Young Talent Encouragement Awards for five Bachelor’s students Science

Every year, the best first-year students in Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Physics of a university receive a Young Talent Encouragement Award from the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities. The prize includes a cash award of 500 euros. Utrecht had five winners this year because two math students, Thomas Bakx and Bas Verseveldt, took mere tens for their exams. Marjolein de Jager received the award for Physics, Arnold Kole for Chemistry and Ivo Gabe de Wolff for Computer Science. Who are these young bright minds, what brought them to Utrecht and how have they experienced their first year?

They were all very surprised when they got the message, because they did not know such a prize exists. And for the 500 euros none of them as yet has a clear use. Also notable is that they are all interested broader than in that one bachelor. Therefore it is great that you can do double bachelors in Utrecht, so you don’t have to choose. The step from secondary school to university? Not nearly as big as expected. Living in lodgings was what they most needed getting used to.

Arnold Kole combined four profiles in secondary school and found it difficult to choose between Chemistry and Physics. So he enrolled in the combined Bachelor’s study programme. “Utrecht University is the only place in the Netherlands that offers a special combined study programme, and the atmosphere here appealed to me more than that at the other universities." He earned an average grade of 9 for all of the first-year courses, because the lab courses brought down his average from a perfect 10. >> Read more

Bas Verseveldt reached the finals for both the Mathematics and the Physics Olympiad and had difficulty choosing between Mathematics and Physics. He first considered studying at one of the technical universities, but learned that they mainly deal with how you apply math or physics in practice, instead of the structure behind it. So now he is doing the double Bachelor’s programme in Utrecht. During the first year, he earned perfect 10s for all of his Math exams. Studying suits him very well. “The courses are interesting and the atmosphere is relaxed.” >> Read more

Ivo Gabe de Wolff has been programming since he was thirteen and won the prize for the best puzzle game at the Creative Game Challenge of Utrecht University. So the choice to study Computer Science was soon fixed. After some considerations he decided to try the combination with Mathematics. By the end of the first year, he had earned an average grade of 9.5 for both study programmes. He really enjoyed his first year at the university. “The courses were fun and the atmosphere is pleasant.”  >> Read more

Marjolein de Jager has a talent for all exact sciences, her pre-university school diploma shows perfect ‘10s’ for Physics, Mathematics B and Chemistry. She considered enrolling in Biomedical Sciences, but in the end choose for the pure science of Physics. She completed her first year with an average grade of 9. In addition to her studies, she plays in the student handball club’s competition team, is a member of the Theatre Committee at her student association A-Eskwadraat and follows the Honours programme of Physics. And no, she never feels one of the few girls. "It's just very pleasant, I feel at home here." >> Read more

Thomas Bakx is a Bachelor’s student in Mathematics and Physics and does very well, even though for physics he “didn’t even” earn an 8 on the central secondary school exam. But in his first year at the university, he never earned a grade of less than 8.5 for any course, and he completed all of his mathematics exams with a perfect 10. He really finds the knowledge he gains here interesting and also wants to take courses at other study programmes, such as Computer Science and Biology. When he came to study in Utrecht, he knew absolutely no-one, but he has settled in just fine. >> Read more