‘Ever since I was young, I have been very curious and broadly interested. So, when I had to choose my studies, I really didn't know what I wanted. Because I was good at maths and physics, I assumed it would be ‘something’ in engineering. My choice for the University of Twente, however, had been made early. I am from Deventer, so it is relatively close to home, with a nice campus and many facilities and associations: perfect if you want to do a lot of activities outside your studies, like me.
I looked at several technical studies until I happened to come across University College Twente (UCT) at a study fair. At a University College, you follow a Liberal Arts & Sciences programme, which means you can design your own study programme and combine several fields of study. At the University of Twente, this bachelor's is called ATLAS, and you study social sciences, natural sciences and technology, among others.
Despite not having heard of UCT before, it immediately appealed to me: the freedom of choice within the programme, the way of learning and, of course, the community. Unlike other bachelor’s programmes, when you study UCT, you live with your classmates for the first 2 years. That means you study, live and spend a lot of time together: kind of like a family. UCT really is different from the other study programmes I researched, but ultimately the best choice I could have made!
A unique study
UCT is not a standard programme: it is based on self-directed learning. In practice, this means that you determine your own learning goals and put together your own curriculum around three main pillars: mathematics, social sciences and physics. Each semester, you make a plan for what you want to learn in the coming months and how you will do it. At UCT, you can take courses from the other bachelor's and master's degree programmes offered by the University of Twente, which allows you to choose exactly the subjects you find interesting. This freedom within the study programme gives you the opportunity to explore what you really like and where your talents lie!
What I like about this, is that during the projects, you have people with many different areas of expertise. For example, I have classmates who focus on quantum mechanics or public administration, while I myself am interested in science communication and education. Everyone contributes from their own background, which allows you to understand a complex problem much better. For example, we recently worked on a project about a new technology for trains, with only one defined question: is it feasible to implement this technology? Then we could decide with our group what we would focus on: the technology itself, the infrastructure, the financial aspect, the social impact or, for instance, the legislation surrounding it. Whatever floats your boat, really!
Pursuing your passion
What I like most about this programme is that there is also a lot of room for personal development outside your academic skills as well. For instance, every year you work on your own ‘Personal Pursuit’: 10% of your academic year which you can spend on whatever you like, as long as it has an educational value. So, you can really follow your passion: whether it's making music, fashion design, aviation or learning a new language. All final products are then presented at a demo, which I find super cool. You sometimes underestimate what you can achieve as a student at such a young age if you are given the space and confidence - like at UCT.
I myself am currently writing a script for a video game. This involves all kinds of things: creative writing, game design, but also a bit of marketing: because how do you write an attractive story? My friends are working on the sound design and programming of the game so that we can deliver a working product in a while. To be honest, it still feels a bit surreal that I am getting study credits for something I enjoy doing so much!
Personal growth
When I started my studies, I had no idea where it would take me, except that I expected to learn a lot and be challenged. Despite the fact that UCT is a very broad programme and therefore you are not trained for a specific field, I have made important steps towards my future. I can get into many different master's programmes, I have learned the importance of combining technology and social sciences, and I have been given a good foundation in mathematics and physics, even though I do not plan to go into the technical field after graduation: I would like to specialise further in educational communication, preferably abroad. It might sound crazy, because the study is very broad, but right now, for the first time in my life, I actually know which direction I want to go in!’
