UCR BUDDY PROJECT BROCHURE
Introduction Entering UCR as a first year is always connected to loads of organizations: Form, sign-ups, rent, study fees and much more. It is easy to forget some things while coming to UCR. Now imagine how difficult it could be for an international student to arrive. A foreign language, different policies to keep in mind, and even more administration and organization. In the last few years, a mentor system was established to help new students with their arrival at UCR. We want to make this system even more sophisticated by provided a brochure for all incoming first years. Mainly, this brochure is directed at all international students but of course, it will be accessible to every student in case of questions. Developed by the Red Cross Studentdesk Zealand in association with RASA, HAC and AAC, this brochure aims to provide incoming students with a better sense of studying in Middelburg and all aspects regarding specific or unspecific questions about housing, money, transport, health, stores and more. The brochure mainly aims to reach out to all international students and first years, who might find themselves struggling with organizing their arrival or problems during the semesters in a foreign language. We would therefore like to present you this first edition brochure and ask you to provide us with feedback or remarks regarding the content, so that we are able to improve the brochure for future first years and international students. Please send us an e-mail to StudentenDeskZeeland@redcross.nl.
PART I: Bank accounts/ bankcards : It is most likely that you have your own bank account in your home country with a fitting bankcard. Especially non-eu students should know that it is really necessary to need a card where you can PIN everywhere (some stores don t take signatures). Furthermore Visa, MasterCard and American Express are not commonly used. Maestro is widely accepted and therefore recommended. It is highly convenient and we advise you to open a Dutch bank account (as soon as possible after your arrival). The three banks in Middelburg where you can open a student account as a international student are ABN AMBRO, ING and RaboBank (see below). Please revise which documents you need to provide in order to open an account, because each bank has different requirements. You will definitely need your passport, your BSN number (provided to international students by the municipality once you registered), and sometimes a letter from UCR which proves you study there. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Most of the information in regards to bank accounts is in Dutch; you can use an online translator or contact the bank for more information. Be careful when you use internet banking and maybe ask a Dutch peer for a translation if you feel unsure. Below you can find short descriptions of the three banks: 1. ABN AMBRO Markt 7 Middelburg, Netherlands +31 900 0024 09008170 (in the Netherlands 24/7) +31 10-241 17 23 (from outside the Netherlands 24/7) http://www.abnamro.com/en/index.html (most of their information can be found in English)
ABN offers the 'international student account, a day-to-day (inter) national banking account, which provides you with a bank and the possibility for internet banking. The standard international student package offers World Card with PIN code, Internet Banking and digital statements, with free PIN transactions worldwide. They will mail your card within a few days. The charges for this account are 1.70 per month to maintain it and the World Card costs 1.40 per month. For more information about the international student account visit https://www.abnamro.nl/en/personal/international-students/index.html#860936 (English) 2. ING Markt 43 Middelburg, Netherlands +31 900 0933 https://www.ing.nl/particulier (Dutch) ING offers a student account where you get a free account with Debit Card (for contactless payment), and you have the option to use My ING (internet banking) and a Mobile Banking App. To obtain an account you apply online, when your application is approved, you go to ING where you sign the contract and latter your debit card will be mailed. Then you will receive your pin and access to internet banking. For more information about the student account visit https://www.ing.nl/particulier/betalen/bankrekeningen/studentenrekening/index.aspx (Dutch) 3. RaboBank Lange Geere 3 Middelburg, Netherlands +31 118 428 000 Rabofoon 0.15 per minute https://www.rabobank.nl (mostly in Dutch) RaboBank offers the Rabo Student Package ; a free package for students which gives you a debit card (World Card with PIN code), access to internet banking, and you can check your balance at any time of the day with Rabo
Mobile Banking and Rabo Banking App. The statements are digital. You can apply for the Rabo Student package online or in the bank. They will mail your card and pin within a few days and also offer the possibility of credit cards. Rabo Students Specials: offers for students can be found at https://rabostudentenspecials.nl (Dutch) Some vocabulary that may be useful when dealing with banking: Dutch Aangeboden Aantal Afgekeurd Afsluiten Annuleren Bankpas Berichten Betaalopdracht Betalen Eigen rekening Goedgekeurd In behandeling Kaart Naar rekening Omschrijving Rekeninginfo Rekeningnummer Sparen Ten name van Termijn Transactieoverzicht Uw pin is geblokkeerd Verzenden Volgende Vorige Waarschuwingsscherm English Offered (for payment) Number (quantity) Rejected Close Cancel Bank card Messages Payment order Paying Own account Approved In process (bank) card To account Payment reference Account info Account number Saving Name beneficiary period Transaction statement chip on your pass is blocked Send Next Previous Warning screen
Part II: Transport: Cars: Insurance When driving a car in the Netherlands, you have to have a certain level of insurance: you need to be at least insured against the case that you cause an accident. 1) This is called Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheid (WA). The monthly rate depends on several issues, such as your age, the region you re living, etc. 2) You can also decide to insure yourself in such a way that the insurance company will (partially) reimburse your damage when you cause an accident. This type of insurance is called all risk and is often very expensive, especially for students. 3) There is a third option, which is compromise between 1) and 2) and differs per insurance company. This is called WA + beperkt casco. Gas stations An overview of all gas stations is included in the map below.
Parking An overview of all the parking garages is included below. You can either pay for every single stay in the garage or take a subscription for the garage, which is rather expensive. Another option is to park outside the garages and take a subscription for that ( parkeer vergunning ). Choosing the most common option will cost you 77.40 in 2014 (you pay once for the months left in the year: e.g. arrival in August, you pay for the last 5 months until the end of the year). Besides the regular parking garages there are more possibilities to park your car close to the campus locations. 1) For students living close to Koestraat, they can park their car at the Albert Heijn (the blue supermarket). You can park your car for free, as they do not charge you if you leave the parking lot after six in the evening. 2) Students living in Bagijnhof can park in Bagijnhof itself, although there is a limited amount of parking spots (you do have to get a subscription though). If you are planning on not moving your car a lot, it might be smart to park outside of the city center where you won t have to pay. 3) Students living in Roggeveenhof can park their car in the parking lot at the back of Roggeveen, where you can park for free. Make sure that you know whether you have to pay for a certain parking spot, as parking fines are high. Check with one of your fellow Dutch students!
Trains: The Dutch train system is straight forward, but it might help getting acquainted with some details before your first encounters. When you are entering the Netherlands through the airport Schiphol (Amsterdam), getting to Middelburg is rather easy. Below the airport there is a train station that has a direct connection to Middelburg. Make sure to buy a ticket to Middelburg that is valid on the day that you are travelling. In order to catch the right train, you ll have to take the train that is headed in the direction of Vlissingen. Your train ride will be roughly 2.5 hours. Train tickets can be bought at the yellow ticket machines (English menu is available). You can also buy tickets in advance online (www.ns.nl), but the yellow machines are very user-friendly and easy to understand. However, the machines do not accept foreign cards and sometimes don t even take cash, so be prepared to either buy your ticket at a counter or have a Dutch bankcard at hand. After having settled, you might want to leave Middelburg once in a while. As public transport is expensive in the Netherlands, it is important to know some ways in which you can save money. 1) In case you are travelling together with a Dutch student that has a student OV (Dutch student travel for free or with discount), you can have 40% discount on your own ticket as long as you stay with your fellow student that has the student card. 2) Once in a while, certain retail stores (e.g. HEMA, Kruidvat) sell tickets that allow you to travel unlimited for one full day and cost about 15 euros. Keep track of this deal! Students sometimes sell these tickets on the Welcome to UCR Class of 201X pages as well.
Brief list of useful vocabulary Where is the gas station? Do I have to pay for this parking spot? Where is the parking garage? Waar is het tankstation? Moet ik voor deze parkeerplaats betalen? Waar is de parkeergarage?
Part III: Health Emergency Numbers: 112: fire, police and ambulance. This number is thus only supposed to be used in real emergencies, and can be used throughout Europe. The Aliens police can be reached through the number 0900 8844. Then, they will connect you to the local police. Note: The first Monday of the month at noon (12:00 exactly) emergency sirens are tested. In the event that the sirens are heard at any other time, close your doors and windows, and turn on the radio or television to a local station for further information. Hospital: Hospital Vlissingen - Admiraal de Ruyter Ziekenhuis The Admiraal de Ruyter Ziekenhuis has multiple establishments: Vlissingen, Goes, Zierikzee, and Middelburg. For emergencies, you will have to go to Vlissingen or Goes. You will be sent to other locations for more specific cases. There are buses going from the station in Middelburg to the hospital. Bus 55, 56, and 58 go from Middelburg station to bus stop Ter Reede, which is a 2 minute walk to the hospital. Note that even in the case of emergency care, you will need to go to a doctor before you go to the hospital. This means going to your General Practitioner or to the after-hours GP (Huisartsenpost or HAP). There is a HAP in Vlissingen, which is conveniently in the same building as the hospital. It is important to know that you can only go to the HAP when your GP s practice is closed, usually after 5 pm and in the weekend.
Phone numbers: After-Hours GP Goes 0900-1785 After-Hours GP Vlissingen 0900-1985 After-Hours GP Zierikzee 0900-1585 Emergency Care Goes 0113-234250 Emergency Care Vlissingen 0118-425856 Acute Admissions Ward (Acute Opname Afdeling AOA) 0113-234925 What does the drug store sell? When can you go to Etos? General medicine, such as pain killers, nose spray, cures for throat aches and such are available over the counter, meaning that you do not have to go to your doctor to get them. Stores such as Etos, Kruidvat, and DA, as well as supermarkets sell these types of medication. For anything more than a cold or a sore throat, it is important to go to your GP. There is a GP group right next to one of the school buildings called t Stadshart. They also have an English-speaking doctor who is automatically assigned to the UCR students who show up at this practice. Names for Dutch brands for general medicine Paracetamol Ibuprofen Advil Bactroban Betadine Bisolvon Against headaches and most general pains For more serious pains (eg toothaches or really bad stomach ache) A type of Ibuprofen (the pil contains a liquid form of ibuprofen) An ointment used against infections; Only on prescription from the doctor A disinfectant; brown liquid that you can use on open wounds to disinfect For when you suffer from a cold or cough
PART IV: Rent allowance: As you move into your new room, a lot of things have to be arranged and rent allowance is one of them. It s important to do this carefully because it could amount to about 150 every month! We made a step-by-step plan for applying for rent allowance. 1. Do you have a residence permit and did you register at the municipality? a. Yes Go to step two. b. No You have to do so before you can register for rent allowance. 2. Are you over 18? a. Yes Good! Go to step three. b. No You have to wait until you re 18 when you re younger, and when you re older, you are not eligible for rent allowance, unless both of your parents passed away or you have a child. 3. Do you live in Bagijnhof or a twin room? a. Yes Too bad, Bagijnhof rooms are not defined by the taxes as a separate living space. In order to be eligible for rent allowance, you need to have your own living room, toilet, kitchen and front door. Since Bagijnhof rooms don t, you are not entitled to rent allowance. The same goes for twin rooms, since you also share your bathroom, kitchen and front door. Usually, Bagijnhof rooms and twin rooms are considerably cheaper than Roggeveen or Koestraat or other campuses to even it out. b. No Go to step four! 4. Is your rent between 222,00 and 389,05? This number is including the different service costs. (If you re older than 23, the maximum rent for the room is 699,48) a. Yes Go to step five. b. No There are some boundaries. If the rent is higher than 389,05, you can t get rent allowance.
5. Are you a hard-working, very successful business person and do you earn more than 21.600 a year? a. Yes Please, teach us how. But, you re not eligible for rent allowance anymore, sorry! Although you shouldn t complain too much here. b. No We didn t think you did. Go to step six. 6. This one is actually very important. Do you have, on any account on your name, have a total amount of more than 21.139? In other words, do you have more than 21.139? a. Yes You can t get rent allowance anymore. However, you could transfer the money to your parents bank accounts for instance. As long as it isn t in your direct possession. Make sure the amount of money that you own is less than 21.139. b. No Go to step seven. 7. Congratulations! You are eligible for rent allowance! The next thing to do when you re eligible for rent allowance is to request an online DigiD account, this is the login code you used to sign up for UCR through Studielink. From there, login at the Belastingdienst (Taxes; https://digid.nl/inloggen), go to Toeslagen and then Huurtoeslag. Fill in the details, and from there it s pretty much self-explanatory. Using either google translate or a Dutch fellow student to translate. The actual process of filling in the details takes just a couple of minutes if you have the data. The rent and service costs you need are on the contract you received from Woongoed.
Part V: Jobs: As a student you might want to earn a little more in addition to your student grant or loan. We don t have a list of all the current vacancies around town, so we d suggest the easiest way is to ask other students. 2 nd or 3 rd years might have some good places for you, especially when spaces open up after every summer. Most common student jobs in Middelburg are bartender, waiter, sales assistant or dish washer. Each company has their own procedures regarding employment and contracts. As for money, as an 18 year old student working part time, you could at least ask for 4 per hour. Although 5 per hour is quite a reasonable wage. (For HORECA you can also find minimum wage lists on the internet). Part VI: Mobile phones: We want to provide you with four options for different simcards or contracts regarding phones. Option 2 and 3 are the most commonly used among students. Calling and texting abroad however might be expensive. Take into account that when you receive a call from a foreign number, the caller pays until the Dutch border, and you pay from there onwards. When you are going to get a Dutch phone provider, you need to consider the following: In order to be able to sign a contract, you should have to show a valid proof of identity, a bank statement, bank account details or card and non-eu students have pay a deposit. Some providers don t allow non-eu students to sign a contract; this would depend on the provider, and rules and regulations change. 1. Prepaid A good option for the people who don t use their phone a lot. Concept is simply and well know, you charge your phone with credit and recharge when it is gone. Tariffs are a bit more expensive, but you stay in full control of your expenses. Cards for recharging are available at most supermarkets. You can
buy cards with for instance 10 are available at, among others, supermarkets. Make sure that you only buy cards from the same provider as the SIM-card that is in your phone. 2. SIM-only contract This might be the best option for people who don t need a new phone every two years but are going to call, text and/or use mobile data a lot. You can buy a SIM-only contract easily online or in a telecom store and put it in the phone you brought with you from your home country, providing that it s not SIMlocked. For SIM-only contracts, Ben.nl is a popular provider. Similar providers are Simple.nl, hollands nieuwe or Simyo (all small providers). Bigger providers, which usually are also a bit more expensive are KPN, Telfort, Tele2, T-Mobile, Vodafone and hi.nl. 3. Contract which includes a phone This can be a good option for people who want a new phone every two years and require a decent amount of minutes. 4. Contact with a lease phone This is a contract which looks like the previous one, but here you don t actually own the phone. The phone is owned by the provider. So when you break it, the provider will repair it for you. However, this is very expensive and there are a lot of conditions to this type. KPN and hi.nl have this type of contract.