What No One Tells You Before You Start Courses at WUR

Let’s start with a little background information. As a young adult, starting my Master’s degree at Wageningen University was my first step towards being independent. The fear and stress of adapting to a new country and lifestyle are absolutely real. Owing to my mild obsession with planning, I had all my research about the place on my fingertips beforehand.

Choosing courses for my study was one thing that was completely new to me. I did my very best to feel confident about my decisions. It so happened that the courses I chose were some of the advanced courses the university offered. I got tons of advice from people preparing me to expect to be completely overwhelmed with the amount and difficulty of the coursework. That’s exactly where the anxiety of making the wrong choices started creeping on me and I completely and utterly freaked out at the idea of the upcoming start to my so-called “INDEPENDENT ADULT LIFE”.

Getting back to what this blog is really about. Here are some things you should keep in mind when you feel like you are spiralling and feel like your study choices are wrong.

1. Tips :

First for some practical information and then for some motivation in case you need it 😀

• In the case where you do find yourself unable to cope up with the stress or the course – talk to your study advisors. You may have the option to try a new course.  Or you may get some useful suggestions on how you can tackle your problems
• Communicate with your professors in case you need some background information or want to be prepared for your first set of courses. Most of them will gladly guide you.
• Do not be thrown off with the description and prerequisites on the course guide. Most courses need you to have some general background on those topics or as mentioned above, talk to your professors or student supervisors to get some clarity.
• Settling into the system of examination will take some time. The cycle of exams happens during the regular courses as well as during the two resit periods. The chances you have to attempt is unlimited for some courses.
• Students also sometimes choose to directly appear for the resit exams instead of taking it at the end of the period if they fall short of time to prepare.
• The flexibility of choosing what you want to study is in your hands. You can always give it a try. Do not underestimate your potential until you try it for yourself.
• The courses that seem the hardest are the ones you learn the most from. Of course about the subject but more about yourself.
• Go easy on yourself. You are in a new environment and it will take some time for you to get comfortable in the system.

 2. My experience: 

For those of you wondering about the courses I am talking about, I study MSc Food Technology specializing in Product Design. I took up Food Ingredient Functionality and Food Structuring. Personally, I found the course content interesting and also enjoyed the pattern of study. The level and amount of work were as expected though. For these courses in specific, asking questions and working on the case study and tutorials helped me prepare for the final exam. Attending the question hour allotted at the end of the period is a great way to assess where you stand and also learn from other questions.

Overall, the experience of studying at Wageningen University is challenging and exciting at the same time. So if you are in a dilemma about starting a new study, my best suggestion would be to choose courses that catch your eye. Don’t forget to enjoy the experience of learning 🙂

Leave your questions in the comments section below if you have any queries or need information about these courses. Good luck for a new beginning!!!