Student story Aveline Hijlkema

After finishing the master’s Human Movement Sciences at the University of Groningen, I wanted to extend my knowledge about lifestyle and health and the impact of exercise and physical activity on health. The online master’s Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health was the perfect study programme for me to gain knowledge about nutrition as a lifestyle factor associated with health and risk of disease. Since this master’s is online and on a part-time basis, I was able to combine my study with my professional sports career. I did not have to move house to Wageningen and could continue studying during training camps.

I really appreciated the interaction with fellow students from all over the world. It was nice to collaborate with people with different backgrounds and ambitions. The content of the courses is very diverse, ranging from physiology to policy and statistics. Due to different pre-education, some courses are easier for some students than others, but we were able to help each other via the online discussion platform. Also, there is a lot of interaction with the course moderators. Despite the distance, lecturers and programme staff are always there for you when you have questions.

The WUR week in my second year was definitely the most special week of the master’s programme. During this week it was finally time to meet all my fellow students and lecturers in real life. We did a variety of activities and got to know the university. I can imagine that it would also be great to study on campus, and it was my intention to visit Wageningen more often during my thesis. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic this was not possible. Nevertheless, I worked on a very interesting topic and I appreciated the flexibility and opportunity to follow my own interests.

In the first year after my graduation, I worked as an online tutor. I recently started with my job at VHL University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden. Soon I will also start to work as a research assistant at the HVA in Amsterdam, the place where I carried out my internship for this master’s.