Rebecca Meijer

About Rebecca

Hi! I’m Rebecca and I’m in my second year of European Languages and Cultures. I chose German as my major language and I’m doing the profile Language and Society. When I’m not studying, I like to read, play videogames, and I like doing sports.

Why European Languages and Cultures?

I knew pretty early on I wanted to do something with languages, and specifically German seemed really fun. My high school (in Groningen) advertised a lot for the UG, so naturally I went to an Open Day for European Languages and Cultures. The most interesting thing to me was the fact that the course was so broad; we’d get subjects about politics, culture, and linguistics, so I was told. Then, the choice was honestly pretty easy: it was gonna be European Languages and Cultures. And honestly, I haven’t regretted my decision ever.

Why Groningen

The short answer: it was the closest to me! I’m from Assen, so Groningen was pretty familiar to me. Of course, I could’ve chosen to study in Amsterdam for example, but if you’ve ever been to Groningen, then you’ll understand why I chose this city. The city just feels really nice and “gezellig” (cozy), but you still have everything you need close by. It’s a real student-oriented city, so a lot of facilities are made for students or at least student-friendly. There are enough spots in the city centre where you can go with your laptop and study, and, when you might not feel like doing stuff for school, it’s super easy to pick out a terrace in the city and grab a drink.

Future

The greatest thing about this course is that it’s so broad. So broad, in fact, that I honestly do not have a concrete plan for the future. But with this course, you can go so many ways. From translating, to teaching, to politics… frankly, you can do anything!

Personally, I think politics is really interesting, both on a national and European level. Diplomacy also seems attractive, especially because you lay quite a base in this course. Not just through learning a language, but also through getting to know the politics of different countries and the relations between them.

Tip

Please don’t forget you have time. You have so much time. You’re probably really excited to start your time at the university. Trust me, I know, I was like that when I started, probably even before I started. And that’s okay, honestly. But remember there’s time. You don’t need to have everything figured out yet. You don’t have to know everything about this course yet. The books? You’ll find them on time. The schedules? They’ll be available when they’re ready.

For now: just relax and enjoy your time. That’s probably the best preparation for university