Nora de Beer

About Nora

Hi! My name is Nora de Beer and I am a third-year student of English Language and Culture. I am also an active member of our study association NUTS. I was on the board last year and will continue to be very involved this year. I also live in Groningen with four lovely housemates, who I have lots of fun with. In my free time, I love to read, bake, cook, and do fun things with my friends.

Why English Language and Culture?

As an avid reader growing up, I was always interested in languages, so when my high school English teacher suggested I look into studying English, I was hooked. I went to Open Days and Student for a Day events and I loved it. My initial favourite subjects were literature-related, as I had expected. However, very soon I fell in love with linguistics and that has since become my main focus.

Why Groningen?

I come from a small town in Friesland, so moving out and going to a big city was quite daunting, especially because I was only 17 at the time. I found that Groningen does not feel as big as most other cities, and it has a very welcoming and cosy feel to it. This, with the added benefit of it being the closest university to my hometown, made me want to live and study here. The English programme that is offered here is also very diverse, which I really liked (and still like) about it. You get to explore studying modern literature, medieval literature, and linguistics instead of being limited to one discipline. Also, the communication between the teachers and students is very friendly, which provides a comfortable learning environment.

Future

Currently, I am not sure what career path I would like to take. I will still be very young when I receive my Bachelor's degree, and I have the ambition to get two Master's degrees. I think I might want to go into teaching, but our study advisor (who is our biggest supporter) always says to do something else before you definitively go into teaching, because school is all you know. There is a whole world of opportunities that I am not even aware exist and I definitely plan on exploring it before deciding on a career.

Golden tip

My golden tip is to visit the university on Open Days and participate in Student for a Day events. These events are organized to give you an idea of the degree programme and give you the opportunity to get a feel for the university. It will help you get a good overview of what you do and do not like about the programmes on offer, which can only help you choose the best study for you.