Katrine's study experience
Katrine (21) is a Latvian third-year Leisure and Events Management student (L&EM, previously Leisure Management) at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. She shares her course experiences and speaks about being an NHL Stenden ambassador.
”I really like NHL Stenden. I want to show people from Latvia the opportunities and possibilities that NHL Stenden offers.”
Why Leisure and Events Management
'NHL Stenden and the Leisure and Events Management (L&EM, previously Leisure Management) course really grabbed my attention when I read about it in the NHL Stenden magazine. I immediately got the feeling that this was the place for me. Both the university and the study programme were perfect for me. After the whole process of signing up for the study programme and moving to the Netherlands, I began my studies at NHL Stenden. It really met my expectations, I even think it exceeded them.
The thing that I like the most about L&EM is that it’s a very broad area of expertise: sports, events, arts, media, culture; there are many aspects to it. When I came to NHL Stenden I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future, so having this kind of variety and all these options was something that I really liked'.
Real-world learning
'The projects you do as a leisure-student range from small to big. In my second year, I organised an event for 155 students. When all my work, planning and ideas were put in motion, it really felt like my baby, one I had helped grow up.
Another thing that I like is that you work for real clients. You attend actual client meetings and present your findings to an external party. This real-world learning is something that I’m a big fan of. I think it’s also great for your network, which may prove useful in the future.
We also go on field trips. You go and listen, observe, and learn about the way things work in the real world. These field trips are the highlight of L&EM in my opinion. The best thing about this is that it also tests the students, as they are the ones who have to organise these trips. For example, I arranged a trip to Disneyland Paris for my classmates, so we could see how it is managed.'
Student feedback matters
'Something that I liked less about my course was that the workload between modules used to be a bit unbalanced. During one module there was barely any work to do, another had way too much. The good thing, however, is that our study programme is open to feedback and they have already made changes to balance this out in the following years. We have these around-the-table meetings, where tutors or module coordinators listen to what the students have to say and improve the course accordingly. They keep developing the programme and it never stays the same.
This is not the only example of tutors and students working closely together. My course really focuses on bringing the ‘leisure family’ closer. They organise small events to help you get to know your classmates and tutors. This makes being an L&EM student even more exciting and unique. Students and tutors want to see everyone get the most out of themselves and there is always someone there to help you out.'
NHL Stenden ambassador
'I really like NHL Stenden. I want to show people from Latvia the opportunities and possibilities that NHL Stenden offers. I want to spread happiness to other people and convince them that if you really want to study abroad and experience new things, you can. There’s a solution to every problem which might stand in the way of that. As an NHL Stenden Ambassador, I am in contact with potential international students and I am able to share a part of my passion.
The StudyStartWeek (SSW) is great. You are put in a group where nobody knows each other, then you go out and do activities together. Then, after all the activities and parties that SSW offers, you start studying together. You’ve already met a lot of people, so there are familiar faces all over campus. It really helps in making you feel at home.'
* Please note that, while PBL is still used in the majority of our courses, all study programmes work towards implementing the new Design Based Education system.