Starting university means juggling classes, work, social life, and everything in between. As an International Relations (IRIO) student at the University of Groningen, my weeks are a mix of lectures, seminars, studying, working, and of course, student life in Groningen! To give you an idea of what it looks like, here’s a glimpse into a typical week in my life.

First of all, no two weeks are ever exactly the same. But there is some consistency! IR students have study blocks of 7 weeks, which means you keep the same schedule for about 1.5 months before it shifts again. I usually plan my tutorials on the same days as my lectures, so I only have to be on campus around three days a week. 

Tip: enroll early for your seminars so you can choose time slots that work best for you, 

Each block, IR students typically follow three courses, and every course normally has one lecture and one tutorial (about two hours each). Doing the math, that’s around 12 hours at the university, leaving the rest of the week for reading, preparing, and self-study.

How busy your week feels also depends on how active your student life is in Groningen: whether you live in a student house, join a student or study association, or take on a committee. The fun part is that a lot of evenings in Groningen are ‘structured’ in a similar way. For example: committees usually meet on Mondays, student houses often eat together on Tuesdays, general associations gather on Wednesdays, and sports associations tend to have Thursdays as their social night. It’s up to you how busy you want your student life to be!

And like many students in Groningen, I also combine studying with a part-time job. It helps cover living expenses and is a nice change of pace from academic life. Personally, working two days a week is manageable, but it can be a little busy at times. My advice if you’re just starting out: first see how much time you have and don’t commit to a job with too many fixed hours. Your schedule changes every 7 weeks, so you’ll definitely appreciate some flexibility. During exam periods, you may also want to work a little less.

An Example of My Week

Monday
09:00: Reading and preparing for tutorials
13:00: Work shift
17:00: Go for a run and relax

Tuesday
11:00: Lectures + seminars
16:00 Grab a coffee
19:00: Dinner with roommates (sometimes followed by drinks!)

Wednesday
11:00: Seminar
13:00: Seminar
15:00: Work shift
19:00: Dinner with friend

Thursday
09:00: Lecture
11:00: Lecture
13:00: UB (University Library)
17:00: Gym
19:00: Dinner with friends, terrace?

Friday
Fridays are flexible. Sometimes I stay in Groningen for work, a quiet study day, or to meet up with friends. Other times, I hop on the train back home to Rotterdam for the weekend to see my family.

Weekends
Sometimes it’s family time, sometimes it’s hanging out with friends in the city. And when exams are approaching… you’ll definitely find me in the University Library.

Being an International Relations student in Groningen means more than just keeping up with lectures and deadlines. My week is a mix of university, part-time work, and student life, whether that’s dinner with friends, grabbing drinks, or just hanging out. What I like most is how life here helps you find a routine that keeps you motivated, but still leaves space to enjoy your student years.