Freshmen in corona time

Nur Younis from Spain can’t stop smiling. She loves everything about her move to Rotterdam: her studies in Management of International Social Challenges, her roommates in the Hatta Building, the people she meets while running.

Nur is staying in Rotterdam over Christmas. She has never been alone during the holidays before. She normally spends the time with family from all over Spain.

But don’t think that 19-year-old Nur doesn’t miss Spain. When you start talking about wanting to visit Madrid, Nur’s eyes start to twinkle. A series of tips follows very quickly, from fine restaurants to beautiful museums that she really recommends wholeheartedly.

German Paul Hartwig has always celebrated Christmas with his family in Germany. This year he is going back as well, but it all looks a little different.

Paul sees the walking interview as an opportunity to ask as many questions as he answers. After all, how do you get a nice job later? He is already thinking a lot about the future, but the present time also plays a role.

Svenja Hessberg, 19, is from Meinerzhagen,’a tiny town just an hour’s drive from Cologne’. She still can’t believe she was accepted into the International Bachelor of Communication and Media.

“We take Christmas very seriously in Germany. Christmas markets play a huge role for us,” says Svenja Hessberg, emphasising the word ‘huge’. Christmas markets have been cancelled, so she will have to do without the stalls selling glühwein and candied almonds.

Svenja tells us that during an introduction round with fellow students, the only thing that she shared was that she loves coffee. “Others all had their own blogs or magazines, and all I said was that I love coffee! I could have died of embarrassment.”

Alexandra hasn’t regretted her move from Romania for a second. Even if the Netherlands goes into lockdown and she is not allowed to go out at all. The new environment, people and study, it feels like an adventure.

Christmas still feels a long way off for Alexandra. The stress of the exams and the statistics program that keeps crashing is still prevalent.

Just going back to Bucharest for the baptism of your little brother. That was the plan of Alexandra. Her brand-new boyfriend could come along, since she would only be there for a week. Until her grandmother got corona, and her mother, and her sister, and also herself. For weeks Alexandra and her boyfriend sat inside the apartment with her mother and sister.