Covid-19 makes everything more difficult, including your study choice. Even after you have attended the Digital Discovery Day and you are sure what you want the study, there are many uncertainties that come with applying abroad. Deetya, who will (hopefully) start studying at Saxion this September, wants to share why she chose her study and some of the struggles she is facing.
Hey! How are you? Where are you from?
“Hi! I am Deetya and I’m from Mumbai India.”
What study did you choose?
“I decided to study Physiotherapy! I always wanted to study Physiotherapy and I chose the Netherlands because it is a progressive country, it is quite developed, and it is known for its education. The Netherlands was one of the first countries I thought of going to when thinking about what I wanted to study abroad. One more reason is that I come from India, where university education is quite theoretical. The Dutch way is a lot more practical, you have smaller classrooms and there is a lot more application of the theory so that is a huge benefit.”
Was it easy to choose Saxion?
“I did look at more universities in the Netherlands but there are only four that provide physiotherapy for international students. I chose Saxion because I thought it looked nice. I remember googling it and looking at the campus and the course with its requirements. I think Saxion stood out because it was placed in a more quieter place like Enschede. It is smaller than Amsterdam so it is a lot more quiet. Second of all, Saxion has the internships and shows them off, I really like that part. Also, they are very technologically inclined that was also something I noticed when looking on the website. It checked all my boxes! Cost wise it is also more affordable than other cities plus they have a good international student community because Enschede, with two universities, has a lot of students around which is great! Coming from Mumbai I really like going to Enschede because it is way less crowded.”
How did the Covid-19 situation influence your study choice?
“I was very concerned about it, because I wanted to study Physiotherapy. I spoke to my school council and asked them where I should apply and we were quite uncertain if, due to Covid-19, universities would still allow us to come as international students. What I did was that I shortlisted a few countries such as the Netherlands, Hungary, and Spain. Unfortunately, the university in Spain that I wanted to apply to stopped us and told me I needed to apply next year. The situation is very difficult, the application process takes long and there are a lot of uncertainties due to Covid-19. This worried me quite a lot, even for the Netherlands, when looking at the cases there and the cases here in India right now. It’s horrible. I think, even now, I am still in a state of worry that I will not be able to come this year. I don’t know if it will be online for a year, which would be very difficult as Physiotherapy is very practical, there are a lot of these type of uncertainties.”
The situation is very difficult.. How did the application process go?
“My application process was pretty smooth. I had to join through studielink and I had to fill in an application. During the interview I had with my tutor they also mentioned that, based on the conditions right now, it is very difficult to predict how the year will go because everything they predicted never happens. You never know what happens next. But, if things are good then I can come. I really hope I can join for my first year, I am really looking forward to it.”
So Covid-19 is a big factor in whether you are allowed to go here or not, which sucks, did it affect the way you chose where to study as well?
''Yes, actually it did, that is why I also applied to Psychology. Physiotherapy requires you to be present and they require you to be there and communicate with your teachers face to face. I think Covid-19 has caused a lot of difficulties in choosing the program, no matter which part of the world you are in. That’s why, as my back-up, I chose Psychology as that can be taught online. It is a lot more theoretical, especially in the first two years. So, it’s a lot more safer than choosing Physiotherapy and staying home for the first year, it would feel like a waste of time as it requires you to be on campus. That was a huge factor for me. I think at one point I had pretty much given up because the cases went up again and I thought “Oh no, they are not going to let us go there.”. Even right now it is a bit of a question mark.
I know a lot of students who have gotten accepted into universities abroad but they are still at home because they can’t travel. The uncertainty will probably affect a lot of students currently applying, especially for the practical courses or courses that require face to face interaction.
Do you feel like Saxion provided you with enough support?
At the moment I do not have a strong conversation with Saxion, since everything went fine for now. I do hope though to have this more as soon as I get more details about my admission. So, at this moment I got my admission letter and they will send more details around the end of May. But, during this time I did apply for the Student Onboarding Programme, so I hope I can talk to other Physiotherapy students to clear things out, I think that would be good. This programme helps new students to get adjusted to their new (online) student life at Saxion, so I do expect to get in touch with other students and learn more about Saxion.
Do you have any tips for people looking for a study right now?
“Always apply. If you really want to study a specific course or if you want to study abroad, do apply! It’s pretty much gambling at this point so try but you should always have a backup. I have applied to colleges in India as well, just in case I am not able to travel abroad or something really wrong happens. I should have something beneath me so when I fall I don’t land on the floor.
And, take care of yourself! At the moment that is really important. Don’t be stupid and stay home when it is not safe enough.
Lastly, communicate with the university in case you have any doubt. Do it as much as possible because universities want international students to be there. It is a matter of pride to have international students so they will help you out as much as possible.”
