40 MSc students are taking part in the TU’s summer school programme. They’re getting a head start by learning how to cope with life in the Netherlands, Dutch weather, and the TU’s educational system.
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The TU’s 2001-2003 Master of Science International Programme has accepted 45 more students than last year. Of these 127 MSc students, 40 students are currently taking part in a summer programme that aims ‘to prepare students thoroughly for participation in the educational system of TU Delft,’ according to the MSc website.
To ensure the newcomers get properly grounded, some second-year MSc students are helping out, introducing their new colleagues to Delft and offering first-week survival tips, such as where to buy second-hand bikes and how to predict the unpredictable Dutch weather.
Some newcomers have already experienced some surprises: ”Delft is an ancient city, but it%s too small for me!” exclaims Chien-Chung Kao from Taiwan. Gillermo Bernardo Vidal, from Argentine, likes its small size: ”Delft is picturesque! It’s like a fairy tale town, the kind you read about in books.” He was also surprised by the size of the campus compared to the town: ”The town’s much smaller than I’m used to but, amazingly, the university is much larger than the University of Buenos Aires. The facilities and buildings here are impressive.”
Kao and Vidal were also culture shocked. Kao recalls: ”In Taiwan, you don’t take a number at banks or information offices, so the first time I went to an office here I just went straight to the counter. And in Taiwan, to speak to your lecturer you just go knock on their office door; here, you’ve got make an appointment.” Vidal: ”People here are very open. Everyone speaks English and there are lots of foreigners, which is something you hardly find in Buenos Aires.”
Scholarships
With so many university to choose from today, why TU Delft? Jean-Michel Su from France, explains: ”I’d previously spent one year as an exchange student in Utrecht and wanted to continue my study abroad. TU Delft has a good reputation and high profile in Europe.” Vidal, who studies Architecture, also knew of Delft’s sterling reputation in his field: ”I like Dutch architecture. It’s famous in my country. My Nuffic scholarship was also an important factor%%without it I wouldn’t be here.” Kao, however, had never heard of TU Delft prior to attending a presentation given by a TU professor at his former university in Taiwan. ”Initially, I chose the TU because of the scholarship I get. But now I’m convinced the TU is a good place to study.”
New rule
MSc students who participate in the summer introduction programme perform considerably better during their MSc course, the MSc website declares. Besides knowing their way around Delft, the students’ beneficial head start is also due to project group education. Projects they are involved in include Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Mainport, water and waste-water management, offshore North Sea wind farms, and underground logistic systems. The MSc summer students,moreover, take English-language course, presentation trainings, and intercultural project work trainings.
For Vidal, everything is fine except the summer programme’s timetable. ”It coincides with shop and library opening hours. These summer classes should end at lunchtime, so we’d have more free time in the afternoon.”
Actually, the only thing that really disappoints some MSc students is the new rule the Dutch government recently imposed on European students. Su explains: ”According to the TU’s website and university officials, European students were supposed to pay the same amount as they pay for public universities in their home countries. So I thought I could get a better programme here for the same tuition fee. But with this new government rule, I must now pay five times more than I had expected.” Su is now trying to find a resolution to this problem, because he really wants to stay here. He does have one suggestion, though: ”TU Delft should update its website regarding this new rule.”
However, according to Annemarie Rima, president of the MSc office, this rule doesn’t apply to the MSc international programme. Rima: ”When they contact us, we notify them the tuition fee for the MSc programme is thirteen thousand guilders per year. They know from the start.”
40 MSc students are taking part in the TU’s summer school programme. They’re getting a head start by learning how to cope with life in the Netherlands, Dutch weather, and the TU’s educational system.
The TU’s 2001-2003 Master of Science International Programme has accepted 45 more students than last year. Of these 127 MSc students, 40 students are currently taking part in a summer programme that aims ‘to prepare students thoroughly for participation in the educational system of TU Delft,’ according to the MSc website.
To ensure the newcomers get properly grounded, some second-year MSc students are helping out, introducing their new colleagues to Delft and offering first-week survival tips, such as where to buy second-hand bikes and how to predict the unpredictable Dutch weather.
Some newcomers have already experienced some surprises: ”Delft is an ancient city, but it%s too small for me!” exclaims Chien-Chung Kao from Taiwan. Gillermo Bernardo Vidal, from Argentine, likes its small size: ”Delft is picturesque! It’s like a fairy tale town, the kind you read about in books.” He was also surprised by the size of the campus compared to the town: ”The town’s much smaller than I’m used to but, amazingly, the university is much larger than the University of Buenos Aires. The facilities and buildings here are impressive.”
Kao and Vidal were also culture shocked. Kao recalls: ”In Taiwan, you don’t take a number at banks or information offices, so the first time I went to an office here I just went straight to the counter. And in Taiwan, to speak to your lecturer you just go knock on their office door; here, you’ve got make an appointment.” Vidal: ”People here are very open. Everyone speaks English and there are lots of foreigners, which is something you hardly find in Buenos Aires.”
Scholarships
With so many university to choose from today, why TU Delft? Jean-Michel Su from France, explains: ”I’d previously spent one year as an exchange student in Utrecht and wanted to continue my study abroad. TU Delft has a good reputation and high profile in Europe.” Vidal, who studies Architecture, also knew of Delft’s sterling reputation in his field: ”I like Dutch architecture. It’s famous in my country. My Nuffic scholarship was also an important factor%%without it I wouldn’t be here.” Kao, however, had never heard of TU Delft prior to attending a presentation given by a TU professor at his former university in Taiwan. ”Initially, I chose the TU because of the scholarship I get. But now I’m convinced the TU is a good place to study.”
New rule
MSc students who participate in the summer introduction programme perform considerably better during their MSc course, the MSc website declares. Besides knowing their way around Delft, the students’ beneficial head start is also due to project group education. Projects they are involved in include Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Mainport, water and waste-water management, offshore North Sea wind farms, and underground logistic systems. The MSc summer students,moreover, take English-language course, presentation trainings, and intercultural project work trainings.
For Vidal, everything is fine except the summer programme’s timetable. ”It coincides with shop and library opening hours. These summer classes should end at lunchtime, so we’d have more free time in the afternoon.”
Actually, the only thing that really disappoints some MSc students is the new rule the Dutch government recently imposed on European students. Su explains: ”According to the TU’s website and university officials, European students were supposed to pay the same amount as they pay for public universities in their home countries. So I thought I could get a better programme here for the same tuition fee. But with this new government rule, I must now pay five times more than I had expected.” Su is now trying to find a resolution to this problem, because he really wants to stay here. He does have one suggestion, though: ”TU Delft should update its website regarding this new rule.”
However, according to Annemarie Rima, president of the MSc office, this rule doesn’t apply to the MSc international programme. Rima: ”When they contact us, we notify them the tuition fee for the MSc programme is thirteen thousand guilders per year. They know from the start.”
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