Hey, my name is Jia Kapur, and I will be undertaking my bachelor’s degree in Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. 

I’ve studied at Repton, Dubai for 12 years; I joined in Year 2. Having lived in the same city for most of my life since the age of 6, I wanted to gain exposure to a new environment, a new country. I chose to study abroad because I believe it will play a pivotal role in my personal growth. 

Insight into my academic profile

For a quick look at my academic background, I scored 41/45 in the IB. Here’s the breakdown of my scores in every subject: 

• Economics (Higher Level)- 7/7
• Psychology (Higher Level)- 7/7
• Math Analysis and Approaches (Higher Level)- 6/7
• Spanish AB Initio (Standard Level)- 7/7
• Sports Science (Standard Level)- 6/7
• English A: Language and Literature (Standard Level)- 6/7
• + 2 core points for TOK and my extended essay

However, my predicted score sent to universities was 40/42 as my school calculates IB predicted scores out of 42 instead of 45. 

Before that, I completed my GCSEs scoring six grade 9’s and three grade 8’s across nine subjects. I also achieved an overall IELTS score of 8.0.

Extracurricular activities: Deputy Head Girl of my school, playing netball, volunteering at a variety of places, hosting events such as TEDx.

Why the Netherlands felt like the right fit

I love the country. I spent the summer in the Netherlands and was keen to return the next time I had a break. However, a huge part of my appeal to this country was because of its deep-rooted economic history, as econometrics was founded there. Rotterdam is also the biggest port in Europe. I think that these small facts demonstrate the country’s passion and commitment to the course, which shows it looks favourably upon job offerings and internships.

I was also going to apply to universities in the U.S, but the Netherlands offers three-year undergraduate degrees instead of four in the states. However, the same rule applies across Europe. I was particularly attracted to Erasmus because of the amount of content it covers in the first year. This would allow me to explore different areas of economics, which is especially important to me as I am still figuring out what I want to pursue in the future. In addition to these benefits, the university also offers the chance to get hands-on experience by doing either an internship or a study abroad program for three months in the final year. I found this to be a major advantage, as it can be difficult to find a three-month internship. 

The application process

Erasmus being my dream university, I wanted to ensure my application was strong. I went on LinkedIn, looked for students at the university, and I texted them, asking for help. I noticed that even a small message like “Hey, I am an IB student interested in this university…” turned out to be very useful, especially if the students came from Dubai, because universities allocate a certain quota for each region. Reading others’ essays and listening to different tips significantly strengthened my application, because you can notice a pattern or certain traits in them. This helped, especially for Erasmus, where it’s common to use the same ideas for different essays. 

Essential living costs

Of course, it’s difficult to accurately measure the cost of living in the Netherlands, but I’ve tried to learn as much as possible through my research. I’ve found that groceries are relatively more expensive, requiring an allocation of between €200 and €300. Going out, dinners, etc cost nearly €250. Furthermore, there are other invisible costs, but regardless, the first few months are inclined to be more expensive because of textbooks and many other costs. 

Rent costs show considerable variation; currently, it costs around €800-€1200. However, student accommodations tend to be more expensive due to the current housing conditions. I would definitely recommend all students going to the Netherlands, or anywhere in Europe, to be aware of the housing crisis. Do not underestimate it, because even student accommodations take up no more than nearly 25% of students. Personally, I will be living in student accommodation, but I think it’s worth doing for the first year to make friends and live somewhere relatively safer. 

Campus diversity

I haven’t started my course at the university yet, but there are already many group chats on Instagram and WhatsApp with incoming students at Erasmus. I’ve spoken properly to a few people, and everyone seems to be very kind, but you can only learn so much about a person online. Nonetheless, I would say the students at this university come from diverse backgrounds; I’ve noticed students from India, the UAE, Belgium, etc. 

Other universities I applied to

I applied to Warwick, King's College London, Bath, Durham and Leeds in the UK. My firm choice was Warwick and my insurance choice was King’s. I also applied to the University of Amsterdam, IE University in Spain, and Bocconi University in Italy. I got into IE with a 30% merit scholarship, alongside getting accepted at Bocconi. Initially, I struggled choosing between IE, Bocconi, and Erasmus. IE seemed like a better choice because of the scholarship, and Bocconi is incredible, but I was deeply drawn to my dream of studying at Erasmus. 

Final Takeaways

I am beyond excited to start my course at my dream university. It’s going to be a whole new experience. Although I will say I’ve been having mixed feelings about leaving my family and friends here, at the same time, I have worked so hard for years to finally go here. I could have chosen to stay at home, which is a great option for some people, but I am certain that I will be happier studying abroad. Living in Europe will make me more informed about many aspects. Dubai, being one of the safest cities in the world, people often find themselves in a bubble when they live there. Moving to a completely different continent will expose me to the real world.