Finally, spring has arrived! Sunny days, endless evenings and barbecues in the park are here, just as we start the last block of the academic year. So I’m sitting outside in the sun next to the UCG faculty writing the very first student blog. Sitting here, thinking about the past couple of months in Groningen I’m starting to realize how fast the time seems to have passed. Yet I can hardly imagine that it is less than one year ago that I was attending high school and applying for university. Getting distracted by my own thoughts, I’m watching the video I made for the application procedure of UCG for the first time ever since. Smiling at my one year younger self I’m suddenly back in reality. After a weekend of sailing (one of the activities I really enjoy doing – especially when the weather is as beautiful as the past couple of days), I’m back in Groningen. Back to college life, committee work, but also to evening walks with my boyfriend through the city, and eating ice creams in the sun. – back home.

This week starts with an introductory lecture to this week’s topic within the field of Humanities. After that I have a meeting with the Social Committee of the Study Association in which we discuss a trip to one of the Dutch islands as well as the possibility for inter-UC exchanges. And here I am now, sitting outside, wearing my sunglasses, typing on my laptop and I’m thinking about what else I’ll be doing this week. Firstly I decide to go for a run so I can enjoy the nice weather even more while making up my mind.

On Monday evenings I usually meet with my committee of SurfAce, the student windsurfing association. First we have dinner and afterwards we are busy organizing events for Kei Week and for new members of the association while grabbing a beer. Tuesday evenings I work in an elderly care home where I cook, clean and chat with the people living there. Afterwards, I often go to the ‘borrel’ (have drinks) with other members of SurfAce and sometimes even enjoy Groningen’s night life until the early morning. Waking up the next morning can be a little hard, but after a decent breakfast and a cup of coffee, I’m ready to go to class.

Thursdays probably are my favourite. Only having class in the morning offers some space for relaxing in the park or on the couch in the afternoon and extensive cooking with a fellow student in the evening. We like to experiment with our dinners, to try new things and make them look as fancy as possible while enjoying a glass of wine. After dinner we used to watch a Dutch television show called “Wie is de mol?”, but since the season is over now, we switched to bad series and karaoke nights (a.k.a. YouTube sing-a-long).  

Fridays often offer the perfect opportunity for daydreams about the weekend, since another weekend of sailing is already ahead of me, followed by King’s Day and many other events…

To me, there’s never a boring day in Groningen!