Checking my usually neglected mailbox, on top of a bunch of spam mail, sat a flyer stating that ISR was recruiting new members! Within two seconds of reading the flyer, I was urged into applying and knew without a doubt that I wanted to be part of the ISR community.
5 months later, my journey with ISR is about to begin, so here I am to hopefully spark an urge in you that might make you want to join ISR as a manager in a committee, a family member or simply come to one of our events!
Here are 5 reasons to join ISR:
#1 | The great family vibe
As soon as I entered the room in which an ISR get together was taking place, I felt like I belonged! The old members were so welcoming of the new members, I already felt like I was a part of the family even though it was my first time meeting everyone. If you ever feel a family shaped hole missing from your heart, ISR will definitely be the one to fill it!
#2| Social drinks + ISR events
Apart from meeting new friendly faces at social drinks with the help of beers or wine to sooth your nerves after a long day; ISR also has academic events such as I-BET where employers and international students get to network, as well as leisure activities including beer pong tournaments and more! With ISR you get the best of both worlds: work and play.
#3| Meeting people from all over Rotterdam
Unlike other student organizations, ISR enables you to meet people from various places in Rotterdam instead of just people from your university. This is so great as the possibility of meeting unique likeminded international and non-international students is endless.
ISR strives to welcome and accommodate all international students in a multitude of ways! With our student guide, you will never feel lost or foreign in Rotterdam as we prepare you for all that you could encounter. With an ISR membership there are student deals and discounts with Housing Anywhere, the Study Store and more. ISR also provides you with internship and job opportunities. If that doesn’t sound great, I don’t know what does!
#5| The ISR committee experience
Lastly, for those looking for extracurricular activities or would like to be a part of the daily running’s of an international student association; why not join an ISR committee!? Apart from an amazing experience including all four of the previously mentioned points, ISR also allows you to practice your skills and interests and experience a professional working experience all whilst having fun and gaining lifelong friends and colleagues! The ISR website has all the information you need if that interests you 😉
Here were 5 out of many reasons to join ISR! Are you a member of ISR? What were the 5 key reasons you joined? Let us know down below!
~
Hey, it’s Anaelle and I’ll be one of the new bloggers for the next year! Hope you enjoyed this post and you stick around for more to come! 🙂
What were your first impressions in Rotterdam? Before I moved here, I heard several different opinions about this city, including “super modernâ€, “artsy in a weird wayâ€, “very busyâ€, and “ugly with all those buildingsâ€. We all perceive things differently, and seeing what others have to say about something might be surprising to others. Moving to a new city or country, for instance, comes with different experiences – good and bad. The beauty of it all is that we experience new (and sometimes even weird) things every day of our lives. You know what’s even better? Sharing your stories with others, that’s what!
Here’s what a few full-time students in Rotterdam had to say about their experiences* so far and my little two cents in italics:
Anonymous
Best experience: Sitting on a rooftop with friends, sipping a beer, watching fireworks, and listening to some music in the summer.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: One time I went out and, let’s just say, the night got out of hand. I woke up the next morning without keys and without my wallet. In desperation, I went back to the place I was at the night before and found my keys, wallet, and all contents of my wallet in the park across from the bar. I have never been so happy in my life. [Sounds like a great night to me, to be honest.]
Henry
Best experience: The Eurekaweek probably and a few chill nights in with the fellas.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: Once I was cleaning the house high out of my mind with my roommate whilst dancing to Grease.
Ron
Best experience: IBA Freshman Weekend.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: That would probably be when one of my friends from abroad saw a goose, freaked out, and took pictures of it like it was some sort of miracle.
Anonymous
Best experience: Stroopwaffels. [YES.]
Koen
Best experience: The Eurekaweek. [Introduction weeks seem to be a recurring best experience, hmm..]
Strangest/ weirdest experience: I believe that would be seeing 15 police officers on motorbikes escorting a car through the city by blocking off all intersections and roads along the way.
Best experience: The Christmas lights everywhere in the city in December plus the nice restaurants and cafes.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: Two boys came up to my friend and I in the evening/ at night and suddenly got angry when we didn’t want to talk to them.
Sarah
Best experience: Spending time with people from all over the world and learning from different countries and cultures while staying in my own country is probably the best. I don’t need to travel for international experiences.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: How the international deal with living in the Netherlands (e.g. trying Dutch dishes, cycling, etc.). [For the most part, I’m still not used to Dutch stairs, thank you very much.]
Anonymous
Best experience: Getting to share an apartment with my friends.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: Beer cantus, that stuff… is intense… and super Dutch. [I couldn’t agree more..]
Anonymous
Best experience: Once my friends and I went to Bartender to have a few rounds of shots. Then, we bar-hopped between 4 different bars across the Stadhuis depending on which one had better music every 30 minutes.
Strangest/ weirdest experience: The first bar I went to charged me separately for the alcohol and soda when I asked for a mixed drink. [This is why we pre-drink!]
Anonymous
Best experience: Eating Cinnabons. [Say no more. FYI, you can get some in the Alexandrium Mall. You’re welcome.]
Strangest/ weirdest experience: This one guy licked my face at a party.
Be sure to be on the lookout for the next edition of this blog series!
~
Yashita here! I think I’m going to treat myself to a Cinnabon.. Cheers!
*Testimonials were edited for grammar, understandability, and clarity.