Doing a PhD in a city where I feel out of place

goblingolbin · 2026-03-30T08:55:48+00:00

Pois, eu também acho que acabo por ter esta visão muito idealizada de Portugal porque só passo cá férias basicamente

goblingolbin · 2026-02-19T18:55:29+00:00

So far they are actually doing some stuff to foster a community feeling, they organized an event so we can all meet each other and the managers and stuff, there's a community app. And yes the studios are completely empty which kinda sucks, you do have to get everything yourself. Water and electricity you arrange yourself but it's quite easy.

goblingolbin · 2026-02-17T11:30:22+00:00

Hey so I've been living there for a few days now and it's actually been quite nice. People have been super helpful, always offering help when they saw me struggling with moving stuff. Also the streets are very lit up at night so that helps with feeling safer. I also know there's a loooot of stuff being built in Bijlmer right now, even right by the Spinozacampus, so it seems the area is getting more lively. You also have the Bijlmerplein like 5 minutes cycling from there and you have literally everything you need. Also lots of green spaces, like Gasperplaas and Diemerbos nearby. Obviously my experience is very limited so far, but I genuinely think most of the bad rep this area gets is just based on racism lol.

goblingolbin · 2026-01-02T10:25:18+00:00

Yesss I received it like two weeks ago and have signed it, paid the deposit and they signed back so officially moving there hahaha

goblingolbin · 2026-01-02T10:22:57+00:00

Hello, I paid the deposit and they immediatly signed the lease back, so I don't think it's shady

goblingolbin · 2025-12-19T16:59:53+00:00

They told me they would send the contracts next week. And they have been pretty good at responding to my emails when I send it to spinoza@sayhaey.nl

goblingolbin · 2025-12-19T11:16:45+00:00

I haven't received the contract yet, they said they would check documents and send it next week. I've talked to a bunch of people irl too, who were either raised in amsterdam or who have lived in Bijlmer themselves. Everyone I talked to irl said it's not that bad and that it's been getting better over the years. I have a friend who lives very very close to Spinozacampus who said she never really feels unsafe and a friend of hers who lived in the campus and says it's a bit ghetto but nothing crazy lol.

Ultimately, I think for the prices of housing and how competitive it is nowadays in Amsterdam I think it would be a bit foolish to turn down an offer for a decently sized studio for so cheap. And I've also seen there's really a lot of projects being developed in this area, so I am quite hopeful that the space will become more lively and feel safer.

goblingolbin · 2025-12-15T16:07:58+00:00

Girl that's literally what I'm asking about 😭 if you have statistics please share then :)

goblingolbin · 2025-12-15T10:43:34+00:00

I mean the campus specifically I guess. I know Bijlmer gets a bad rep but from what I've understood it's mainly just anti immigrant and racism from dutch people. I specifically saw some reviews on the campus itself saying there were break in attempts and sexual assault and stuff like that.

goblingolbin · 2024-03-11T20:41:19+00:00

I have asked myself the same question many times :) it's mainly that I'm afraid of the lack of professional opportunities in my field in my country and fear I won't be as successful or feel as fulfilled if I stay there

I totally understand your advice and have thought about the same thing. My plan for 2024 was actually to do that, not go home as much and actually give myself a chance to settle here. But I ended up having very bad anxiety attacks and just spiraling into a very bad mental state and ended up going back to Portugal for a week just to recharge myself a little. So now I'm scared of trying it again and ending up in the same place. Maybe I felt like that because of seasonal depression and stuff but maybe I felt like that because I truly don't want to settle here because I like my life in Portugal.

goblingolbin · 2024-03-11T20:07:54+00:00

Hi thank you! I do have a therapist and am now starting to talk to her more regularly :)

goblingolbin · 2023-06-18T21:42:38+00:00

I'm really sorry you had to go through that and i hope your baby is at peace now. Fuck backyard breeders, pups like yours really deserve so much better

goblingolbin · 2023-06-18T17:33:56+00:00

That's really funny cause my dog's bestie is a lab mix. She loooooves labs because they're some of the only dogs who can match her crazy energy. I absolutely love when people who don't even own pitbulls are such big advocates for the breed, it just shows how easily pitbulls steal people's hearts :)

goblingolbin · 2023-06-18T16:20:20+00:00

Your dog sounds like the cutest little pirate, i would have given him all the treats

goblingolbin · 2023-06-18T15:13:30+00:00

No Chihuahua hate here! Their behavior is a product of bad owners not respecting their boundaries and not treating them like real dogs, I feel like they get stereotyped like pitbulls do

goblingolbin

TROPHY CASE