I’m a busy bee! During the week, I usually juggle between my bachelor’s programme, work, and Honours College. I spend most of my days, from the early morning until very late at night, around the Harmonie and the Academy buildings. But what am I doing all day? Here’s what I study:

Media Studies

What is my programme like?

The Media Studies BA programme is a very diverse programme, which is what makes it so fun. It’s made so that every year, students receive a balance between theory, method, and practical courses. The first year acts as a general introduction to the field of Media Studies, including some history and theory courses, but also challenging the students to apply the knowledge. At the end of the year there’s a really cool course called Social Lab, in which you work directly with a client as media consultants. Best part about it? All the clients are real local businesses (like Tucano Coffee and Smooth Brothers). 

However, the second year is when it really gets interesting, as that is when you pick your profile. A profile is basically an interest track in which you want to specialize. I, for example, chose Audiovisual Culture, but there are 4 other different profiles to choose from. I’d say that Media Studies isn’t as mind-bogglingly hard as Economics or Psychology, but it definitely does require its due effort! We spend a good amount of our time doing readings, too. Since it’s also a relatively small study, you get to know all the amazing professors in no time (and they get to know you too!) It ends up feeling like a very familiar environment, which is something that I quite enjoy.


How are the exams?

I believe that most (if not all) exams in the Media Studies programme are digital, short-essay answer exams. For me, these exams usually require very good preparation ahead of time, as I’ll need to not only memorize the theories, but also really understand how to develop and apply them. However, we don’t have exams for every class. Some classes have papers or group projects as the final assessments. This means that some blocks we may have one or two exams, and some blocks we may have none. Make no mistake though, I’ve had friends who say “you have no exams this block, your study must be so easy”. Wrong, I’m most likely at the UB stressing out like everyone else, trying to cram two papers and one group project into ten days. 

My favorite part about the programme

My absolute favorite part about the programme are all the practical courses. They allow me to really get creative and challenge myself in a professional way. However, the real MVP of the Media Studies programme is how customizable it is thanks to the profiles and the electives. You can really take the programme and make it your own.

Honours College

What is the programme like?

The Honours College (HC) works as a 45-ECTS extension to your bachelor’s programme. It’s designed in a very complex way, I won’t lie, but it’s an incredibly rewarding programme. I basically have a combination of skills, broadening, and deepening modules every semester. Deepening modules are courses from your own Faculty, and Broadening modules are courses from other faculties. Skills are fun courses such as debate or effective teamwork. In the HC, you’re allowed to pick the majority of your courses, meaning that it’s a very flexible programme as well. When I chose to apply, I did so precisely because I loved the idea of being able to take courses from other faculties and expand my knowledge beyond my Media programme.

The workload for the courses is a lot, but that’s just something that comes along with being an HC student. The majority of the courses are also taught during the nights, which can make the days very tiring on top of your bachelor’s. For example, some days, I’d have class from early in the morning, until 10pm! However, that is all made up by how interesting the courses are! I may be trying really hard not to fall asleep mid-lecture, but where else would I ever get to take a course on stem cell biology as a media student? It definitely has its perks!

What are the exams like?

Easy. The HC courses have no exams. They do have very tough final assignments though, which means you’ll most likely be writing lots of papers. Nevertheless, some courses are extra nice and have creative assignments as the final, such as making a vlog or creating a scientific brochure.

My favorite part

Definitely how flexible and customizable the programme is. I’ve taken courses from the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Law, plus some really great courses from Arts.