Hi! My name is Emy and I’m 21 years old. I was born and raised in a little village close to Eindhoven, but I moved to Rotterdam about 3 years ago. I’m currently in my masters of Strategy Economics at the Erasmus School of Economics and I’m finishing my bachelor’s in Taxation Law at the Erasmus School of Law (ESL).
Why did you choose this study programme?
I found choosing my study enormously difficult. At first, I always planned to study medicine, but after visiting several open days I had seen so many other nice studies that I didn't know what exactly I wanted. Eventually, I came across the Economics & Law study at KU Leuven; this programme really appealed to me as I’ve always liked economics in high school and I was always fascinated by all law-related topics I heard on the news. I then went to search for a similar program in the Netherlands and I ended up at Erasmus University. After attending a ‘student for a day’ of this study, I was enthusiastic about the program. Especially the fact that you follow two completely different studies at the same time appealed to me, because you can still go in many directions both during and after your studies. To this day, I am still very happy with my choice of study!
What is your favorite subject and/or favorite teacher?
I have several favorite subjects as the subjects for the Economics study are completely different from those from the Law and Taxation Law studies. For the Economics study, I really liked the courses Economics of Negotiation and Economics of Air Transport. Two completely different courses, although that also shows how diverse the study Economics can be. I really enjoyed the Economics of Negotiation course because it really taught me valuable techniques on how rational humans would tackle negotiations, but also the fact that most human aren’t perfectly rational and how to deal with this. Besides these more behavioral economics topics, we also discussed the game strategic choices that you must make during negotiations. The Economics of Air Transport is a completely different course, where the strategic choices of airlines, airports and other stakeholders were discussed in detail. This course focused on current trends, such as innovation and the sustainability of this industry, which made the course extremely enjoyable.
For Law and Taxation Law I thoroughly enjoyed the corporate law (“ondernemingsrecht”) course. This course had a lot of very interesting cases where we had to apply the (fiscal) laws in practice.
My favorite professor is Jolanda Hessels, who taught some courses during my major in Strategy Economics and my current master. She always explains things in a captivating way with a lot of enthusiasm, which makes it even more interesting.
What is the most interesting you learned so far?
The most interesting thing I learned so far is everything about innovations for both international firms as well as SMEs. We learned about the investment process, how to go about innovation itself and how to sustain a firm in a changing world.
Besides the ‘real’ study-related things I’ve learned since my time at the Erasmus University I’ve also developed myself in numerous ways. For example I’ve mastered time management, creative thinking and presenting, which I think are all very valuable traits.
What is your favorite study-break spot on campus?
My favorite study-break spot on campus is called ‘Bean Square’ which is located in Mandeville and in Theil. It’s a restaurant on campus where you can have a nice chat with friends over lunch. The dishes vary daily, so it’s always a surprise what you’ll find.
What is your best tip for doing fun things in Rotterdam?
For new students my best tip is to participate in all the fun activities that are organised by the Eurekaweek before the academic year starts. This is not only an amazing way to meet new people in your study, but also a great way to participate in a lot of different fun things as well as getting to know Rotterdam and the university. Another tip is to join your own study association. These association always organise a lot of fun things for their members, such as drinks and theme parties, but they also organise many ‘formal’ activities such as trainings, networking events and in-house days.
