Thirsa Hiemstra

About Thirsa

Hi, my name is Thirsa Hiemstra! I’m a second-year English Language and Culture student. In my free time I, unsurprisingly, like reading, watching TV series, and cooking for my friends and housemates.

Why English Language and Culture?

I have always been interested in languages for as long as I can remember, so a language-focused study was always high on my list. During high school, I fell in love with the whole process of essay writing: the literary analysis and formulating my thoughts in an understandable way. In Groningen, I can dissect texts to my heart’s content! After completing my first year here, I discovered I want to specialize in medieval literature, which I would have never expected when I first started.

Why Groningen?

When I visited Groningen during the Open Day, I was immediately enamoured with the city. I am originally from a small town in the Netherlands without any universities close by, so I had to move out anyway. Because Groningen is a very welcoming and cozy city, the step to move was not as daunting as I thought it was going to be. The diversity of the study programme was also very attractive to me. In Groningen, you are not just limited to studying modern literature (as many would expect), but you get to study linguistics and medieval literature as well. And not without importance, the good connection between staff and students provides a very comfortable learning environment.

Future

I don’t think any adult ever has a satisfying answer to the question: what do you want to be when you grow up? Right now, I am still doubting between many options that all have their charms. Depending on the day, I either want to become an English teacher in higher education or an editor for a publishing house. For now, I am enjoying my time as a student and I am in no rush to bind myself to a profession yet.

Golden tip

My golden tip is to visit the Open Days! You will only get a good overview of what you like and what you don’t like if you compare different programmes to each other. It is also of no consequence if you pick the wrong study first, you can always come to English at a later stage of life :)