I am glad someone else decided to publicly review some of the serious issues of supervision and administration. Years ago I was exhorted by an expat to operate on that kind of input.

Sorry, really, but not very proud of having studied here. It feels like one got swindled. Not worth the positives (which can make quite a difference depending on your opinion and luck) nor the tuition fee expense if you come from outside Europe. Or even more, from outside their comfort zone.

The point being in my last paragraph. In the meantime just bear with me with a little preamble.

Before starting the period we were introduced to the scale of cultural differences. I remember like if it was yesterday when the speaker said: “Greeks have a very high, the highest, intolerance to uncertainty”. Imagine that. (That compass is so full of gems.)

You might think it is quite inappropriate and even insulting to use a bogus study to stereotype nationalities, but given such spirit, one should feel licensed as well to make generalizations about the hosts and even more so considering their relatively small level of ethnic fragmentation. In this light, let me tell you that in the Netherlands you are to face one of the most uncertain avoidant societies… ever. And not just in terms of perceived attitudes (like an obsession with planning, rejection of improvisation or qualms against anyone who doesn’t fil with their mold of ‘normality’, among numerous other things), but even on a symbolic level: just look at the nondescriptive and repetitive housing architectural themes, over and over again, for example.

Anyway, drawing from the issue of thesis supervision briefly addressed by the other user, I could talk not just about conflicts of interests, but also of a discouraging degree of cynicism. I am not allowed to go into specifics, but since we are in generalization mode: I personally resent the way they pretend to coerce students and manipulate them, all in the name of “maintaining the level” (the average that is) while selling you an image of academic freedom. These people are not above harassing, intimidating, gaslighting and scapegoating students; moreover, one can find themself receiving uneven demands (that they don’t apply to themselves nor their own people), incomplete information and sometimes just plain bad faith. Counselors can’t or won’t do much and try to minimize these happenings. Even many students seem to pretend that it’s healthier to collectively shrug their shoulders and say “this is just how it is”. Please, don’t fall for that and do not hesitate to address these issues and complaints to an external civil servant available. And if that doesn’t work, well, you can always signal other “powers that be”.