Larissa Lemes de Sousa, a 22-year old student from Jundiaí in São Paulo (Brazil), came to the Netherlands to study Hotel and Event Management at Tio University of Applied Sciences this academic year. Why did she choose Tio and how has her experience been so far? Larissa: “The educational system at Tio is personal and focused. And the English level at Tio is great!”
From Brazil to the Netherlands
Larissa graduated at a university in Brazil as bachelor of business, she tells. “I've been wanting to work as a wedding planner for a long time, so I was looking for courses in the events area. As in Brazil we do not have higher education in that area, I started to search which countries did. I was looking for English-speaking countries and then I heard about Tio in the Netherlands. I totally loved the subjects at the bachelor programme Hotel and Event Management and I really liked the practical focus. Besides, the Netherlands is a country with a high quality of life and almost everyone speaks English, so it was perfect.”
Why Amsterdam?
Tio has multiple campuses spread over the Netherlands. Why did Larissa decide to study in Amsterdam? “I chose for Amsterdam because I had been here before”, she explains. “And I loved the city. Also, my boyfriend moved to the Netherlands as well to study, and Amsterdam was the mutual campus location between our both schools.”
Experience so far
Larissa has been studying at Tio for half a year now. How has her experience been so far? “I really like Tio, its classes and its lecturers. I really enjoy all the cooking and restaurant skills classes and I am looking forward to the Hotel and Event Week. The English level at Tio is great. The amount of homework and assignments together with the class hours is the biggest difference between studying in Brazil and at Tio”, Larissa continues. “In Brazil the class hours are either from 7am-12pm or from 6pm-11pm, so you still have time during the day to work, to do assignments and have time for yourself.”
Studying at Tio? Yes!
“I think that the education system at Tio is great and better than in Brazil. At Tio we have only a few students in each class, which makes the lectures more personal and focused. Besides, I feel that here, as we have many assignments, we do not have the option of not learning anything. So it's great if you really want to dedicate and learn as much as possible. Also, the facilities at Tio are amazing, which helps to keep us motivated”, Larissa says finally. “So, yes, although I would strongly recommend to learn at least basics Dutch before arriving, I recommend studying at Tio!”