Melissa Jongman

About Melissa

Hi! My name is Melissa Jongman, I am a third-year student of the BA Media Studies programme. I really enjoy politics and all sorts of music and film. Besides this I like reading books, painting, dancing and playing volleyball. I am an active member at a student association, where I made a lot of friends. In addition to studying, I work multiple jobs at the University, which I really enjoy.

Why Media Studies?

At first, I had some doubts about what to study. I knew I wanted something modern, close to my interests and related to society. When I went to the Open Day for Media Studies everything clicked. The study is very up-to-date and keeps on renewing itself in topics that are relevant in the time we live, making it way more interesting to write about the topics for assignments. The classes are very interactive and make it easy to make friends. The study is about everything that can be considered media, from books, to films, from music, to photos. In the first year you go over every different facet of media and in the second year you can choose what you find most interesting about media. This is what makes the study so much fun, you get an understanding about everything related to media and the connection to society. It is so interesting to see how society is impacted by everything happening online and how that changes the way we look at the world. For me it was most interesting to learn about feminism, the way scenes are staged and learning how to write both academically as professionally.

Why Groningen?

Groningen is a small city where you could walk almost anywhere within the centre. Every time I go somewhere I see some people I know, making it feel really like home. The city is built around students, with lots of associations, clubs, sports and study places. Anything you might want in a city is there and is so close by, which to me makes it the perfect city to study in.

Future

For me the future is something I am not yet sure about. I love my time here in the city and enjoy the programme, but career-wise I am still unsure. I want to do one of the Media Studies Masters. I am thinking of Journalism as I really enjoy creating stories, or Media, Creation and Innovation, as I am interested in how new media are used to create new ways of storytelling.

Golden Tip

Join associations! Whether it is a sport association, a party association or the study association, MESA, it is truly so helpful to make new friends and enjoy your time here. You can learn new skills, become active in committees or join study groups, it is the way to feel at home in the city (and programme) very quickly.