“Every walk feels like a discovery - from shopping in SoHo to the chaos of Midtown and the Financial District, and from enjoying a locally brewed beer in Brooklyn to finding a complete oasis in Central Park. New York is an open-air museum with no closing time, where your neck starts to ache from constantly looking up at the skyscrapers.”

“What makes New York truly special is its dynamic nature. You share the streets with bankers, lost tourists, students and artists - who are all in a rush. Every day, I come across something new: a surprise performance in Bryant Park, a food truck with incredible food, or a film crew shutting down a street. You can be whoever you want to be - there’s always a community where you’ll feel at home.”

“I’m doing my internship at Columbia University, an Ivy League institution located in Manhattan, at the MPLab in the Electrical Engineering department. What struck me most are the academic similarities. The mindset, research groups, and level of the engineering faculty are remarkably comparable to those at TU/e. The main difference is that Columbia hosts a much wider variety of programs (you can study anything here - from law to engineering), which makes the faculties smaller. Students also live much more on campus. Freshmen are even required to do so - which makes the campus the true heart of student life.”

“The Americans I’ve met are incredibly diverse - which makes sense in a country of 330 million people. In academia, people are generally open, curious, and helpful, and speaking the same language certainly helps. While New Yorkers are considered rude by many Americans, I’ve found them to be direct and kind. Perhaps we Dutch sit at one extreme, Americans at the other, and New York somewhere right in the middle.”

“The biggest downside of this city? The cost of living. My 10 m² room costs $1700 per month. A quick burger and fries sets you back $15–20, a cappuccino easily costs $6, and it’s hard to find a beer in a sports bar for under $10. Even a late-night pizza slice is $5. Everything here costs money - and it adds up quickly.”

"Political tension in the US has increased, and this is also noticeable at Columbia. The campus is closed off and only accessible with a Columbia ID, and there’s some uncertainty surrounding certain projects due to a pause in federal funding. Other than that, I haven’t noticed much of an impact.
This internship has already (at the time of writing, I’m halfway through) broadened my horizons in ways I never imagined. My tip for anyone dreaming of an internship abroad? Take the leap. More is possible than you think.”