Weronika Sokolowska, Poland

Why Groningen?

Before moving to Groningen, I briefly lived in Warsaw, a city with 1.7 million inhabitants. It was truly overwhelming for me at the time, therefore, in looking for the next place to live, I had to choose a smaller and cozier city. This is when Groningen came to my attention. Despite being a very gezellig student city of roughly quarter of a million people, who in a big part are students, Groningen has a wonderful selection of attributes to make your study time here the unforgettable university experience everyone is talking about. Some of my personal favorites are the vibrant and green Noorderplantsoen, a park in the north of the city, right where the Psychology faculty stands, allowing for rejuvenating spring and summer study breaks. Additionally, in the south, a peaceful lake called the Hoornse Meer, where everyone goes during the hot, summer days. For the sportier ones, there is the ACLO, which lets you practice pretty much any sport you are yearning for, for a student-friendly membership fee. If this is yet not enough to convince you, every week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays there is a farmers’ market where you can buy locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables. Oh, and it might be worth mentioning that Groningen is the only city in the Netherlands where the nightlife goes on for as long as you wish, because the clubs here do not have a closing time! Fun, right?

Why the University of Groningen?

Multiple universities in the Netherlands offered a Psychology program in English when I was applying for my bachelor’s degree. Nonetheless, it was the University of Groningen that fit my study time expectations the most, having a remarkably high world ranking among the Psychology programs while at the same time being the peaceful and friendly city I was looking for. Along the way, it became very clear that choosing this university for completing my Bachelor’s degree was one of the most successful decisions in my life. From the very start of my studies, I was added to multiple Academic Learning Communities that helped me make friends in my new circumstances of studying abroad. Every year, as my studies progressed and I had new courses to take, I met new groups of people, from all over the world, which helped me build a broad social network to cooperate with now and in the future. Thanks to numerous Buddy programs and events organized by the University, I also made a couple of close friends that are now my chosen family. However, the University of Groningen also has your back when it comes to navigating your future with services like Career Services or an Entrepreneurial Course for any eager young (future) business owners. Career Services consists of both students and senior staff to help you with various career-related matters that will make you an employable graduate. The Entrepreneurial Course can give you insights into what owning a business entails in the form of seminars from other successful Netherlands-based entrepreneurs. These are just a few examples of benefits you could receive when studying at the University of Groningen, but the best way to experience this is to try it out yourself, so come and join us here!

Biography

Hey there, my name is Weronika Sokołowska, I just turned 24 and I come from Poznań in Poland. Even though this might be the first time you are hearing of this place, I strongly advise you to visit Poznań since it is halfway between Berlin and Warsaw (making it a trip of only about 2.5 hours each way) and is a truly astonishing and well-priced weekend-getaway spot. I am currently following a Master’s degree in Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology at the University of Groningen because I was not quite yet done with our University having just finished my Bachelor’s in Psychology in January 2021. Outside of my studies I enjoy helping students with their professional development by offering career advice on topics such as job interviews, being a strong and suitable candidate, or finding a proper match between yourself and the employer.

I really enjoy sharing and exchanging experiences with anyone who is either curious enough or willing to open up, so I am looking forward to hearing from you. Do not be shy and I hope to get in touch with you!