_{At Campus Fryslân, we strive for interdisciplinarity, open-mindness, and diversity throughout your studies. This is why in the first semester of your third year as a Global Responsibility & Leadership (GRL) student, during the “minor” period, you are given the opportunity to embark on a new adventure to complete your studies. You can choose between pursuing a University Minor, an internship or a study abroad program. These choices can be very difficult to make, which is why I, Chiara, will take you on a reading trip exploring the different things our 2025 GRL cohort did during their minor, from internships to studying abroad, so get ready for some transformative experiences written from our student perspective!}

Marlen → Geneva

We are now leaving the Asian continent and coming back to Europe, just not back to the Netherlands yet. Marlen Mertens did her exchange at the University of Geneva where she took 5 courses in the Global Studies Institute. The main reason why she chose Geneva is because she “wanted to study in French and focus on a very high level of education in the area of international relations and diplomacy.”

Compared to Leeuwarden, Marlen says she “wanted to study in a metropolis which would be small enough to feel cosy but important enough to offer global opportunities with a diverse international environment, and access to major organizations” so Geneva was definitely the right choice for her!

Since Geneva is such an international city, Marlen shares that she tried a handful of different things ranging from hiking, sports, international conferences, dancing, painting and meeting new people. Unlike our other students, Marlen didn’t feel the need to prepare much for her exchange as “the university takes care of everything and is super supportive.” She shares that “she almost did [her] bachelor’s degree there” so she “researched a lot about it 3 years ago.” Like all, Marlen did have some difficult moments in her exchange as the study load was a lot and in French. Exams were hard and required a lot of preparations, classes were long and complex but she managed to make it through and gained a lifetime of experience.

Other than studying, Marlen made great memories “skiing in Zermatt with friends and hiking the snowy mountains of Grindelwald.” She also joined the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) in nature activities which allowed her to meet new people! Marlen’s exchange allowed her to figure out what she wanted to do in the future as well as build international connections.

“Being in a global city like Geneva surrounded by very ambitious people and endless opportunities made me realise where I would see myself striving for after my exchange and after completing so much coursework, I honestly felt incredibly qualified to work for international relations!”

Ewan → Netherlands 

We are now going back to the Netherlands but not Leeuwarden quite yet. Ewan Fenema did his university minor in Groningen where he followed International and Economics Business courses. Since Groningen is only 60 km away, he still lived in Leeuwarden but took the train to his classes at the Zernike campus. Ewan knew he wanted to stay in the Netherlands to fully focus on education. This then led him to check out the possibility of doing a UG minor.

On top of his economics courses, Ewan was able to enroll in a Spanish language course where he improved his speaking and writing skills. In his global development studies class, he learned about “how different cultures are also economically different which gave [him] an international and diverse perspective on economics.” He shares that “the courseload was sometimes too much and the relief of passing his classes was great,” as the elective courses were second year courses. But in the end it was all worth it as he was able to get a sense of a different university life and studying and how even studying in the same university, things are approached differently. In short:

“Know what you’re getting yourself into when researching your minor options as it can sometimes be different than what you expect." 

Charlotte → Netherlands 

Finally, we have reached our final destination of this reading journey, Leeuwarden, where we are back home. Charlotte Greve did two internships in Leeuwarden; her first internship was with Spark the Movement and her second one with the Municipality of Leeuwarden. The reason behind this is because she “wanted to have the feeling of working, again, to figure out in which direction [she] wants to go with a job or a master's degree after [her] bachelor’s degree.” She says that “the chance of doing an internship in the Netherlands was appealing to get some work experience in a different country again, to also learn more about the work culture here.” Her internship at Spark “was focused on educational transition and the one with the Municipality was on energy.”

“Besides my internships, I started a board year at Studenten voor Morgen, an organization for sustainability in Dutch higher education” which Charlotte learned a lot about Dutch education and institutions from. She shares that “this was and is still a great experience, which I would not have had if I would have gone on exchange.”

She knew she wanted to stay in Leeuwarden which meant she only had to research internships. Staying here meant the preparation was minimal which Charlotte took as an opportunity to keep “working on [her] Dutch skills as the Municipality required [her] to be fluent.”

Charlotte shares that her best moment “was seeing the Week van de Regio coming together and seeing the student’s work” which she was strongly inspired by. On the other hand, staying in Leeuwarden did make “a big difference with most of the year gone as most of her friends” and the usual busy campus being empty. But in the end, “the minor helped shape [her] plans for the future and learning more about (transformative) education was incredibly engaging” which Charlotte then says shaped her passion for the field. “Be open to the different chances you might get during your minor. I think every experience is valuable, even if you might not see it at this moment in time.”

As we have seen from our students as well as my own personal experiences, whatever you decide to do in your minor will be a transformative and unique experience. Not only will you be able to learn and grow on an academic level, but the skills and memories that you will make are going to stay with you throughout your life.

You will likely look back at your minor with strong nostalgia and envy of wanting to re-do it all over again and be granted the power of stopping time!

Inside of Europe checklist

• Look for accommodation asap
• Stay in regular contact with your host university 
• Learn the basics of the national language and research about the place 
• If possible, reach out to past exchange students 
• Don’t compare your experience to others 
• Be ready for unexpected things to happen 
• Don’t expect Europe to be the same everywhere just because it’s the same continent 
• Remember you are on a STUDY exchange :)