Kicking of the School Year at HOPWeek

During the final week of August, I attended the HOPweek Orientation Programme in The Hague. By bringing together both Bachelors and Masters students of Leiden University the Hague Campus, the HOPweek was a fantastic way to start my college experience.

Smaller groups during HOPweek

My favorite part of the HOPweek was definetly the opportunity to meet my fellow Masters students. On the first day, I was assigned a group that I would join for the rest of the week. Each group had its own pair of mentors (students who already attended the University). I really appreciated being broken up into smaller groups as it allowed us to get closer to our teammates. Because the groups consisted of students from different academic programs, I was able to bond with people outside my specific study.

Throughout the week, we were given a lot of free time to explore the city by ourselves. Because we bonded so well, my group chose to stick together. We often enjoyed grabbing drinks at the Grote Markt or the Plein, which were both filled with casual bars and pubs. We also went to the famous Simonis fish restaurant where we tried to eat an entire fresh herring! Although I loved the herring, others of us did not enjoy it just as much.

My group got so close, that even after the week was over we continued to hangout on our own. In fact, they came to visit me in Rotterdam just the other day! Even though we surely will meet new people as the semester begins, I know that the group will always keep in touch.

Exploring Life in The Hague

My favorite events of the HopWeek were definetly those that explored the city. We started off with a tour of the city on the second day of the programme. Lucky for us, one of our mentors was actually studying to become a History teacher. Through his extended expertise of the city, we discovered the political and historical quarters of The Hague. We also stopped to take a picture in the Binnenhof, wearing traditional Dutch clothing. Later that day, we experienced the game of rolling Dutch cheese. As the name suggests, the point of the game was to see who could roll cheese the farthest. Even though we played with fake cheese rolls, it was lots of fun to experience the cultural game.

The third day of the HOPweek was also a great introduction to the city. After attending a faculty event in the morning, we went straight to Scheveningen for a beach day and evening party. By biking to Scheveningen, I learned a lot more about the layout of the city and how to get to the beach. Because the HOP team had booked an entire beach club for us, we really had the space and opportunity to experience beach life in the Netherlands and relax alongside our new friends. Included in our beach club, were different sports, including the chance to have a free windsurf lesson! I personally played some beach volleyball and soccer, but unfortunately had to stop short when I received a football straight in the face... ouch! For the rest of the day, I came to be known as the bandaid girl, but that did not stop me from enjoying the beach party at night! The party was definetly one of my favorite memories of the week. Because the HOP team had booked De Karavaan only for us, we had the entire space to chill out with new friends and appreciate the summer evening. With a fresh breeze and good music, the night could not have been better.

A Week to Remember

Although I came out of HOPweek sleep-deprived and a little hungry, it was memorable experience that I can recommend to all! The week was filled with activities and things to do (hence the little sleep). And even though the majority of participants were Bachelors students, it was still fun because it drew the Masters students that much closer.

In terms of meals, we did have daily lunches and dinners included within our HOPweek fee. I appreciated this as it allowed us to further spend time with our new friends. However, the meals did tend to be on the smaller side and it was often useful to bring an additional snack along. On the final evening, however, the Barbeque dinner was really good as we could cook as much food as we needed.

Overall, the week was a lot of fun and a great start to the school year. Now when I go to classes on September 4th, I know that I will already have familiar faces wherever I go.