Isa Waterink

About Isa

My name is Isa and I am a student of International Relations & International Organization. I am from Overijssel but have moved to Groningen in 2023. Currently I am an active member of SIB (Student Association for IR) and play volleyball at Donitas twice a week. Outside of studying I love to read a lot, play the piano, have dinner with friends and play videogames.

Why IRIO?

I first found out about IRIO because a relative was studying it. A year after, I started trying several MUN debates and discovered how limited my view of the world really was. Naturally, I got very curious. As a kid you eventually realise that the world is much bigger than your backyard and this was the moment that I found it stretched even further.  

I mainly chose IRIO because it is highly relevant. For me it got really exciting because everything you can learn is applicable to real-world news items and current debates. The idea of being able to dissect global issues beyond generalisations like e.g. ‘this country/thing is bad’ but towards ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ was very appealing to me. Because of this, IRIO seemed like the best study for me since it has a a lot of different subjects. You get a toolbox with international History, Economics, Law, Political Science, Philosophy etc. Additionally, I thought Groningen’s study was unique because it offers a language component. I was considering pursuing fields like diplomacy and removing language barriers comes in very useful.

Why Groningen?

Besides the fact that I liked the study, I chose Groningen because of the vibes, ‘gezelligheid’ and student culture. It is full of students and I’ve found that there is a lot of activities and organisations. I also really liked the academy building (that IRIO actually has the lectures in) because it makes me feel like an ‘actual’ student. However, it also helped that the housing is more affordable than the rest of The Netherlands and that my family is not too far away.

Future

So far, I’ve tried to keep my options open to do Diplomacy for The Netherlands or work at the UN. For example, I have started taking extra Arabic and joined committees within my association. Still, I feel like there is a lot of opportunities I have not yet explored, like journalism or attempt a PhD. One thing I do know is that I definitely want to do a master’s abroad to speak my chosen language(s) and discover new cultures. 

Golden tip

Don’t get into a study because it ‘sounds fun or easy’, but look at the courses and see if they resonate with you. You’ll last way longer that way.

Also, I had a full ‘hard’ science profile in secondary school. I would advise anyone to not be scared of a new direction: it actually made IR more fun to me than many experienced students. There is always free academic writing courses or other services if you have troubles. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!