{"id":5953,"date":"2024-04-16T20:15:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T18:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/?p=5953"},"modified":"2024-04-16T20:19:49","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T18:19:49","slug":"student-life-at-wur-kiwis-pov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/2024\/04\/16\/student-life-at-wur-kiwis-pov\/","title":{"rendered":"Student life at WUR – Kiwi’s POV"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone, it\u2019s Kiwi (or Kiara, whatever you prefer) from Indonesia again! I\u2019ve been working as a WUR International Student Representative for almost two years now and one of the most common questions I get asked is \u201cCan you tell me about the student life as an international?\u201d. And, honestly, I\u2019ve been getting quite good at answering that question. As there are so many ways to answer this question, I\u2019d usually ask whoever is asking to elaborate which aspect about student life they want to know. However, I also thought that it\u2019d be quite helpful if I just put all the answers to said question in a blog to make sure I really cover all that you\u2019d possibly want to know (hopefully!).<\/p>\n

Social Scene (and finding your people)<\/h3>\n

Many international students find the thought of having to integrate into the social circle here in Wageningen to be quite daunting, and that is completely understandable. However, what most students don’t realise is that everyone is on the same boat and trying to look for new friends, especially in the international community here. Hence, most of the time if you just put yourself out there the slightest bit, you’ll end up with your own friend group. So, really, there\u2019s nothing to worry about. You\u2019ll fit right in with some crowd for sure.<\/p>\n

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Some friends and myself on Liberation Day!<\/p><\/div>\n

I, myself, am not part of any associations and never attended the AID<\/a> and I still have my own little family of friends here. However, if you\u2019re super worried about this, you can always find new people by doing said things. I really do mean it when I say people are quite welcoming here and that the international community really embraces each other.<\/p>\n

At The WUR Campus<\/h3>\n

Another question about student life I get quite often is how the weekdays look like when studying at the campus. Usually you\u2019d have a morning and afternoon course and, throughout the day, you\u2019ll probably attend some labs, lectures or tutorials. In between, you always have breaks and you can talk to your peers or maybe even have a quick nap (The Jester did a piece of all the places on campus you could have a quick snooze<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The City – Wageningen<\/h3>\n

Wageningen is quite\u2026 cosy. I sometimes compare it to Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, except with a bunch of students. However, I personally find it very conducive for your studies. And then again, there are still some activities that are quite characteristic to Wageningen.<\/p>\n

During the weekends, students will usually flock to the Saturday market and, if the weather allows it, they go to the river Rhine<\/a>. You\u2019ll always find that you bump into people you know when you do either of these things.<\/p>\n

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A pretty picture I took at the Rhine. I promise you, it’s quite delightful.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A quick mirror selfie at the sunglasses stand at the market \ud83d\ude42<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re feeling just a slight bit adventurous, you can also go to the arboretum<\/a> up the hill. If you\u2019re feeling even more adventurous, you can go visit another city.<\/p>\n

Other Cities<\/h3>\n

Sometimes you\u2019d find yourself bored in Wageningen. However, that doesn\u2019t really tend to become a problem, as a trip to a different city takes next to no time. Arnhem is just a bus ride away, and from Ede-Wageningen station, Utrecht is a mere 30 minutes. Most international students I know also subscribe to the Weekend Vrij <\/em><\/a>(“Weekend free”)\u00a0train subscription. It\u2019s quite handy as you pay the equivalent of a return trip from here to Amsterdam and get unlimited train travel on the weekends for a whole month!<\/p>\n

Night Life at Wageningen<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a question I get more often than you\u2019d think. There\u2019s not a lot of actual clubs here but there\u2019s always The Bunker or ICA. However, after students settle in, they usually find that they prefer the corridor\/house parties hosted by other students. In a city full of students, the lack of a great club gets them creative and you\u2019ll be surprised at the things they come up with. And just like mentioned before, you can also explore the night life at other cities nearby – tourism and fun at once!<\/p>\n

Balancing Work and Play<\/h3>\n

Many incoming students do take into consideration the amount of free time they would have if they were to study here. I did too.<\/p>\n

As much as classes for most courses are daily, you do find that you\u2019ll almost always still have time to wind down with your friends after and binge watch a show or two. Many people still manage to do this even though they are part of an association, go to the gym everyday and hold a part time job.<\/p>\n

Sports at WUR<\/h3>\n

To carry on about balancing work and play, the university gym<\/a> offers a membership which would get you unlimited classes of any sport you can think of. You can try pole dancing classes, join a rowing team or join the quidditch (yes, quidditch from Harry Potter) association. Many of the sports associations also have the option for you to train competitively and join championships and such.<\/p>\n