Agata Nicolae

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Agata
“I was really excited about getting involved with organising the StudyStartWeek.”
Agata Nicolae
International Business student

It was the interaction with students already attending NHL Stenden that convinced Agata that this was the place for her. She felt it was so important, she’s now a host for the StudyStartWeek, so that she can help give new students a solid base to build their friendships and study career on.

“I came to an NHL Stenden Open Day in 2019 to find out more about the place and the International Business programme in particular. It was really good to listen to the students hosting the day talk about their experiences, to hear their views on how courses are taught and about the extracurricular activities going on. The campus tour and the expert lecture really caught my attention though and it confirmed my choice.”

Good impressions

“I also went to an educational fair and talked to a student from NHL Stenden doing Hospitality. I really like the idea of the team work in Design-Based Education, the internships and the Grand Tour and exchange options on offer. I applied shortly after the Open Day in March 2020 and within a few weeks I knew I had a place. Unfortunately, by then, the corona pandemic had started and it meant that when I finally moved to Leeuwarden in the August, there was no introduction week and classes were online. I even had to quarantine for a week first. Luckily, I had a place at StudentStay and that was basically where I met people and made my friends.

The impression the NHL Stenden ambassadors left on me at the Fair and at the Open Day stayed with me though and I really wanted to do the same kind of work. I think my year of students missed out on all the benefits of a StudyStartWeek, so I was really excited about getting involved with organising it for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.”

StudyStartWeek

“The StudyStartWeek is a great opportunity to get to know the people you’ll be sharing a classroom and projects with for the next four years. It’s when you start to develop lifelong friendships. And it’s the perfect opportunity to break the ice and get used to hanging out with people from different countries and different cultures – and realizing that you’re all in the same situation and can be there to support each other.

It's a really compact week with lots going on from guided tours to sessions on each programme curriculum to fun outings. There can be a lot of information to process but I tell students to just take it one step at a time. Everyone is eager to help and you don’t have to have everything figured out right from the start, so just enjoy the week, get to know your classmates and your lecturers and after that you can go into more depth with everything.

I think the highlight of the week is probably towards the end when you see how groups have started to form, how people have become friends and are more relaxed around each other. And of course, there’s the final activity that gives them a chance to look back on the week and realise how much their perspectives have already changed and how they’ve already stepped out of their comfort zone.”

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Get ready

StudyStartWeek

Launch into student life with the StudyStartWeek. Meet new people, share great tips and settle right in. Check it out!