Magazine | A year wiser: what second-year students would do differently
If they could start over at the UvA, what would they do differently? Second-year students reflect on their first year.
Now that their first year at the UvA is behind them, there are plenty of things students would have done differently in hindsight. Folia asked three second-year students what they would change if they could do it all over again.
Pjotr Jeżowski from Poland
Econometrics and Data Science
“At the beginning, I was surprised by how much interaction there was with my classmates, as I had expected much more self-study. Because of that, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the level and might not pass the year, but it turned out to be fine. I just needed a little more confidence in myself. It really helped to get to know other people who were in the same situation, so we could support each other. International friendships have become very important to me, and luckily the Dutch are quite fun too.”
“I spend most of my time studying at home, but I also made time for things I enjoy, like video editing. It’s also easy to go out and get around the city. You can do everything by bike, I love that about the culture: everyone respects cyclists.”
Rita Barroso from Portugal
Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
“The education system here is very different from back home. I expected more structure and had to get used to the high level of freedom and personal responsibility you are given here. You need to keep your planning well organized and start studying well in advance. But most importantly, you should enjoy the experience.”
“Student life is something you have to embrace. At first, I didn’t fully realise what that would mean for me. Living on my own without family took more time and energy than I expected, and sometimes I doubted whether leaving home and starting over was the right decision. Starting from zero was scary, but at the same time liberating. Many people already seemed to have interesting lives, which made me wonder whether I fit into this environment. Now, I’m really glad I stayed.”
Marouane Boulydam from the Netherlands
Economics and Business Economics
“I really underestimated the amount of studying involved. I thought the workload would be much lighter, in hindsight, I should have prepared for it better. I also greatly underestimated how few holidays we actually get. Make sure you know what you’re signing up for: studying is a lot of work. After the Christmas break we had a very difficult course, and for a moment I thought: what have I got myself into?”
“I’m from the city and already knew quite a few people at the UvA. But what surprised me most was how relaxed the atmosphere among students is. expected people to stay more within their own circles, the French sticking with the French, and so on. But in reality everyone mixes very easily.”
![Vacature hoofdredacteur [2]](https://www.folia.nl/uploads/6a8c16f7ed6ce79dbea1bfed712a7f1d0a01c5493a2eb.gif)
