Saints Around the World: Nijmegen, Netherlands

The idea of spending a semester in a different country with new people can be a bit intimidating, but Xander Cook '25 has found studying abroad to be as easy as riding a bike (bike not included).

Cook wasn't anxious when he stepped on the plane to begin his abroad adventure because the hard part was over... deciding which plane to get on.

"Originally, I was looking into a couple schools in the UK and the Netherlands. I was looking for liberal arts classes and exam schedules that would align with my future plans. It took me a while to find the ideal program. But when I heard about Radboud University, I knew that was the one."

Cook is one of only two Americans in the program (the second American is also a Saint) and that's been a blessing. Forced to step out of his comfort zone, Cook has made friends from all over the world, including: Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

"During orientation week, I was able to get acquainted with other cultures. I'm usually more of a quiet person, but during this time, I was able to step out of my shell and make a ton of new friends from around the world."

He had plenty of potential friends to choose from. Radboud's campus has over 24,000 students, which presents its own challenges that have nothing to do with language barriers or cultural differences.

"Classes are so much bigger with most of them being in large lecture halls. Assignments are also very different with there only being essays or tests due during exam week. Traveling around was another big thing to get used to with biking being the main form of transportation. I got my bike the second day here and have been riding it to and from class, no matter the weather!"

He keeps the pedals turning after class, too. Cook has explored town, almost daily, on his two wheels. And that's his number one piece of advice: whether it's on a bike or a different form of transportation, set out and explore.

"The main cities of the country are all different and have their own special things about them. Amsterdam and Utrecht have really nice canals throughout the city for boat tours that you can take during the day or at night with friends. They're one of the coolest things about the cities here."

Cook will continue traveling and exploring throughout the Netherlands and Europe. He's already checked Germany off his list and plans to see a soccer game in England and visit Siena friends in Prague. He'll leave the bike at home for those trips.