Greetings from Brazil! My name is José, I’m 23 years old and a future Master of Marketing student at the Vrije University Amsterdam. I am about to share with you a bit of the path that led me to VU Amsterdam and perhaps you can see some of your own story in it.

Photo: Me!

When you decide to go overseas to course a master degree in a country where you have only spent some hours in the past, you can imagine how many imperative decisions are ahead of you. This was exactly the scenario of my life some months ago. Last year I decided to course a master degree abroad. And that was it, all I had set up so far was that I was going abroad for my masters. After some dense research and evaluation of many advantages of many countries, I made my second resolution: The Netherlands. However, despite this crucial basic step being already decided, nothing else was. l had no restrictions or preferences in relation to the city I wanted to live in and neither to the university I wanted to course my master degree, definitely the most essential thing yet to be decided.

Photo: Decision making process

So, yes, before anything, I chose The Netherlands. I chose the internationalization culture and the inventive spirit of the country. I chose the bikes and the small town lifestyle. I chose the hospitality of its people and openness to foreigners. And of course, I chose the high-quality education we can find there. And with regard to the education, I would still have a long time ahead of me researching on websites and contacting students to find out which Master of Marketing from one of the many excellent Dutch universities would thrill me the most. To make a long story short, I ended up between two universities that aroused my enthusiasm. Studying at VU Amsterdam increasingly seemed a compelling proposition due to the testimony I heard from one of its current students, who sounded extremely excited and satisfied with various aspects of the university. The structure of the course was also perfect for me, dynamic and full of activities and subjects that would nourish my creative potential in marketing, something I am long looking for.

Photo: On wheels in Vondelpark Amsterdam And of course, I have to mention that the idea of living in Amsterdam started to sound more and more appealing and a complete madness if I was ever going to refuse it. When is it that you have right in front of you the chance of living in one of the most inspiring cities in the world? And that combined with the international companies and the innovation hub that are present in the city, features that are too tempting for any marketing student, made me feel confident to say yes to Amsterdam and to VU Amsterdam.

Photo: And we're off!

My questions for VU bloggers In less than 2 months I will leave Brazil to move to Amsterdam for what I am sure will be the most exhilarating experience of my life. At this point, I imagine that not just me, but anyone in the same boat would have tonnes of questions in mind. I will share with you four of them, which will be answered by one of the great students that are part of this blog team. Check them out, prospective student, perhaps they will also answer to what you have in mind and seem to find no one to ask to. Question 1: How is VU workload? Do you have tips on how to manage it with personal affairs throughout the year?

Question 2: How can I engage myself with the university? What kind of activities/projects/associations can I be part of?

Question 3: Since we are only allowed to work a few hours a week, how can I and other non-European students have professional experiences prior to graduating (and perhaps earn some money)? What would be these opportunities?

Question 4: What is your golden tip for a foreign student who is about to start their full time master programme at Vrije University Amsterdam? The answers....