Everett Munion

"NHL Stenden offered exactly the course I was looking for – and in English. That made all the difference. And coming to Emmen was a completely fresh start. I truly love the culture here in the Netherlands. People are open, relaxed and friendly, and I had no real difficulties settling in. Even finding housing turned out to be easier than I expected. I’m currently living with two Iranians, an Italian and a South African in an apartment close to the bus station. We share a lounge area, kitchen and bathroom facilities. You know what the most surprising thing is about living here? How friendly everyone is. You say hello to strangers as you walk down the street, you can ask anyone a question and almost always get a helpful response. And I really enjoy walking through the market and playing pool at the billiards hall. Also, I’ve become quite good at bowling, and I love all the different bike rides I can go on in my free time." 

Finding my rhythm 

“I was expecting my transition to studying Computer Science to be pretty tough. Before coming here, I’d done a few game programming and design classes in high school and taken a few robotics summer courses, but that was it. It meant I thought the course would be overwhelming, but the teachers really eased us in. By the end of the second term, it felt like we were all on the same page. It really feels like we get a lot of support and I appreciate the inclusive way of teaching. Everyone has had the chance to catch up and grow, no matter what their starting point was." 

“What stands out most for me are the relationships I’ve been able to build, both with fellow students and with lecturers. The atmosphere at NHL Stenden is warm and welcoming. It’s a fun environment where people from all over the world come together to develop and learn." 

Balancing and building  

“I’m working alongside my studies and it’s still a challenge to find the right balance. It takes effort and I always try to keep my studies a priority, even when it's tough. I think the hard work is paying off though. Like I’m really proud I came third in our relay bots class competition. It wasn’t the result I’d hoped for, but my lecturer reminded me how far I’d come since day one, and that really stuck with me. I’m also proud of the collaborative project I worked on building a smart mirror from scratch. Seeing an idea come to life with your team is incredibly rewarding. The level of commitment everyone brought to the table made me grateful to be part of it." 

Information Technology vs Computer Science 

“NHL Stenden in Emmen offers both Information Technology and Computer Sciences courses, but as my interest is mainly in hardware, I chose Computer Science. The idea of being able to create something and code it with a real world result was more intriguing to me than just the coding aspects. Occasionally, students from the two programmes come together, like for the relay bot project. Although we had it in a different period than they did, we both tend to be learning about similar fields of coding, studying the same languages.” 

A future in tech 

“If I’d stayed in America, studying would have been much more expensive. Affordability is one of the reasons I can study at NHL Stenden for 4x less than I could at a community college in Texas. I think especially in our increasingly digital world, the opportunities are endless, but getting the means to open those doors can be achieved more reasonably here. I would say most programmes in the US are quite similar, but without the ‘learn by doing’ approach. In America it’s more typical to have to memorize specific information for a test, instead of being tested the whole time by your progression. It means the programme is about more than just learning to code. It's about building a future. Whether I go into automation, fabrication or software development, I know I’m gaining the tools to get there, both in terms of skills and connections. The network I’m building here, and the way we learn to think critically and create, gives me confidence for what comes next. If you’re considering making the same step, I’d say just keep your head up and your mind open. The first year can be tough, but if you push through, you’ll go far." 

 
Check out the Computer Science programme page.