Illustration: Henk van Ruitenbeek Some of the other Dutch students nodded in agreement, but I was confused as I didn’t understand what they meant. I was wondering whether it was sarcasm or whether they were trying to say that my appointment was not necessary.
Dutch students expect you to compensate for missing group work by bringing a sweet treat
Later on I asked another Dutch friend and she said that this is a habit amongst Dutch students. When they are doing group work and someone is late or absent, that member should bring them a treat as a form of ‘compensation’, whether it is sweets, cookies, or a homemade cake. I felt relieved to hear this explanation. I could face my group again without feeling awkward.
And I surely ‘compensated’ for my temporary absence: we had a group dinner where I cooked a nice gado-gado.
Ranthi Whesi Umbarani, MSc student of Plant Sciences, from Indonesia
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