Sandra Mariscal Toro is from Spain. She was born and raised in Malaga, which is a famous city located in the Costa del Sol, known for its beautiful beaches. This part of Spain is and has been a favorite holiday destination for Dutch people for many years. So what made Sandra decide to leave the beautiful beaches behind and come to The Netherlands, where the weather is unpredictable to say the least?
Sandra: “I wanted to discover this country.” Studying in the heart in of the country has certainly allowed her to do just that.
Deciding to go for the best
What made Sandra decide to come to Tio? Sandra: “Tio is a very important university of applied sciences in the Netherlands.” In addition to the number 1 score Tio received in the JOB-Monitor, the National student survey (NSE), the Elsevier Enquiry Best study courses 2014, Tio has now been pronounced Best small-size school for higher education by the Study Choice guide for higher education 2016.
Expectations
What did Sandra expect to find by coming to the Netherlands? Sandra: “A lot of interesting places, another language, new food and so on.” What she noticed was that most of the Dutch people speak English very well and she even managed to pick up a bit of Dutch during her time at Tio. It is mandatory for all exchange students coming to Tio to attend the class Dutch language and culture, which teaches them the Dutch language and about Dutch culture.
Utrecht, the place the be
While here, Sandra mostly went out with her new international friends, she was busy studying and of course, she shopped a lot. The Tio location in Utrecht, where Sandra did her exchange, allows you to do all those things. Utrecht is situated in the heart of the Netherlands and is therefore an excellent starting point for exploring the rest of the Netherlands.
Practical learning at Tio
During her time in the Netherlands and studying at Tio, Sandra was able to learn a lot of new things: “I improved my English and also learned a lot of new things about tourism. The classes are very practical and the lecturers are excellent.” The biggest difference between Spain and the Netherlands? Sandra: “The weather definitely. In Spain the weather is much better.” It didn’t stop Sandra and when asked if she would she recommend this to anyone she replied with a resounding: “YES!”