{"id":7967,"date":"2026-08-27T19:42:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T17:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/?p=7967"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T17:42:42","slug":"aid-study-day-welcoming-the-new-food-technology-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/2026\/08\/27\/aid-study-day-welcoming-the-new-food-technology-students\/","title":{"rendered":"AID Study Day: Welcoming the New Food Technology Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wondered what it feels like to welcome a whole new generation<\/strong> of Food Technology students at Wageningen? Well, this year I got to experience this! \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\n

Instead of being a new student trying to figure out where everything is, I was one of the mentors<\/strong>. Together with my friend Andrei<\/strong>, I spent the day with a group of eleven new Bachelor\u2019s Food Technology (BFT<\/a>) students during the AID Study Day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And let me tell you\u2026 it was an experience!<\/p>\n

But First: What Is the AID?<\/h2>\n

If you are new to Wageningen, you might have already heard the mysterious three letters “AID”.<\/p>\n

The Annual Introduction Days<\/strong> (AID<\/a>) are organised every year for the new students joining Wageningen University & Research (WUR). It is basically the official start of your student life in Wageningen! During the six-day programme, students get to meet some of their peers, explore Wageningen and the university, and last but not least, learn more about the many student, study and sports associations<\/a> around the city.<\/p>\n

(Psst: A blog of this year’s AID highlights coming soon!)<\/p>\n

One of the important parts of the AID is the Study Day<\/strong>.
\nWhile in your main AID group you are with students from many different programmes, the Study Day focuses specifically on your study. I believe it is such a valuable day<\/strong> as you get a chance to meet the people you will see in lectures, practicals and group work for the coming years, while also getting useful information about the programme and university life.<\/p>\n

For the new Food Technology students, this meant a whole day dedicated to getting to know their future classmates<\/strong>, learning more about their study<\/strong> and, of course, having some fun<\/strong> along the way.<\/p>\n

\"AID<\/a><\/h2>\n

Meeting My New Food Technology Group<\/h2>\n

The day started on campus, where all the new Food Technology students from the AID came together.<\/p>\n

Andrei and I were mentoring our own group, which meant our main job was to make sure everyone felt welcome, knew where to go, and perhaps most importantly, actually started talking to each other.
\nLet’s be honest, meeting 12 completely new people at once can be a little awkward at first. I dare say our group broke the ice quickly, and the games we played were a great starter!<\/p>\n

We started with activities such as Song Guessing<\/strong> and Human Bingo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The latter was especially useful because it gave everyone an excuse to walk around and start conversations.\ud83d\ude04
\n\u201cFind someone who has lived in another country.\u201d \u201cFind someone who has the same hobby as you.\u201d \u201cFind someone who\u2026\u201d
\nSuddenly, people who had been sitting quietly next to each other were walking around, laughing and comparing answers.
\nEven though I have to say, no one could fill in one square: “Find someone who doesn’t know how to ride a bike”..but that’s good news because we are in the Netherlands after all, and this is a must-have skill!\ud83d\udeb2\ud83d\ude48<\/p>\n

Food Technology, But Make It Fun<\/h2>\n

Of course, the Study Day was not only about games.<\/p>\n

There was also plenty of information about what it means to study Food Technology at WUR. For many of these students, everything is still new: the buildings, the university system, the study programme and even the people they will soon spend countless hours with.<\/p>\n

As someone who has already been through those first weeks, it was actually quite interesting to look at everything from the other perspective.
\nI remember being a new student myself, trying to navigate a completely new environment, wondering what my university life would look like..and of course, having approximately one million questions.\ud83e\udd13
\n“Where is this building?” “How does this work?” “Who do I ask?” “Where am I supposed to go?”\ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

Now, suddenly, I was the one helping someone else answer those questions. It was a little strange as you realise how fast time passes, but also very rewarding.<\/p>\n

\"My<\/a><\/p>\n

Time to Get Outside!<\/h2>\n

After spending some time inside, it was time to get moving!<\/p>\n

We went outside for some team activities<\/strong>, where the goal was less about being competitive and more about getting everyone involved. There were plenty of people around as other groups joined too, and moments where everyone had to work together.<\/p>\n

This is probably one of my favourite things about introduction activities. You can learn someone’s name in a classroom, but you start remembering them when you are laughing together<\/strong>, trying to complete a challenge or cheering for your team.<\/p>\n

Meeting More Food Science Students<\/h2>\n

Did you know that during the Study Day you are not limited to your own small group?<\/p>\n

Near the end, all the Food Sciences students<\/strong>, Bachelor’s and Master’s, came together for snacks and drinks. However, it was not only about the treats, but also about allowing everyone to meet<\/strong> even more people from their future study environment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is especially nice at WUR because Food Technology students are part of a much bigger community<\/strong> of people interested in food, from food processing and engineering to food microbiology, food properties and much more.<\/p>\n

\"Drinks<\/a><\/p>\n

A Big Thank You to Nicolas Appert!<\/h2>\n

And, of course, there is also our study association Nicolas Appert<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Study Day would not have been the same without the activities organised by Nicolas Appert<\/strong>, the study association for Food Technology at WUR.<\/p>\n

Study associations<\/a> are such a big part of student life here. They are not only about academics and study-related information. They are also a great way to meet older students, join activities and become part of the community around your programme.
\nFor the new Food Tech students, this was a first peek into that community.\u00a0And honestly, I think it is one of the best things you can get from a Study Day. You realise that university is not just lectures, practicals, exams and deadlines. There are people around you who make those years much more enjoyable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And Then\u2026 Dinner!<\/h2>\n

After a full day of activities, introductions, games and meeting new people, we were definitely ready for food<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Luckily, dinner<\/strong> was part of the programme!\ud83d\ude0b<\/p>\n

We all sat together, talked and laughed about the day, more students and friends joined as well! By this point, the atmosphere was completely different from the beginning.\u00a0At the start of the morning, everyone was still figuring out who everyone was. And by dinner, I could feel all of us already becoming closer<\/strong>, chatting, joking and sitting together much more naturally.<\/p>\n

\"AID<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

See the full BFT AID Study Day on the Food Sciences Instagram page<\/a>!<\/p>\n

It was only one day, but for the new Bachelor’s Food Technology students, it was the beginning of something much bigger. Three years of experience, lectures, practicals, friendships, late lunches, study sessions and many unforgettable moments await!<\/p>\n

So, to all the new students: welcome to Wageningen<\/strong>!\ud83e\udde1<\/p>\n

Special thanks to my amazing AID Study Day group!!\ud83e\udef6
\nBeing with you wasn’t only about guiding you around Wageningen. It was about helping you have the kind of first experience that makes a new place feel a little less unfamiliar. I hope we managed to do that with Andrei. It was a lovely reminder of what makes student life here so special.<\/p>\n

See you around,<\/p>\n

Zlatoslava:)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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