Hubald Verzijl
'Ever since I was young, I’ve been mad about technology. I quickly knew I wanted to do a degree in technology after my pre-university education, but which one? I decided on Mechanical Engineering because of its broad technical foundation and because you can choose from so many Master’s tracks after your Bachelor’s.
The first year is mainly about getting acquainted with the subjects, primarily mathematics and physics. I’m now in my second year and the subjects are becoming increasingly more detailed. We’re also applying the knowledge we’ve gained to theoretical situations. I surprise myself sometimes on being able to calculate things I never thought possible two years ago!
After six years of secondary school, studying in Delft took a little getting used to. I didn’t expect the step from school to university to be so great. You are expected to be self-disciplined by preparing properly for all of the courses, for example. It’s simply not possible to start working just a few days before the examination. But also living in digs was new to me! It’s not only great fun and you get to know many people in this way, you also learn a lot of practical things too. Every evening someone needs to cook, for example, and your parents aren’t there to get you out of bed in the morning!'