Studying is years of effort and being at the centre of all that is happening until you realise you are moving within a month. Away from Wageningen. I’m thrilled to be leaving! No offence, but the light at the end of the tunnel feels good. After I was rejected for that one interesting internship just before the Christmas break, and facing a metaphorical tiger, a columnist is permitted to exaggerate now and again; I finally found one: an internship. The chance was slim, and it is with a different team, but I’m going to The Hague.
My last month in Wageningen is dedicated to writing. Over the last few months, I have spoken with many farmer lobbyists on the subject of the European Nature Recovery Law and transcribed and coded all these interviews. Now, I get to write about my results. I am happy that my research is in the field of social sciences, and writing is a big part of such research. I would love to write a book on everything my interviewees have told me about how they really feel about the situation of farmers in this country.
I’m getting ready for the final sprint
There was just one occasion on which a thesis dip threatened. After the fire in the Forum library, I could no longer drag myself there every day, and I feared the worst for my productivity. I managed to escape the downward spiral by setting up an anti-thesis-dip programme involving a variety of rewards (ranging from a walk to a Twix bar), challenges (try working with your laptop on the floor), settings (write by candlelight, write in the bathroom) and motivational thoughts (I forgive myself if the thesis process differs from my expectations). In case my thesis supervisors are among my readers, I am back in the Forum library, vehemently working on my Word document, I promise. Although I admit, I check for the availability of a nice student studio in The Hague regularly as well.
When you are in the middle of your career as a student, it feels as if there is only the occasional hurdle. But now, in retrospect, the past years have been an obstacle course filled with deadlines, exams, and self-imposed social commitments. So far, I have made it through all the challenges, so what’s one more? I’m getting ready for the final sprint, after which I face the final challenge in the form of my internship. I’m not done yet, but I am so, so close. I can already smell the sea.
Ilja Bouwknegt (25) is a master’s student in Forest and Nature Conservation. Ilja is interested in the relationship between humans and nature and prefers to try every hobby at least once. Currently, that is ceramics and Japanese literature. But writing remains the undisputed favourite.