Almost a year ago, Marek Wittenberg (25) quit his job to go back to university. He was looking forward to his Master’s degree in European Studies, he said in September. Both the degree and the life that comes with it. “I knew this would be a last chance to enjoy the spontaneity of student friendships.”
Backdrop to adventures
Was it everything he had hoped? “And better,” he says over the phone. “I wasn’t worried about my social skills, but you have to get lucky and meet people you have chemistry with. And now I’m on a beach in Greece with a load of fellow students, all friends I met this year.”
The thesis has been handed in, the last few weeks have been about saying goodbye. “To international friends who have gone home and to the city. Maastricht has been an amazing backdrop to our adventures.” Wittenberg will soon be leaving to go back to his parents in Dordrecht. “For now. I have a job lined up in Amsterdam for the summer. I don’t know where I’ll go after that yet.”
The next chapter
He has had his fair share of applications and rejections – a job is taking its time to manifest. “I’m not worried about it yet, something will turn up. And of course, your first job after you graduate doesn’t have to be perfect.” He is interested in journalism, culture and of course, Europe. “Before this, I did an HBO Bachelor’s in European Studies in The Hague, but that was too broad. Many graduates there moved on to things like marketing and communication. During my Master’s, I learnt much more about the institutions of the European Union and what it’s like to work there.” So his sights are set more on Brussels. “But my dream job may be something I don’t even realise exists yet.”
Wherever he ends up, he is ready for the next chapter. “Studying is an investment in yourself, now I want to reap the rewards. I want to put what I learnt into practice, to be a part of something bigger and do my bit.”