Millie

7. Milly Mercy.JPG

Millie is one of the Erasmus+ students that studied at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen in 2022. Millie is a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

'We were at Hanze with six students from UCU in total. Three students were from business studies and three from the social work study programme. I knew the social work students from class and we met up with the business school students before we left Uganda to get to know each other beforehand.'

'During my stay at Hanze I did a minor in Applied Positive Psychology. This is a minor that is not offered at UCU. At UCU most of the psychology classes are at Master level, there is only the full-time bachelor in psychology. Because psychology is part of social work, the minor related very well to my studies.'

'Both UCU and Hanze are very diverse, practical schools where you can apply what you have learnt. At UCU you are first taught the theory for a few semesters and in a later semester you get to apply it, so it’s separate. At Hanze you apply the theory while you learn.'

'The Dutch lifestyle really impacted me, especially how things are managed. The ball is in your hand. For you to survive, you have to manage many aspects in your life. It helped me to sit down with myself and prioritise different things. Being in Holland helped me train that and I see growth in myself. My perspective on life changed. Sometimes you just have to breathe. Do your best and if you fail, try again.'

'I’m still in touch with the friends I made there. I believe those networks and friendships are the future. After graduation, I want to apply for a Master and volunteer at a refugee camp. During my time at Hanze I worked at a refugee camp in Leek and really saw help was needed and that’s why I want to help the camps in Northern Uganda. Job opportunities in my field are on the rise, so it’s important to start looking for the opportunities and put my skills out there.'