Introduction, rugby and deers #LifeasaNyenrodian

Daniël Smith, MSc in Management student, reflects on his pre-master journey and his experience playing rugby at Nyenrode.

''December 4, 2017. It is the first time I am writing about my Nyenrode experience. Reflecting on my time at Nyenrode up to now, I come to the realization that I have had a lot of new experiences. Let me share some of these with you.

It is the middle of August, more than 150 young bright people from all corners of the world meet on an estate in Breukelen. It is half past 8 in the morning and we are about to start with our true Nyenrode Experience.

In the past days we’ve moved our belongings to campus and got to meet each other. But now, our introduction period starts. At a quarter to nine we pass through the door and our roller coaster ride begins.

In just a short time period (at the start we did not know how long it would take) we get to know each other and share a lot of highs but also some lows. Although it was not always easy, I do really appreciate the introduction experience as a quick way to get to know each other well.

Fast forward two months. On a slightly cold day in October, the young dogs of Rugbyclub Nijenrode had their first match.

For many of us (including me) it is the first time to play a real Rugby match. In the past few months, we trained at our home turf in Breukelen to prepare for this match.

The match against the young dogs of USRS (Utrechtse Studenten Rugby Society) started at 6 PM in Utrecht. We started off slightly anxious and nervous which resulted in an early score by USRS. We thought the match was lost in the first 10 min of the game. However, we got a pleasant surprise. About 40 fellow (predominantly female) Nyenrodians came to support us singing and carrying torches. Thanks to this influx of support, we started to play better and better. In the second half we even were ahead! But in the end our fitness (or lack of) proved to be our main issue and we lost in the last minutes of the game. Needless to say the third half was won by Nyenrode.

The last experience I want to share is about a night in November. We had just finished our exams and assignments of the pre-master. This meant that it was time for some fun and social activities which all ended in the bar on campus. It was long past midnight and I decided that it was bedtime for me. So, upon leaving the bar I headed to my room. Along the way, I passed the deer and the stag was bellowing. Where in the Netherlands can you hear this so close to your home? Once again I was reminded about the gorgeous estate Nyenrodians live on.

Writing this down has made me realize what a truly unique and special experience studying at Nyenrode is. From the beautiful estate where we live to all the fun and social activities that you are able to participate. ''