Eline Santema

About Eline

Hi! My name is Eline Santema, I am twenty years old and currently in my third and last year of the Bachelor American Studies. I was born and raised in the beautiful province of Friesland and commute to Groningen for my classes. I love to sing, go out to get coffee with friends and I am trying to write a romance novel in my free time. My favorite movie is - of course - Legally Blonde.

Why American Studies?

I chose American Studies because of its diverse and interdisciplinary program. I love the fact that you are not just studying history, politics, economics or sociology, but all of these at the same time! During high school, I always thought the United States was an interesting nation, but I never had a “special” interest in it. This completely changed when I started studying American Studies. The United States is such a diverse and fascinating country, in both positive and negative ways. It often shows more extreme forms of social problems we encounter here in Europe, which is why this study is more relevant to non-Americans than you might think. You also get to study Latin America and Canada, which is a great bonus!

Why Groningen?

First of all, there is no Bachelor program like American Studies anywhere else in the Netherlands. And fortunately for you and me, the program is situated in Groningen, the most fun student city of all! Groningen has all the facilities of a big city, but is relatively small and less overwhelming than cities such as Amsterdam or Utrecht. Whether you are big on partying, or looking for a fun group of friends to hang out or do sports with, Groningen has it all.

Future

Because the program is so diverse, there are a lot of fields you can get into after finishing your Bachelor. Examples of fields students go on to study are journalism, international relations and humanities. While I was taking classes such as Theories of Culture, I discovered my passion for sociology, which is why I am currently doing a minor in this field. After my Bachelor’s, I want to get a Master’s degree in sociology, and hopefully work for an aid organization. It is my dream to help out in the U.S. foster care system, which has many glaring flaws that children bear the consequences of.

Golden Tip

Do not let doubts whether you will find the United States interesting enough to do an entire study about keep you from trying it out! Because of the diversity of this program, there is something interesting here for everyone. Once you decide to come to Groningen to study American Studies, be sure to join our study association EPU, which will make your time here even more amazing!