Urban Studies graduates: 'The field is interesting and relevant, and keeps expanding'
After years of hard work, Urban Studies graduates were presented with their diplomas. How do they look back on their studies? And what can we expect from them in the future?
Nick Pollé: 'I went to the Urban Studies presentation because I had a time slot left at the Open Day. Afterwards, I thought: I don't need to see the rest; this is going to be my study. The programme offers so many different themes and opportunities, which is great if, like me, you have a broad span of interests. That's why I initially wanted to take all the electives, but after one semester I decided to slow down a bit. Fortunately, the overarching lecture series gave me some insight into all the themes.
‘I now have a gap year, during which I want to earn money and then travel. Having never been outside Europe, I’m now hoping to see some cities further afield and volunteer at the Olympics this summer. Eventually, I would like to do a master’s abroad in Urban Planning or Urban Design.'
Noah Milani: 'I still sometimes find it difficult to explain to people exactly what I studied, but that‘s because the programme is so varied and original. It really gave me a complete picture of cities and all the different facets involved. At the moment I’m working in a high-end men's clothing shop, but from January I’ll be travelling. I want to see some of the world before starting my master’s, which will probably be the slightly more hands-on Urban Planning. Because of my bachelor’s, I know how complicated a city is. That perspective gives me an open mind that I would like to take into my further studies.'
Sofie Rørvik: ‘I found Urban Studies when I was browsing through the university website. The programme was interdisciplinary and The Hague seemed like a really cool city to live in, so I enrolled. This quite random choice turned out well. The Urban Studies field is interesting and relevant in today’s world and keeps expanding. There are so many things you could include in it! Yes, I’m really passionate about the programme, also because it enabled me to meet so many people from different backgrounds. I think our group discussions were my favourite part. I and my friends even started our own committee, called the Critical Urbanists. That was super fun. We would have group discussions and tried to delve deeper into the topics we had in our lectures. I’ve just started the Urban Geography master’s in Utrecht, but I’m still commuting from The Hague. The city has a really special place in my heart.’