The Last Tips From Margaréta

As I have concluded my MSc studies, I have to also say goodbye to the International Students Team. It has been a great journey, and a very fulfilling one too. This position gave me the opportunity to help countless potential and current students and contribute to the improvement of WUR. That is why I can’t simply leave without sharing some last tips that will hopefully make your studies smoother.

The last weeks of your studies are bound to be hectic – they definitely were for me. Not only do you have to focus on finalising your internship (or thesis/courses, depending on the structure of your studies), but there are also several very important things you need to keep in mind before you graduate. Here is a small mental checklist I prepared for myself:

1. Set a realistic deadline, but be kind to yourself

You pay tuition per month, meaning that even if you have your final defence on the 1st of the month, you still need to pay for the full month. In my case, my internship finished on the 6th of November. Since I knew that I had to pay November tuition anyway, I decided to give myself some extra time to finish my reports. I therefore scheduled my defence for the end of November, which made me less stressed. This also gave me some extra time to do all the necessary administration.

2. Have your electives approved

Throughout your studies, you are likely to choose courses that are not a part of your programme. In that case, you need to have them approved, first by your study adviser and then by the Examining Board. You should start the process a few weeks before your last defence or exam. This is because the process is quite complicated and requires some time to complete, so don’t leave it until the last week, like I did (oops). If your electives are not approved in time before the end of the month, you will not be able to graduate and will have to pay an extra month’s tuition.

3. Cancel your enrollment

Once your electives are approved and you have passed the defence, you can cancel your university enrollment in Studielink. Again, it is only possible to cancel your enrollment from the 1st of any given month, so you can choose the month, but not the day. The tuition is then refunded for the remaining months.

4. Save important documents and contacts

Your WUR account and email address will expire 2 weeks after you cancel your enrollment. I therefore highly recommend that you use this time to tie up any loose ends. You can notify your important contacts and give them your personal email address, to make sure you can stay in touch. You can also export your contacts list and add them to your personal email. Additionally, I would recommend that you download important documents from the WUR cloud and Brightspace and update your email address on the WUR Career Platform.

Pro-tip: The whole graduation process can be a little confusing, so check out this step-by-step summary on the WUR’s website. 

Last tip: Take your time and don’t be afraid to ask for support

As you may have noticed, I am writing this post in December, full 4 months after the official August deadline of my MSc studies. My final defence was at the end of November, which means that I officially have a 3-month study delay. This is nothing out of the ordinary, since many students take longer than initially expected to complete their studies. Some students even plan their studies with a delay in mind – for example, because they want to take more courses or prevent a burnout.

Your studies can be very demanding at times, and of course, your personal life doesn’t just stop either. So if you find yourself overwhelmed and struggling, ask for help! It is always good to reach out to your study adviser, who might be able to help you structure your studies and find the best solution. If your issues go deeper, the study adviser might refer you to a student psychologist. They offer free short-term counselling to build up your resilience.

In case your problems are interfering with your studies and causing a study delay, you might be eligible for financial support from the university, also known as FOS. To qualify for this grant, the delay has to be caused by “force majeure”, meaning that it is out of your hands. You also need to report your issues as soon as possible and arrange a meeting with a student counsellor.

If you would like to learn more about mental health support at WUR, you can check out one of our older blogs.

And I will leave you with that! I wish you all the best in your studies and good luck finalising the last steps towards your diploma.

Cheers,

Margaréta