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Rosemarijn Sterk wins prize for highest first-year average

Second-year Law student Rosemarijn Sterk achieved the highest average mark for her foundation year (2024–2025). Her average mark of 9.2 was the highest among all first-year students at our faculty. As a result, Rosemarijn was awarded a cash prize of €150 from the Legatum Böckelmanianum fund.

Assessor Roel Kwast with Rosemarijn Sterk
Assessor Roel Kwast with Rosemarijn Sterk

During the interview, she was surprised by Assessor Roel Kwast, who presented her with the cheque. We asked her about her study experience in Leiden and what her secret is to achieving such excellent marks.

You finished your first year with an impressive set of marks. How do you look back on that?

I look back on my first year very positively. Compared to secondary school, you have a lot more freedom as a student and you're truly engaged with something that interests you. That definitely makes it twice as enjoyable.

Why did you choose Leiden?

I briefly considered Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but in the end I chose Leiden. Mainly because of the atmosphere in the city and the positive impression I got during the Open Day. The Law programme here also has a strong reputation. Looking back, I’m very happy with my choice. I quickly felt at home within the programme and things went well for me. The guidance is strong, which helps you find your footing quickly.

Did the course meet your expectations?

The course didn’t just meet my expectations, it exceeded them. People often have preconceived ideas: that it’s dry or boring, and that all you do is read endless texts. But for me, that simply wasn’t the case. In the subjects I found interesting, the law really came to life.

Do you have any suggestions for improving the course?

At the start, I found some modules a bit superficial. For example, we had lectures that mainly focused on lists of information you had to memorise or look up in the statute book. In the tutorials, you'd then apply that knowledge to a few fairly simple exercises. In some modules, I would’ve liked to go a bit deeper into the topics and link them more to current affairs. That did happen in many courses, but some subjects could still be explored in greater depth.

Do you already have a favourite area of law?

So far, I find Constitutional Law very interesting. I took the course Beginselen van de democratische rechtstaat with Gert Jan Geertjes, and it really appealed to me. I also enjoyed Inleiding Strafrecht. In that module, we had to find and apply relevant legal provisions ourselves during tutorials, which made it feel like we were already engaging with legal practice.

Do you already have an idea of which direction you’d like to go after your studies?

At secondary school, I always thought I wanted to become a lawyer. But now, a role at the Public Prosecution Service sounds appealing. During a court visit last year, I was really impressed by a trainee public prosecutor. So at the moment, I’d say my dream job is to become a Public Prosecutor – although I know a lot could still change in the coming years. For example, I haven’t yet had the chance to visit a major law firm.

Finally, what’s your secret to getting good marks?

Of course, everyone has their own way of studying. It took me some time to figure out what worked for me, but my biggest tip is: stay organised. I kept track of what I needed to do each week for each course, and also noted anything I’d missed. That way, I didn’t fall too far behind. Having that overview helped me plan better and avoid last-minute stress before exams. If you’ve already seen the material once – in a lecture or a tutorial – it just sticks with you much better. So for me, the key is staying organised and revisiting the material several times.

Legatum Böckelmanianum

Het Legatum Böckelmanianum is een fonds, nagelaten door een zeventiende-eeuwse hoogleraar Johann Friedrich Böckelmann. Hij was in 1670 de eerste Duitse jurist die hoogleraar werd in Leiden. Hij overleed in 1681 en liet een vermogen na aan de faculteit, waarvan wij nu nog steeds de vruchten plukken. Elk jaar gaat er geld (150 euro) uit die pot naar de beste propedeusestudent met het hoogste cijfer (gewogen gemiddelde en vermelding van cum laude/summa cum laude op propedeusediploma) van alle opleidingen binnen de rechtenfaculteit van het huidige collegejaar. Rosemarijn is de laatste student die deze prijs ontvangt want vanaf dit facultair jaar worden er geen propedeusediploma’s meer uitgegeven.

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