The room of International Business Administration student Michael Da Cunha (19) is not just his own place to wind down, but it has also become the 'place to be' for a good movie night with friends.
Resident: Michael Da Cunha (19) is a third-year International Business Administration student.
Room: A room of 16m² with a built-in sink on the Matenweg. He pays around €600 including utilities, and he shares a kitchen & living room with six other roommates.
How long have you been living here?
'I moved here in August of 2024, all the way from the United States, New York. Studying there was very expensive, so I decided to study abroad, and somewhere where English was a primary language. This university was the one that seemed the best to me. I'm the youngest in age, but not in how long i've lived here. I'm somewhere in the middle of all of the residents.'
From New York to Enschede must've been quite a change, no?
'Yes and no. In terms of things like landscapes and architecture it is different, but I wouldn't say that the lifestyle is very far from how it is in New York. It's less populated and diverse here, but pretty much the same. I haven't had any huge culture shocks, so to say.'
And the people?
'Dutch people do have a sort of vibe to them, it's hard to explain. Especially when they're drunk. It's not a bad thing, but I can tell exactly who is Dutch and who isn't. It's kind of hit or miss. Before I was able to live here I tried my luck with other student houses, but there were quite a few that only spoke Dutch and didn't want to speak English.'
Where did you get most of your stuff?
'A lot of it was secondhand. I got most of it from sites like Marktplaats. A friend and I picked up the grey couch for free with his truck, and we picked up one of those chairs not too long ago too. Some of the other stuff is things I've brought from home, like my PC setup. The last resident who lived here left some of his belongings, so those are still here too.'
Are you a cleanfreak or do you not mind a mess?
'I'm not a neat freak at all, you can probably tell. I don't really mind if it's disorganized, I have a pretty high limit on how messy it can be before it bothers me. I do tidy up two or three times a month, and I clean once a month.'
What's unique about your room?
'It's become a sort of second living room. Our actual living room is always quite messy since it's connected to the kitchen. When there's a movie night, it's usually here. We had one last night, too. It's a lot more cosy than the actual living room, so why not?'
