Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
About us University College Groningen
Header image UCG Blog

UCG Blog

Island adventures and our final weeks at UCG

Date:01 June 2015
Author:Tjitske Schokker, first-year UCG student
Trip to Schiermonnikoog
Trip to Schiermonnikoog

Last Friday the time was finally here: we were ready to leave to the island of Schiermonnikoog for a weekend off with the students of UCG. After days of having my (cramped) fingers crossed, hoping that the weather would be good, it was finally time to take a deep breath and go. The weather forecast looked nice, the boat tickets were in our pockets and off we went. With about ten students we went to the ferry by bike, and about another ten students left by bus. After three hours of biking, singing songs, complaining about the wind and a nice lunch on a dike we were there. Another three quarters of an hour later and there we were: ready to explore the island! We rented a small trailer for behind the bike so we were able to transport our groceries to the camping farm. How prosperous the 45 kilometers to the ferry had been; how difficult the 3 kilometers from the ferry to the camping farm were - with a lot of luggage and a flat tire, these 3 kilometers took almost 40 minutes. Fortunately, the weather was nice and so was the accommodation we booked! Finally there, we had quite some time to relax before dinner started.

And now I’m looking back to a very relaxing weekend, with a campfire, the Eurovision Song Contest, and lots of sun and wind. Also a weekend with lots of biking, walking and beaches. It couldn’t be better. On Sunday evening I took the train directly to Friesland, to give sailing instruction for a day. In a hurry I almost forgot everything...yet I remembered to bring my sleeping bag and sailing suit (that was basically it).

All of a sudden, it’s here: the last part of the academic year! I’m writing the last essays, working on the last projects, studying for the last exam. Only three more weeks until the holidays arrive. Actually, I don’t want to think about everything I need to do in these upcoming weeks, but when I make a schedule it all seems quite okay. For example, this morning I got up early to be in the university library on time to finish my essay (which I just finished, yay!), and to write a bit more on the research paper for our group project so I can go to the ACLO to do some sports in the afternoon and to visit IKEA afterwards. Still it feels wierd, the upcoming end of the academic year. I’ve already lived in Groningen for one year. Time seems to have passed very quickly here, yet I can’t imagine how life used to be when living at my parent’s house in Leeuwarden. The faculty, the city, the university library, the people already feel very familiar. Coming back to Groningen feels like coming home.