Radboud University Speciality : Biological Sciences
programme: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

After taking a gap year, I began my journey at RU as an international student in 2022. My first offline interaction with the University was during Intro Week. We participated in numerous activities designed to introduce us to student life. Fortunately, 2.5 years later, I am still very close to most of my Intro group. We study together, socialize, and (most importantly) support one another without hesitation. This is the most valuable aspect RU has given me over the past few years.

During my first year, I had at least one lab day weekly, which made me fall in love with lab work. I had various types of labs, such as Chemical Analysis, Biochemistry, and Synthesis Lab. In my view, they are essential for a future scientist, since we need to explore different techniques and scientific approaches. For instance, writing an article for the biology community is significantly different from writing one about a chemical synthesis. These experiences have helped me develop the skills required for both.

However, no university or program is perfect, and there are areas for improvement. For example, during the mandatory phase (first 1.5 years), I felt the lack of sufficient biology courses. While we had a lot of Math and Physics, the number of biology-related courses was limited. This initially made me question whether I was in the right place. Thankfully, from the second year onward, I was able to focus on biology-related subjects. As a future biomedical scientist, I could design my program to align with my interests, thanks to the wide range of courses available.

Additionally, language has been a minor challenge as an international student. Not speaking Dutch is rarely an issue at the University, but it largely depends on local students and their willingness to include internationals in their discussions. Personally, I have only encountered this as a barrier just a couple of times.

Overall, my experience at RU as an international student from Eastern Europe has been better than I expected. I am able to balance my studies with a part-time job, though it has caused a slight delay in completing my program.