Student testimonial
Student Huixin (Connie) - MSc Tourism, Society and Environment
Hi, my name is Connie and I am in my second year of the MSc Tourism, Society and Environment. I am from China and I just finished my thesis and am currently finishing my internship. Since I wanted to graduate on time, as I don’t want to ask too much from my parents as they have already supported me for the past 24 years, there was some overlap of finishing my thesis and starting my internship. So the past months have been very intense as you can imagine! The initial plan was to finish the thesis in March, but it was a lot harder so I had to work on both simultaneously. It was a good way to get familiar with the working life though!
’As I really value practical experience, this program really attracted me.
When did you first hear about your study programme and what did you think about it?
"I studied Leisure Service Management as a bachelor program in Taiwan, which I why I knew I wanted to continue to work in this field. I honestly never thought that I would end up going to the Netherlands. However when looking at websites on studying tourism, Wageningen spoke to me the most. Other programs are only a year and I just don’t think you can learn enough in that time span because half of it is your thesis. The MSc Tourism, Society and Environment allows you to take courses for a full year and then put it into practice, both during the thesis and internship. As I really value practical experience, this program really attracted me. The design of the program works really well in my opinion, where the first year is mainly focused on theory, period 6 is a transition period with Academic Consultancy Training or the European Workshop, and the second year focused on the practical experience."
Could you tell us something about the core courses of the program?
"In the first year, the courses are all set and I must say, it was super intense. The first period was very hard; adjusting to living in the Netherlands, keeping up with the workload of the courses and overcoming the language barrier was a challenge. I failed the first two courses of period 1. However, in period 2 I worked super hard and got the hang of it; I passed everything! From then on, everything starting to get easier. The grades got better and I even got an 8 for my thesis! To me, this first year was a transformative experience. This year was about deepening my knowledge in the sustainable tourism field but I also learned so much about doing research. In the beginning I couldn’t even finish a 5000 word essay and now I finished my 30000 word thesis! I am so happy I was able to witness my growth during this year. The difficulties I encountered shaped me into a more resilient and adaptable individual. Furthermore, the combination of courses, thesis and internship lead me to pursue my career passion as well as provide me with a chance to work both collectively and individually which enabled me to develop problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, the small-scale education (with 30 students in this program) allowed us to bond with each other."
What do you like best about studying in Wageningen?
"As I had not yet studied in the Netherlands before, the experience was different from what I expected. I went to Denmark on Erasmus and here the main focus was on the exotic experience and less on gaining knowledge and skills. The workload was therefore very different. However, as I have said before, this was a very valuable experience for me! What I like about Wageningen very much is the surroundings; there is so much green to visit!"
What do you do besides studying?
"I volunteer at UNICEF, in the promotion committee. We basically are in charge of the social media platform and everyone is assigned certain weeks to keep track of it. Furthermore, I practice yoga. At least four times a week I start my day with 10-15 minutes of yoga, and honestly it has kept me sane during these hectic months!"
What are your plans for the future?
"I am not sure yet! I want to work as a consultant in the sustainable tourism field, but I am not sure where yet. I would love to work in Europe, maybe even in the Netherlands. But I will definitely travel some more, with the first stop Switzerland to stay with a friend. The mountains are calling! ;)"