In the series "Expat Life in Nijmegen", expats talk about their lives in the Netherlands' oldest city. How did they end up here? What do they do in daily life here and what do they think of the city and its surroundings?
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"I originally wanted to study psychology, which is very difficult to get into in Germany. So, I applied to Radboud, a bit last-minute, paid the tuition fees as a birthday present to myself, and told my family: ‘I’m going to the Netherlands'."
"Moving here definitely made me realize that Nijmegen is much bigger than the campus and the city center. But as a history student, I still have a soft spot for the historical center. I like the old vibes of the center and the busyness of it."
"Before I moved here, I didn’t have any expectations of this new place – and I’m glad I didn’t. I fell in love with everything here. I met so many good people in the last year – that definitely makes the experience of living in a new place better."
"Nijmegen is my port, this is where I live, and it’s a marvelous place to live for me. I love the size of Nijmegen, its atmosphere, and the fact that the city is so progressive and has a lot of open-minded people."
"When I first visited Nijmegen before moving here to live with my boyfriend, I wasn’t convinced. But over time, I saw that there are a lot of nice, cozy spots in the city and things to do. I fell in love with the country and the people."
'Gezellig' is the first word I learned in Dutch when I came here. People have been telling me that it has been difficult to translate the exact meaning; however, I do believe that living in Nijmegen has made me experience the feeling of Gezellig.
"The city feels full of endless possibilities. I’m already thinking about coming back to Nijmegen for my master’s. The city reminds me of home – but not in a limiting way."
Read more about Expat life in Nijmegen: Holly, United Kingdom
Considering that I have lived in big cities my whole life, moving to a small city like Nijmegen was not an obvious choice. But, unexpectedly to myself, I like living here very much.
Before coming here, I had talked to many of my colleagues, and everybody spoke very highly of the city. But I still expected Nijmegen to be smaller and less vibrant – but, to my surprise, it’s been a really good nearly three years so far.
Read more about Expat life in Nijmegen: Sharmishta, United Kingdom
I am originally from Rome, Italy. The first time I came to Nijmegen was six years ago as an Erasmus student. I chose Nijmegen because I wanted to experience a different environment and live away from my hometown for the first time.
I came to Nijmegen in the spring of 2022 for the first time. That was a few months before I moved to the city for a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Society at Radboud University.
I had just turned eighteen when I moved to Nijmegen. It was the 27th of August 2016, and I had graduated high school in Germany two weeks prior to moving here to start studying at Radboud.
Nijmegen has a lot to offer in terms of studying, working and business. The oldest city in The Netherlands is also one of the largest student cities in the country. The city presents itself as a leading global player in solving social issues and problems. With its significant position in the Health & High Tech sector, Nijmegen belongs to the international top when it comes to improving the quality of life, healthcare and the development of high-quality technology for various social applications.
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The expert team at Lifeport Welcome Center is here to guide everyone moving to the Arnhem-Nijmegen region to join the Lifeport innovation network. Our highly skilled staff can help you through the entire process of relocation. We offer in-house one-stop-shop services for governmental procedures, as well as various programs that provide support in legal, professional, family, social and other matters in this process. Special events and courses are also organized to help you understand different aspects of living and working in the Netherlands.
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