Osamu Miyawaki, studied in the Netherlands last spring and befriended other international students from Japan, Singapore, India, Portugal and the U.S. "It’s very common in Dutch society to hang out at someone’s house and cook something together," Miyawaki said. He recommends students studying abroad familiarize themselves with their communities instead of hoping from city to city each weekend. "It’s not just about seeing things, but being able to interact with people,” he said.