After a successful TIP (TU/e introduction program), here are some further tips that may come in handy. Don’t trust the weather: sunshine doesn’t necessarily last. Always check the weather forecast before leaving home. There are many weather websites, www.weer.nl and www.buienradar.nl being among the best.

Www.opentot.nl is an excellent web portal to check the opening hours of supermarkets, clothing stores etc. Shopping second-hand is very common in the Netherlands, and on www.marktplaats.nl (marketplace) you’ll find almost everything from train tickets to cars. Www.open-market.nl is another solid portal for selling and/or purchasing everyday items. Additionally, there are numerous Facebook groups that serve the same purpose, including ISN Eindhoven, Second hand Eindhoven!, Commodity Market Eindhoven, and Get Together Eindhoven!.

Take care of your bike. The Netherlands is very safe in many ways, but definitely not where bikes are concerned. Get a good lock - a very good one. Having your flat tire fixed at a bike shop is an expensive affair, so buy your own bicycle repair kit from HEMA or Kruidvat. For public transport, use www.9292.nl. When travelling with NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, or Dutch Railroads in English), buy a discounted ‘dagkaart’ (day ticket) to travel across the Netherlands.

There are tons of other things to cover. There’s housing, the healthcare system, open markets, grocery stores etc, so I hope to see you again for my next column.