Stuck in Wageningen for the summer?

So, exams are done, textbooks are packed away, essays have been submitted, and now the question is: what is one to do in the summer at Wageningen University?

Now, most students will go home, but for those that can’t, don’t despair because there are plenty of things you can do in and around Wageningen over the glorious summer.

1: Go traveling (in the Netherlands)

Despite all the jokes about the flatness of the Netherlands, it is a beautiful country, especially in summer. The whole country is connected by a comprehensive network of trains and buses making it easy to explore all corners of the country. However, trains in the Netherlands can be very expensive, especially if you don’t have the discounted ticket. So I would recommend you try and find a group ticket. Just search on facebook for group tickets and you will be sure to find one to where you are going. If that fails then be sure to check out the packages from NS and Etos.

Exploring the surroundings of Wageningen

 

2: Go traveling (outside the Netherlands)

If you have explored all of the Netherlands and are looking for your next adventure then why not pop over to Germany, Belgium, or even France? It is really easy to get there by train, bus, or car, and there is a lot to see whilst staying relatively close to the border if you don’t want to travel too far.

Coming from Australia, it continues to amaze me how easy it is to visit neighbouring countries for an afternoon. It takes me longer to drive across Sydney to the North Shore than to drive to Germany. I’ve been taking advantage of the close proximity of all the countries and have ticked France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Greece, England, Ireland, and Malta off my list (although I did have to fly to the latter ones), and would encourage everyone to do so.

If you would rather travel as a group then be sure to check out these student tour companies Wunderlust and pm2am as they have fabulous trips. It is a great way to see a new place, make some new friends, and everything is organized so you can sit back relax and enjoy.

 

Exploring Ancient temples in Sicily

3: Explore the surroundings

If you don’t have the time to venture to Tressel or Turin then take advantage of the beautiful weather and surrounding bike tracks and go exploring. If you start near Haarweg you can cycle to Rehen, enjoy an ice-cream, and head back along the Rhine, which is only an hour or so long trip. Recently, I finally crossed the Rhine near the Arboretum and explored the beautiful area near Randwick and Zetten. We stumbled upon a fruit stand that sold the best cherries and strawberries I have ever had. Definitely worth a visit!

 

We stumbled upon a fruit stand that sold the best cherries and strawberries I have ever had.

 

4: Learn a new skill

Take advantage of the empty gym and library to learn a new skill. Do you have a side project sitting on your desk that hasn’t been touched in years, one that you vowed you would get to sometime? Well, this summer may just be that time.

There are lots of online resources you can use to start you on this journey, my favorites are EdX, Udemy, and SkillShare but YouTube is also a great resource.

So why not take the summer and learn the basics in a language that your friends speak?

One of the best things about Wageningen University, which many bloggers have addressed (see here and here) is the international community. So why not take the summer and learn the basics in a language that your friends speak? They will be amazed and overjoyed when they come back and hear the results of your hard work (or they will laugh at your terrible pronunciation but hopefully appreciate the effort anyway).