Having lived the life of a full-time European Studies student for the past three years, I find it harder and harder not to see what people mean when they say that these are the best years of your life. Sure there are the major projects, the late night cram sessions and those days on which the library starts to feel like your home, but on the other hand it might be the closest thing to having the perks of living an adult life, without having to bear all the responsibilities. Sure tuition fees and rent still need to be paid, but that’s nothing a part time job can’t fix.

This September, however, marked a change because it meant switching from being a full time student, to a full time intern. For me personally, I should say that I was awaiting this change with a mixed feeling of enthusiasm and a healthy dose of fear. As it turned out I was not alone in this, which was slightly comforting, as many of my classmates confessed to experiencing the same feelings.
Enthusiasm, because it was something other than what we had grown accustomed to, and we would finally get a taste of what life after graduation might be like. Fear, because we all had to start asking ourselves: what is it that we can actually do? Sure the past three years of education has taught us many different skills, but how do these relate to actual everyday working life? It was time for a ‘taste of real life’ so to say, but what would real life have in store for us and were we prepared?

However, as it turned out, the first big hurdle for every student in my year who started their internship came with the change in working hours. No more picking your own schedule and non-mandatory attendance. From now on, it’s nine to five every day of the week. No more chance of cancelled classes, or staying out until late on a weekday. After the initial change in routine, more important factors come into play. Are you doing a good job? Are your employers happy with the work you have delivered? Do you ask enough questions, or do you ask too many? In most cases however, the initial fear will most likely prove to have been unnecessary.

As for my own internship, it’s taking place right here, at the ELM office. Since starting here, at the beginning of September, I have gotten over these initial challenges and found my place within the team. The absolute best thing about working at the ELM office is the fact that I get to work in such an international team and atmosphere. Being a European Studies student, working in an international environment has always been one of my ambitions. The reason for this can still be traced back to the year I spent abroad, travelling through Australia. All the crazy, sweet and fun people I met there, with all their different backgrounds and stories were a strong incentive for me to choose such an international oriented study program after my return.

Although studying European Studies has not always proven to be exactly as international as I had hoped, (last year the number of Dutch students in my class outnumbered the internationals 15 to 2), being able to go on exchange in the third year more than made up for it. Living in Budapest for half a year was enough to make me fall in love with the city. Not only that, I also got the chance to learn in a completely different environment, and met so many great people from all over the world again. No matter what might happen in the future, I will always remember that great experience.

More or less fresh out of exchange, working in an international atmosphere was a great incentive for me to pursue an internship here at the ELM office, and it has proven to be the right choice. Even though I have chosen to stay in The Netherlands this time, there are still lots of opportunities for me to still get a taste of that international feeling.

Even though I have only recently started my internship, it already brings up a lot of questions as to what to do after graduation. With only one more year to go some difficult choices will have to be made. Should I enter a master program, travel some more, or do I want to find a job straight away? And if so, that might bring the most difficult questions of them all: Which job should it be? What do I want to do? In some way it is the same process as looking for an internship all over again. Only this time, the choice will feel even more permanent, and without any kind of safety net anymore, perhaps also more important.

Personally, I have not figured it out yet. I’m not even close. However, I am looking forward to learning a lot more here at the ELM office and through that, figure out what my next steps will be.

Nique Brinkman – Expertise in Labour Mobility.

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