BSc Student Greta shares her experiences

Since Greta studies at WUR she loves ‘hagelslag’. Want to know which Dutch traditions she also enjoys? Watch her video below or read her story.

Thank you for sharing your experiences Greta! First of all, could you introduce yourself?

“I am Greta from Lithuania. Now I am 23 years old. It is my second year of the bachelor’s degree in Food Technology.”

What about housing, where do you live? And what do you like about this place?

“I live in Droevendaal. I love this place a lot as it is a communal neighborhood with lots of wonderful people around. In particular, I like that this community is having their own activities which involve the community. It helps to make a stronger connection among all students living there. Also, I love Droevendaal during the summertime because here we have our own garden, which I think is super awesome! In general, it feels like a place you can call home.”

What do you do besides studying? Do you have a hobby or special interest or talent?

“I love listening to music and do yoga (I do this on my own or a joint session in the community that I live in). All of my life I was dancing but at the moment I am trying different kinds of sports such as running, kickboxing; any kind of training sessions that happen on Bongerd.”

How do you meet other (international) students?

“Well, I didn’t do anything special. Somehow naturally I got to know people. Especially when I moved to live in Droevendaal my circle of friends expanded. Basically via friends.”

What do you think about the campus and the atmosphere on campus?

“I feel comfortable here. Also, each day it is nice to see so many different nationalities people. It feels amazing that in such a small place all the world is  gathered to do something great.”

Do you have a favourite spot on campus?

“I guess my favourite spot is Impulse because here they have a chill atmosphere where you can come to study or participate in a lecture as they most of the time do in this building.”

What do you think of Wageningen?

“I like that the city is relatively small. For me, there are fewer distractions and that keeps me focused on my goals. Nevertheless, there are plenty of events organised by students. So there are many things to do as well.”

Do you have a favourite spot or activity in the city?

“Every Saturday I go with my housemates, or alone, to the market for shopping and also to visit a second-hand shop called Emmaus. It is an activity that would be sad to miss out!

Also, I like to have a coffee with a friend, it is nice to go to Columbus, Beagle & Beans or Imagine. These places are my most favourite ones as they give a chill and cosy atmosphere to have a chat with a friend, or enjoy the time with yourself.

Of course, there are nice forests around Wageningen. It is a wonderful place to escape the noise of the town.”

In what way does living in the Netherlands differ from your home country?

“To be honest, the only complaint can be done for the language (not in a mean way of course). Apart from this, I felt comfortable here from the very beginning. No cultural shock. Well, unless it would be good to mention that I was shocked when I found out that during lunch Dutch people mainly eat only sandwiches and no warm food.”

When did you first hear about WUR and why did you choose the university?

“After graduation, I started to do a search for universities abroad. About Wageningen University I got to know from a website where universities were ranked by Food Technology program. I had no clue about this university. The first thought that popped to my head is was ‘is it even possible for me to enter this university?!’. My reaction was like this because WUR is on the 1^st place among other world universities. Nevertheless, I applied for this place to study. Besides that, I also applied for a couple other universities. The choice was made to go to WUR when I found out I was accepted.”

Nice! And why did you choose for Food Technology?

“In school, I had subjects such as Biology and Chemistry. I felt comfortable with these subjects. Also, I had a vision of becoming a chef. However, I thought that I could do something greater than being a chef, therefore I came with a thought of becoming a food technologist.”

What do you like the most about studying and living in the Netherlands?

“I like that it makes you more responsible in all aspects of life. At the same time, you get to know your preferences better which helps to find out the path you really want to follow in the future. And, in general, I am becoming more confident about the choices I make, even though at the beginning it was a bit challenging.”

Maybe you already know where you see yourself working in the future?

“At this moment not really. I will see where my life will take me.”

And which part of your study do you find the most interesting?

“I think nothing in particular. I enjoy more or less most of the courses. I believe one of the favourite parts are labs as it gives me a feeling of what it means to be a scientist in the food field.”