In this week’s Minor Monday we present: free choice minors by Kira and Manu.

Kira

For me, it seems unbelievable – looking back- that I started checking out courses for my minor already last November… Actually, my self-chosen minor changed a lot last minute. courses I  have now, I only took in the first week of the period, as I heard from friends about them and realized they fit my interest much more. Originally, I planned on taking courses about Research Methods related to Environmental Quality (resulting in the phenomenal title ‘Research methods for Environmental Quality’). I somehow ended up with ‘Exploring the Future of Food and Farming’, a Human Rights course, Ecosystem Sciences and a course on Transdisciplinarity, Risk and European Eel populations. The last course included a policy simulation where we could explore in interdisciplinary teams first-hand how governance processes work in regard to wicked problems, such as climate change or biodiversity decline.  I really enjoy expanding the breadth of the BTO program as tourism links to so many scientific fields of expertise!

As I chose some extra courses the past year, I take the third period off this year. I will use the time to gather some practical knowledge as I really miss that during online education!

Manu

When first applying for the Bachelor of Science Tourism, I really wanted to study at Wageningen.

Thus, last year I already anticipated coming here and enjoying some more in-depth environmental courses. First, I thought I would do a thematic minor, as it seems easy cause you don’t need to schedule your courses individually. Then Covid-19 came, which was for most of the students catastrophic as all their plans needed to change. For me, Covid-19 is not positive either (lol) BUT it enabled me to take an extra course in the last period in addition to our online international fieldtrip.

Long story short: I finally could choose for courses that focus on my interests and are not tourism specific; permaculture, organic agriculture and communicative courses. I put them all together and called it “The Environmental and Social Dimension of Sustainability” – et voilà – my very own free choice minor with title. As I had already taken an extra course in period 6, I chose to include that course in my minor and have a period off (hello vacay January – looking at u) or use it to study research methods 2 😉

In short, we are both very happy with the minor that we chose in Wageningen, so we highly recommend future BSc Tourism students to look into this option of creating your own minor.

You might wonder, what else has Wageningen to offer? Here are some inspirations:

  • Walk up the hill and watch the sunset in the botanic garden (yes we have a hill);
  • Go to the market on Wednesday and Saturday;
  • Study in Forum or Gaia – also open on Sundays;
  • Join a student association (there is everything, from tennis to book club and student farm);
  • Check out Thuis!
  • Save the world from threats like climate change and biodiversity loss (even if you are not in Wageningen)

See you next Minor Monday!