“Let me start with the bad news. I have not found a room”, says Maya Cornelis (18) from Sas van Gent. She has deregistered for the study Cognition, Language and Communication (a study that establishes connections between language and the brain) in Amsterdam. ,,As I said before: ‘Without a room there is no study’. This is due to the travel distance to Amsterdam. I couldn’t find a room, so I was forced to unsubscribe. In the past few weeks I looked to see if I really couldn’t find a room, but I didn’t succeed.”

The room tress is over for Annabel Padmos (17) from Noordwelle. After dozens of hospital evenings, she succeeded: she has obtained a room in the student city of Leiden. This means that Annabel can start her studies in biopharmaceutical sciences with peace of mind.

In the weeks after her deregistration, Maya has doubts. Is she taking a gap year or is she opting for another study? ,,A gap year like that sounds nice now, but I think I’m going to get very bored. In addition, I don’t know whether a room will be available in Amsterdam in a year’s time.” They decide to visit University College Roosevelt (UCR) in Middelburg. ,,Not my first choice, but you need something. The advantage of this course is that you can choose your own courses. I would like to do something with language, culture and psychology. Tonight I will send my motivation letter and hopefully I will be hired.”

A welcome advantage of the UCR is that students get a place to live during their studies. “You have to make use of this as well. I like that. That way you really get the student experience. Prices vary between 350 euros for a room and 500 euros per month for a studio. I didn’t even have a proper room for that in Amsterdam. Now that everything is falling and I have more room in the study, I am very excited to start. I hope I get a studio right away, but right now I’m happy with any living space. Moreover, you can change rooms after a year.”

Maya doesn’t mind that they don’t have to move to Amsterdam. ,,I was received in Sas van Gent. Amsterdam has everything. That seemed like a lot of fun at first, but I think I’m already hit when I cross the road. Middelburg is the perfect middle ground. It is urban, but not as big as Amsterdam. Now I just need to be hired. If all goes well, I’ll start in February,” Maya announces.

Annabel is going to live with two girls in an apartment in Leiden. “Someone from the village received an app from someone with the same landlord that an apartment was available in Leiden. She put me in touch with the real estate agent. That same afternoon I went by and the next day I was able to pick up the keys. I’m going to live there with two other girls, who I don’t know yet.”

This week is the initiation week with the student association she joined. “It’s really just really fun. No one is humiliated or belittled. I also don’t want to join a student association. It’s a nice way to get to know me beforehand. This week I got to know my roommates. Fortunately that is very true. The others are also super nice”, she says with satisfaction.