I don't believe in fate. I think this idea is linked to fear, the fear of regrets, of not having seizing an opportunity, a chance, at a given moment. I want to be the master of my life, of my time and give myself all the keys possible to direct my destiny. That's why I try to do as many things as possible, all the time.
I saw (and I still see) in this Erasmus year the way to discover the world and myself at the same time. For me, this means trying to do as many activities as possible.
Cultural hobbies
My father passed on his interest in art through movies and music to me. As I grew up, I developed my taste and discovered my own artistic world. I started to be interested in several types of music and movies, spent Saturday afternoons in museums, and looked at exhibitions of paintings, photos, and pieces of fashion designers or designers. I wanted to continue these cultural activities in Groningen. This access to culture has always been facilitated by my geographical proximity to Paris, the city symbolizing art. However, I wanted to continue to extend this connection to art by taking advantage of all cultural places that this city in the north of the Netherlands has to offer.
I discovered the Groningen cultural association USVA. They offer many courses taught in Dutch or English to learn an artistic discipline, painting, theater, video editing, musical instrument, or photo editing software. These courses are offered at reduced rates for Groningen students ranging from 60 to 190€ for five two-hour sessions. I chose to take Photoshop classes first. I had never used this software before and I felt that these courses could be an opportunity to familiarize myself with a new way of creating and that these new software skills could be useful both in my personal and professional life. In addition, I signed up for a painting class to develop my skills, especially in portraiture.
Moreover, there are two cinemas in Groningen: the Pathé cinema and the one in the Forum, the cultural center of Groningen which is mainly the library where the students study. Each of these two cinemas offers a completely different range of films. In the Pathé you can watch the new blockbusters and in the Forum cinema a selection of independent films. Going to the cinema is expensive, especially here, where it costs about 12 euros for a movie. For a student, this is quite expensive. These two cinemas offer a pass for unlimited access at 17.5 (Forum) or 21 euros (Pathé) each month. I pay every month for the cinéville card of the Forum which takes me to discover or rediscover old or recent productions of directors from different countries. I have also seen some very interesting exhibitions in the synagogue of Groningen and I have been several times in the two museums of the city.
Invest in your culture, you will never regret it!
Professional activity
That's why I wanted to have a job in a Dutch company. I also wanted to seize my chance to discover a new professional environment that was still unknown to me, the restaurant business. Each of my professional experiences taught me a lot. Thus, having a job in a country other than France seemed ideal to learn more about cultural differences in the professional world. I was not disappointed at all by this experience. It was particularly enriching and made me see other facets of management. I now know that in the Netherlands, it is the relationship of trust and respect that prevails between employers and employees. The trust that my manager has toward me has been very valuable.
If I ever get to manage, I will inevitably remember this working experience in Groningen. I am now convinced of the importance of trust and appreciation within a company and that it is this esteem for others that is necessary to unite a team and bring out the qualities of each person.
Sport
There is a sports campus in Groningen called ACLO. As a student at the University, you have access, for 60 euros per year, to all the sports you can imagine. From tennis, ice skating, to pole dancing or even climbing. In total, 100 sports are available, making it an incredibly diverse sports campus. As soon as I heard about this card, I ran to the campus to register, the sport had already started!
I signed up for the badminton club without hesitation. Indeed, I played this sport from the age of 9 to 17. I was used to going to my weekly classes and playing in competitions. I had to stop when I arrived at the IUT because my very busy schedule did not allow me to follow the courses proposed by my club. Therefore, I was very happy to reconnect with this discipline when I arrived in Groningen. It is also possible at ACLO to reserve land for sports. I have played a lot with friends, both beginners and experienced players, and these sessions have always been both entertaining and fun.
"Activity leads to proactivity"
I just discovered this quote by John Rohn. I truly feel that I wrote this myself as it has always been my mantra.