Food Science student sinks teeth into trimester abroad
A Food Science student has spent the first half of his final year in Amsterdam after deciding to step out of his comfort zone.
Scott Tulloch, who only came to GCU as a direct-entry student in 2023, studied a Creating Food Concepts module at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, also known as HVA.
As a novice traveler, Scott was keen to make the most of his trip, both academically and on a personal level. We sat down with him to find out more:
How did you first here about the opportunity to get involved in exchange?
“A couple of months after joining from college I got an email from my personal tutor, Janice Taylor. I was immediately interested in the idea of exchange and around the start of 2024 got to go to a couple of classes taken by the Exchange Coordinators who spoke about all the benefits of the whole process.”
Why did you want to do exchange?
“I felt exchange was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I think chatting to students who had previously been involved helped ease my mind. I really liked the idea of getting the chance to live independently in a different country with a different culture. Getting to experience a place like Amsterdam was also appealing because I’m from Dalry in North Ayrshire, which is very small in comparison!
“I got their on August 20th last year and came home at the end of January. I went to HVA University and stayed within about 20 minutes from the centre of Amsterdam – the University was about 15 minutes away by bicycle.”
Cycling in Amsterdam must have been interesting?
“It was probably one of the best parts of the whole experience! If I wanted to use public transport then I would have had to use the tram and the train, which in total would have taken about 40 minutes.
“The bike was cheaper and far more practical. I got one when I was over there from a guy on Facebook Marketplace who buys old bikes and fixes them up. I actually felt really safe there because the cars are quite respectful and the roads are designed to have proper cycle lanes on roundabouts.”
What was the coursework like?
“It was completely different to anything I’d done before – it was more business related. The module I completed was Creating Food Concepts. This involved working with the people who provide the fruit and vegetables for Albert Heijn, which is the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.
“We were basically tasked with designing a new food, which involved doing research and surveys before actually making the product. There were no exams - it was all based around coursework. It was completely different to what we do here because we don’t really focus on the business side or product development, but I still really enjoyed it.”
Was there an international student community at HVA?
“In my class there were students from Belgium, Greece, Germany and Egypt. It was very beneficial for me to have the chance to meet new people and experience a different University environment.
“Another positive was that these students are from different courses because the module I studied is referred to as a minor. The two students I worked with to develop a new food concept study Physiotherapy and Business, so that helped me gain an insight into other areas.”
Did you get the chance to experience Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands?
“I went to an event in Rotterdam with the University where companies showed off new foods that they developed. I also went to Utrecht and went to an Ajax game back in Amsterdam, which was really good.
“I really liked Amsterdam. It was very busy but the public transport was exceptional compared to Scotland – it was cheaper and much more up-to-date. The full city is also flat, so it was really easy to walk about. It’s very safe and I also liked the fact there are people from all different backgrounds that call the city home.”
What are your overall reflections on exchange? Would you recommend it to others?
“I’ve got absolutely no regrets. I would advise anyone that was interested to just try exchange. The coursework can be difficult but you also have a lot of spare time to go and do the things you want to do, which was a big bonus for me. I think Amsterdam is a particularly good place to consider because you can easily travel to the likes of France and Germany for a relatively low price.
“I hadn’t done much travelling before so I definitely now want to do more. I still stay at home so this was a big step out of my comfort zone because everything is independent when you are away on exchange, but I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Find out more about different opportunities abroad available to students
You can also find out more about GCU’s BSc (Hons) Food Science course here
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter