Getting Oriented Abroad

Written by Emily Zehm, Foster undergraduate

For International Business Students studying abroad at Erasmus during fall quarter, there is a mandatory orientation that is a 3-day, 2-night excursion. For my orientation we all took a bus to Maastricht, Germany. All of the International Business Students stayed at a hostel together where we got the chance to listen to guest speakers, get to know each other through group discussions, and participate in fun games and bonding activities. I left this orientation really feeling like I had made some close friends.

We were also paired up with a “buddy” who is a matriculated student at Erasmus University and is in charge of helping us get settled. My buddy’s name is Yanbin, and he gave me some advice on how to succeed in my classes and where I can purchase a bike. For anyone reading this that is going to Erasmus make sure that you join the Facebook group titled “Commodity Market Rotterdam”. This is where people post about anything they are trying to sell, and you can find a ton of secondhand bikes this way!

My favorite part of this orientation was the last night, where we did a talent show. It seemed a bit ridiculous and juvenile to me when we were first told we would be doing it, however, it turned out to be a really good bonding experience and a lot of fun.