Student testimonial
First impressions on Biosystems Engineering
Hola! My name is Guillermo and I am 23 years old. Although I have a German/Dutch appearance (blond beard), do not get confused! I am a Spanish guy who came to the Netherlands to discover this amazing country. I did my Biotechnology bachelor's in Barcelona (Spain) and even though they were the best four years in my life, I decided to come to Wageningen to do my MSc in Biosystems Engineering.
In my opinion, the best thing in Wageningen is the people.
Study choice
Biotechnology is a very broad field which is quite new, but it has been very efficacious in the last decade. During my bachelor's, I discovered my passion which is the wise use of biological knowledge in order to achieve several humans’ goals. My interest and passion for the science and how to use this knowledge to benefit the world made me choose Wageningen University & Research as the place I wanted to broaden my knowledge. This study relates engineering to biological interactions, the two needed elements which can bring a laboratory discovery to an asset, for instance, reduce the greenhouse emission or even produce energy from litter.
Study programme
My main interest goes out to biological interactions and how to practically apply them. Therefore I have chosen to specialise myself in Biobased Chemistry and Technology. The master's programme has some fixed courses which are mandatory. After that, courses for the specialisation can be attended along with some additional free courses to broaden your knowledge spectrum.
Most of the courses contain besides the theoretical lectures, also practical work and they are performed in groups, generally national and international students are mixed. The multidisciplinary point of view of the university and the freedom you have to build up your own programme was very important to me. All of it allowed me to study a master's programme which was out of my background but still enjoy it and be challenged equally.
Student life
Wageningen is a green, tiny and cute village in the core of the Netherlands. Life in Wageningen happens within a very small range and you can go everywhere by bike. I would always recommend joining a student association or even better a sports association if you are an international student. Believe me, all good stories (and beers) can be found at the Sportcentre de Bongerd.
In my opinion, the best thing in Wageningen is the people. You will not find the fanciest pubs or the streets completely crowd but the closest and unbreakable friendships you can barely think about. I am already looking forward to my new adventure but I would never regret the two years I have lived and all the awesome friends I have met in Wageningen.