My Background

Hi, my name is Alexia, and I’m from Bucharest, Romania! I’m currently in my third and final year of studying Econometrics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, being an international student here. This is my story!

Four Years to Discover My Passion During High School

I graduated from “Gheorghe Lazăr National College”, and throughout those years, I was involved in countless activities: in 9th grade, I would sign up for everything I saw. At one point, I joined so many extracurriculars that I stopped even reading what they were about! However, I still had a path I originally wanted to follow as my career: medicine.

I was convinced I wanted to be a doctor. The funny thing is: I loved physics and chemistry but never liked biology, so eventually I realised I should reconfigure my route.

I joined Interact clubs, attended MUNs, became part of the Student Council, working as a secretary there. That’s when I discovered how much I enjoy organising events, communicating with people, and coordinating things. Later, I took an online business course for high school students, and realised it wasn’t for me either.

Coming to Econometrics

Then I thought about economics. I took some courses and assumed economics would be mostly mathematics, but I realised it wasn’t quite as mathematical as I expected. Around that time I turned eighteen, and I began investing in the stock market and following macroeconomic news. I loved keeping up with political and economic developments, but was still looking for something more quantitative.

For a while, I even considered computer science, but that turned out to be too technical. Then, while researching universities, I found this dual degree in Economics and Econometrics at Erasmus University. I had no idea what econometrics meant, so I Googled it and discovered it combines statistics, mathematics, and programming to model economic processes. It was exactly what I was looking for: something analytical, logical, and still connected to the real world.

It felt like, all throughout my high school time, I was hopping from one idea to another: medicine, business, economics, computer science, and nothing truly fit. I actually realised that this is exactly what high school is for: realising what you enjoy and fits you best through a lot of trial and error. Even if I didn’t realise it back then, in hindsight, it was the best decision to try all those things.

Interviewer: How did you feel when you observed that you couldn’t initially find a career that matched your expectations?

My Top Choice: Erasmus

Well, after Brexit, applying to universities in the UK became much harder, and the next best option financially and academically was the Netherlands. Tuition here is around €2,500/year, which is very affordable compared to other countries, and the programs are internationally recognised for being highly ranked.

Besides, this specific program in Econometrics was available only here or at a few much weaker universities elsewhere in Europe. For me, university ranking mattered a lot, and Dutch universities offered the best balance between quality and cost.

For European students, the tuition fee is about €2,500/year. For non-EU students, it’s around €10,000/year.

I can’t apply for a scholarship because I’m from the EU, but what’s great about the Netherlands is that, if you’re a student and working, you can apply for DUO grants. There’s a basic grant, which is up to €400, and another grant based on your parents’ income. In order to receive both the basic and the one based on your parents’ income, you have to work 32 hours/week.

The cost of living in Rotterdam is higher because it’s a big city, but I think that you can live comfortably with around €1,300/month, including rent.

About the Cost of Studying Abroad

Application Process

The application process is pretty simple: first of all, applications open on Studielink starting October 1st. You can apply to a maximum of four universities, and out of those, only two can be numerus fixus programs (study programs with a limited number of available places).

To apply, you’ll need a CV, a motivation letter, your academic transcript, proof of your upcoming high school graduation (the subjects for your final exams), and an English language certificate.

After submitting your application, you’ll receive either a conditional acceptance based on passing the final exam or a request to take an additional exam if they find your math level insufficient. Romanian diplomas are often not considered enough preparation, especially for technical programs, and in my case, I had to take an extra mathematics exam. The university gave me about two months to prepare and submit my results. The exam was slightly harder than our national baccalaureate, but manageable. It’s not required for every program, only those with a heavy math component. 

The motivational letter and grades could be considered important, but Dutch universities, especially those that aren’t numerus fixus, generally operate on a broader system: they accept a large number of students in the first year and then filter them out based on performance.

The pass rate to the second year is quite low because the exams are complex and again, not anyone is happy with studying individually.

Interviewer: How much do the motivational letter and the grades matter?

Why I Changed My Degree

Initially, the Degree I applied for was a double degree in Economics and Econometrics, which is basically like doing two universities in one. At the end, you would receive a diploma confirming that you’ve completed both Economics and Econometrics. It lasts four years instead of three, but the structure is flexible: until February, you can switch entirely to Economics if you realise Econometrics isn’t for you. And before the end of the first year, you can do the opposite, meaning moving solely to Econometrics if you want to drop Economics.

Eventually, that’s what I did. I completed an additional year of Economics before deciding to stay exclusively with Econometrics, and I genuinely love the program: it fits me perfectly!

Funny, most people that applied to this program expected Econometrics to be Economics with a bit of math, when in reality it’s the other way around: math with a bit of economics. During the first week, several students switched to Economics immediately. Our first courses were Introduction to Analysis and Introduction to Statistics, both pure mathematics, abstract math. Many students quickly realize it’s not what they signed up for and decide to transfer. That’s why research is so important before applying; you can’t just go somewhere blindly.

For instance, in my first year of Econometrics, we started with about 200 students. After just one month, we were around 170. By the second year, fewer than 100 remained. Other programs usually have around a 60% pass rate to the next year, but ours was below 50%.

Interviewer: What is the difference between economics and econometrics?

Inside the Classroom

The educational system is quite intense because it’s based on the idea that professors tell you what to do, and you come with questions. You’re expected to study independently, meaning to do your homework, read the material, and then attend lectures.

However, it’s definitely not for everyone: I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who struggles to be self-disciplined or to manage their own learning. We have many projects, and they all have connections to real life situations. For example, in my second year, we had a course where we had to write three research reports, each tackling a real research problem. We were given access to existing studies, and our task was to expand on them with our own analysis. One of my reports, for instance, was for marketing, the topic being how to determine whether discounts or promotions actually increase a store’s profit.

However, we have to memorise a lot of theories and mathematical proofs. Since econometrics involves a lot of statistics and math, you need to understand why formulas work; otherwise, you risk using them incorrectly and making logical errors later on. I’d say about 70–80% of our exams test theory. But the practical side comes through projects, which often count toward the final grade, depending on the subject.

For instance, exams in finance or marketing tend to be more practical, while those in statistics or econometrics are usually very theoretical. So with my Degree, yes, there is a lot of theory, but we’re asked to apply that theory within a specific context, basically developing a framework for solving such problems. 

However, during my first year I was quite stressed because I knew how hard the exams were. Indeed, in the Netherlands, the reason so few people make it to the second year is that you must pass all your first-year exams. If you fail an exam twice, both the main and retake sessions, you automatically fail the entire year and can’t continue to the next one. You’re simply removed from the program. But after the first year, that pressure disappears because you can retake an exam as many times as you need.

That’s why it’s so important, when choosing a Dutch university, to make sure you’ve done your research and really know what you’re getting into. Many people think that educational consultancy services aren’t necessary for Dutch universities because the application process itself seems simple. And yes, applying is simple. But if you apply to something that doesn’t fit you, it’s basically the same as not being accepted at all.

About Passing your Exams

Honours Research

Honours Research is a selective program that starts in the second year, and based on your first-year grades (you must be in the top 10% of your program) you can get an invitation to join. There, you work on projects with other selected students and write reports; it’s not full research yet, but it gives you a foundation.

Then, in the third year, you can be selected again if you remain in the top 10%. This is where you actually work on a research report with a university professor and have the chance to get a publication. Starting in January, we also visit research institutions and meet professionals in the field.

It’s quite intensive because you’re working on questions that other researchers haven’t yet answered. The research is about topics that don’t have definitive answers, so you’re trying to develop your own theories and hypotheses around these ideas. I think it’s challenging but fascinating because you’re essentially creating frameworks and exploring concepts that are still largely unexplored.

Why I Chose a Minor for My Third Year

When the third year comes, you can choose between three things: you can add a Minor to your Degree, have an internship or study abroad for a semester. I chose the Minor because I wanted to study something completely different from my Major, so I picked a minor in Neuro-AI, which is a combination of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. I joined it just because I found it interesting, and it actually really is! 

It’s been really nice, especially since, during the first weeks, we visited university labs and saw researchers conducting experiments on mice, observing neural connections, synapses, and how impulses form. It’s not something I’ll necessarily use in the future, but it feels like a valuable experience. Recently, we studied how early organ stimulation (especially eyes or the brain) can greatly affect the being during its whole life afterwards. 

For Example…

Let’s say that right after birth, one of a kitten’s eyes is covered for three weeks, and something irreversible happened. Even after the eye covering was removed, only the eye that had been open continued to send signals to the brain, as if the other had completely disconnected from the brain. 

This experiment illustrates how every living being has such critical developmental windows for sight, hearing, movement, and even learning. If the brain doesn’t activate certain synapses during that period, those neural pathways never truly form. That’s why it’s crucial not to overstimulate children, but also not to leave them unchallenged. They need to be exposed to enough varied experiences to strengthen those connections. In our Neuro-AI minor, we discuss this a lot, not just as psychology, but as neurobiology. We study how, on a microscopic level, these neural pathways depend on things like calcium signalling. Without those signals, neurons can’t fire, and abstract thinking becomes limited.

Challenges and Rewards from Being Independent

One of the most difficult things about studying abroad is the feeling of being a bit overwhelmed. You have to handle everything yourself (bills, chores, cooking) and then add studies on top of that, maybe a part-time job or other projects. Everything piles up quickly. It’s a first step into independent life, but it also teaches you to be self-reliant.

If someone says, “I just want to study, not make friends or go out,” I think that misses the point. The real value in studying abroad is discovering something that’s yours, becoming independent, and growing as a person. Of course, some students focus solely on attending a top university and studying intensely. That can work for them, but for most, it’s equally important to go out and meet new people.

For me, one major difference was cultural exposure. I’ve met friends from Vietnam, Germany, the Netherlands. Working in teams with individuals who have different mindsets and cultural backgrounds develops you as a person and teaches invaluable soft skills, so being immersed in such diversity helps you become more open-minded and flexible. Even if you’re already open-minded, exposure on this scale enhances your mental plasticity, training your brain to understand new perspectives more easily and adapt quickly to different situations.

So, while independence and academics are challenging, the cultural exposure, personal growth, and developing soft skills are what make studying abroad truly worthwhile.

What It Takes To Succeed

I think there are some skills you need to have to succeed in such a medium. This program is very analytical and technical, combining a lot of mathematics, programming, and technical modelling, so having a strong analytical mind helps enormously as you need to be comfortable with abstraction and generalisation.

A passion for economics or finance definitely helps, but it’s not a requirement. I have classmates who aren’t particularly interested in economics but love the statistical modelling aspect, the mathematical structure of it all. For me, it’s different; I genuinely feel I’m doing exactly what I want to do.

I’d say, do some research and make sure you really want to pursue it. Ensure you’re genuinely passionate about that field because it matters a lot. Nowadays, it’s easy to understand what a certain career or field involves, so make sure you fully understand what it entails.

There are also countless online courses you can take, like on Coursera or Udemy, to get a taste of the subject. I’ve done this myself. Even if you’re in a smaller city with fewer extracurricular opportunities, I’d recommend participating in activities that challenge you, broaden your perspective, and help you meet people with different mindsets. This way, you can explore whether the field truly interests you before committing.

Interviewer: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone intending to study abroad?