, trees green, flowers red…and I should be colorful too! Wearing the dark-blue uniforms made us all look the same, and I didn’t like it.
Later I learned that uniforms were standard in other countries too, like England and Japan. Uniforms dictate conformity. Perhaps they benefit the educational process somehow, but has anyone thought about the downside: personal creativity and individuality are prohibited. Now I’m grown-up and facing all kinds of discipline; for example, I must dress in a certain ‘proper’ way at work. Because we must all eventually face this adult social pressure, we should have more freedom when we’re students.
University
After entering university in China, I really began to understand how disciplined the society is. Attending lectures is mandatory, and university lecturers take strict daily attendance, calling each student’s name aloud.
One day, a friend asked me to call out her name during attendance, because she didn’t feel like attending the lecture. It was a large lecture hall with more than 70 students in attendance, and since the lecturer didn’t know students by face, he wouldn’t know if I raised my hand twice. Unfortunately, that day other students also knew of my friend’s absence and wanted to help her too: when the lecturer called out her name, four hands were raised simultaneously! The lecturer wasn’t amused. Certainly our behavior was wrong: honesty is the most valuable character trait. But if educators gave students more freedom, for instance, to decide if lectures are important for learning, we wouldn’t have to behave this way.
Dating
In China, having love relationships while at university isn’t always appreciated. The father of a close friend forbid her to have a boyfriend during her university studies. “You must put all your effort into study,” he said. “Having a relationship will distract your attention from your study!” Needless to say, my friend didn’t agree with her father, they constantly argued, damaging their relationship, but she couldn’t change his mind. By denying the freedom to love, people get hurt.
Another friend was once close to a foreigner, but her mother reminded her: “You’re not allowed to have a foreign boyfriend!” The reason for the rejection of interracial love can be conservatism, social-class-ethnic prejudice or fear of the ‘unknown’. But relationships shouldn’t be forbidden due to differences in nationality or race, because all these thoughts merely stifle the freedom of loving.
Yes, if had to describe the Netherlands in one word, that word is ‘free’. Love’s the most important thing in a relationship; love transcends all borders and cultures. If you don’t believe me, just ask my international friends at the TU. A girl from Romania told me, “I have a Dutch boyfriend, he’s nice and we get along great!” An Egyptian guy said happily, “although my girlfriend’s Spanish and works in Spain, we always see each other during holidays.” A Turk who has a Chinese girlfriend said, “I never imagined that I’d have a girlfriend from China, but we don’t have any problems arising from different cultural backgrounds.”
All of these friends are happy that here in the Netherlands nobody criticizes their ‘international’ relationships. This is the wonderful freedom and acceptance that Dutch society gives to people.
Trust
Religion is another area in which people in this country feel comfortable and free. In this Christian country, as to be expected, there are lots of churches where people can pray and honor their God. However, mosques also exist for Holland’s Muslim citizens. Here, people are free to believe whatever convinces them, and with this I recall the word ‘freedom’ again.
Thanks to my time in Holland, I now have a different understanding of this word. Freedom means acceptance and understanding by society. In Holland we do feel comfortable because we’re free to do things and different behaviors are accepted by society and the people around us. What I’ve learned in the Netherlands is this: People need to have more space and trust, more understanding and support from society to make their lives more shiny and joyful.
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