Carmen Rojas Elbirt

Studying in Groningen was one of the best experiences in my life, not only in the professional aspect but also in the personal one. Everything in Groningen was different from what I was used to, and that made the experience more exciting and challenging.

The educational system, my teachers, my classmates, even the way to search for a book in the library or to take photocopies was challenging for me at the beginning. I had to learn to do everything in a different way I was used to, and in the process I grew up and become a more independent person.

Another amazing aspect of studying in Groningen was that I had the opportunity to live day by day with people from other parts of the world, in a building for 52 students from about 15 different countries. Each day I learned something from the people I lived with, and I am sure that they learned something from me too. Exchanging our thoughts, our experiences, our dreams, made me feel part of one world, and not just part of “my world”.

When I first arrived in Groningen I was a bit worried of feeling different because I was not European, but then I realized that being Latin American is not that different from being European, or Asiatic, or African, because after all we are human beings with the same needs and the same limitations.

After my experience in Groningen I am not the same person, I am sure I am a better one.

Carmen Ruth Rojas Elbirt, Bolivia, Public International Law