Learning goals

Looking ahead to year 4, I see this phase as a transition from being a student towards becoming a starting professional.

Based on my experiences in year 2 and 3, I am no longer only exploring what I like, but actively starting to build something for my future.

Minor Project Van Je Leven

During the first half year of year 4, I will follow a minor in Utrecht where I have the opportunity to define my own project and work on this intensively.

For me, this is the moment to fully focus on something I have been building over the past year: expanding my marketing business.

During my internship in Portugal, I already took the first steps by creating a business plan, building a portfolio, and making a list of potential clients in The Netherlands. This showed me that this direction fits me. It combines creativity, marketing, independence, and the ability to work remotely.

My goal for this minor is to turn this into an active and running business, where I support companies with social media and marketing while working location independently. This strongly connects to my personal vision of combining work, travel, and creativity.

I am super excited to start building my business. This is something I have been trying to do the last few years, but did not fully succeed because of time and knowledge shortage. 

Participating in this minor will hopefully give me this time and knowledge so I can finally build something I have wanted to do for a very long time.

I am super excited and wonder how everything will work out.

Graduation project

For the second half of year 4, I will focus on my graduation assignment.

Although I am not fully certain yet where I want to go, I know that I want to return to an environment similar to my internship, such as surf and yoga settings in countries like Portugal, Spain, or Australia.

The goal here is not only to gain experience, but to deepen my knowledge in marketing within the leisure and tourism industry, international working environments, and experience-based businesses.

By choosing a different setting than my previous internship, I aim to challenge myself further and expand my perspective

Deeper development goals

Looking at my development so far, I realize that my main learning points have stayed quite consistent: discipline, consistency, and teamwork. However, in year 4 I want to go deeper than just repeating these points.

Instead of only focussing on the surface level, I want to understand the underlying patterns behind my behavior.

To ensure focused an effective development in year 4, I have translated my goals into SMART goals. By making the goals SMART, I create more clarity and accountability for myself. This helps me not only define what I want to achieve, but also how I will get there.

These goals are not only focused on performance, but also on personal growth. Combining my creative strengths with the structure and discipline I still need to develop

Develop consistent structure
By the end of the next year, I will create and follow a weekly planning routine that breaks my creative ideas into concrete tasks with deadlines. I will review my progress every Friday to measure how well I translate inspiration into structured action.

Strengthen consistency in my work
In the next school year, I will complete at least 90% of my planned weekly tasks, regardless of fluctuating motivation, by using tools like time‑blocking and prioritization to stay on track even when interest varies.

Improve my role in group dynamics
During the next group project I have, I will consciously practice balanced participation in every group project by setting a personal intention before each meeting (either “step back” or “step in”) and reflecting afterward on whether I followed through.

Make conscious, aligned choices
For the next year, I will evaluate big and small decisions by using a short checklist based on my values and growth goals, ensuring that each choice aligns with who I am and who I want to become.

Understand target groups more deeply
In every project next year, I will conduct at least two forms of audience research (interviews, surveys, observation, or persona building) and use the insights to design experiences that emotionally resonate with the target group.

Apply trust‑based collaboration
For the next group project or team work setting, I will intentionally practice trust, observation, and acceptance in team settings by delegating at least one responsibility per project and giving space for others’ ideas before offering my own.

Integrate sustainability from the start
In all new concepts I develop next year, I will include a sustainability assessment during the ideation phase and document at least three concrete sustainable choices in each project.

Stay aware of tourism impact
For every tourism‑related project I will do next year, I will research the local community and environmental impact and include at least two measures that reduce harm or support local well‑being.

Align business goals with social responsibility
In all professional or academic projects this year, I will evaluate concepts using a dual‑lens framework (business value + social responsibility) and ensure that at least one decision per project explicitly supports both.

    To dive a little bit more deep into my big goals for next year, I formulated them SMART with a little bit more dept.

    Goal 1 – building my marketing business
    S: I want to develop my marketing activities into an active business where I provide social media content creation services for companies
    M: by the end of the minor, I will have at least 3 active clients, a complete online portfolio, and a clear service offering
    A: I have already created a business plan, portfolio draft, and client list
    R: this goal aligns with my interest in marketing, creativity, and my vision to work location independently
    T: to be achieve by the end of the minor

     

    Goal 2: developing international experience through graduation
    S: I want to complete my graduation assignment in an international surf/ yoga organization
    M: I secure a graduation placement abroad
    A: based on my internship experience and my network, I have a good starting point
    R: this aligns with my passion for travel, experience design, and international work environments
    T: to be completed during the 2th half of the year

     

    Goal 3: increasing structure and consistent
    S: I want to improve my discipline by creating more structure in my work process
    M: I want to work with a weekly planning system for at least 80% of the semester, avoid last-minute work, and meet internal deadlines consistently
    A: I will use tools such as weekly planning and breaking tasks into smaller steps
    R: this directly addresses one of my main development points
    T: to be applied consistently throughout the entire year

    See you next year

    As I look ahead to the coming school year, I feel a sense of excitement I haven’t felt in a long time. It truly feels like the year I’ve been waiting for, a moment where everything I’ve learned finally comes together, and I can start building something that feels my own.

    Over the past years, I’ve learned an incredible amount of theories. I’ve gained knowledge, skills, and insights that I can now apply with intention. At the same time, I want to be honest: there were many moments when I felt disconnected from the work I was doing. I often found myself working at projects that didn’t fully interest me, and that lack of connection sometimes left me feeling tired, unmotivated, and creatively stuck.

    In those moments, I kept looking forward to year four, the year where I could finally shape my own direction, explore what truly inspires me, and create work that reflects who I am and who I want to become.

    Now that this moment is here, I feel ready. Ready to take ownership, to challenge myself, and to turn everything I’ve learned into something meaningful.

    This year is not just another step in my education, it’s the beginning of a chapter where I can grow with purpose, create with authenticity, and build a foundation for the future I want.