Nikki Mennen (Netherlands)

Hi! I’m Nikki. I’m originally from the Netherlands and came all the way to Bournemouth to study an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. After I arrived in Bournemouth in September last year, the weather quickly turned into winter. As I’m not leaving until September this year, I get to see a lovely summer in the UK as well. Let me tell you about my experience of spending my summer in Bournemouth.

Master Thesis

Before telling you about all the fun I had this summer lying on the beach and doing cool activities, I will be honest with you most of my time up until August, I spent studying at the Talbot Campus. I am graduating from BU soon so I am now working on my Master Thesis to make sure this graduation actually happens. Let’s not complain too much: as I am studying for an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing, I am writing the beginning of a children’s novel for my thesis, which is kind of a dream come true.

If you want to know more about my Master Thesis, check out my blog about my favourite project at BU here. 

Lazy beach days

Apart from my nerdy uni-days, I spent lots of time on the beach as well. I live just a 15-minute walk from the beach, so I try to go there as much as possible during the week. Chilling on my blanket on the beach is the perfect relaxation after studying all morning. “Don’t you live in the UK?!” my friends and family asked me looking at my tan in May.

Being active

On the days that I’m not studying – mostly the weekends – I love to be a bit more active. Some of favourite things to do include hiking down the coastline, going for a bike ride or visiting other cities in the area with friends. There’s plenty of cool things to do in and around Bournemouth, including kayaking, surfing, hiking, museums, shows, etc.

Family and friends visiting

As my home country is not that far away, I had lots of friends and family visiting me in Bournemouth. Of course, we did a lot of fun things too during these visits, like seeing other cities, going on long hikes and having lots of nice dinners.

Nikki Mennen, The Netherlands, MA in Creative Writing and Publishing 2017/18