A mix of everything

The idea that you'll go on to a university of applied sciences (HBO) after HAVO (higher general secondary education) is often seen as the norm. I believe that as a HAVO graduate, you shouldn't only focus on further education at the HBO (higher professional education) level. If a vocational (MBO) program seems more appealing to you, go for it!

After graduating from high school, he started a university of applied sciences program. "Logistics engineering. It turned out not to be my field of study. Some subjects were a lot harder than I'd thought; statistics and mathematics... And there were a lot of reports to write, which wasn't my thing at all."

Gijs dropped out of college and looked for a temporary job. That job landed him at Summa Engineering a year later. "I worked at a dog food factory, where I operated a machine for a long time. Those sensors, the movements—I loved it. And when someone came by to program the machine, I thought: 'That looks interesting!'"

Gijs started looking online for a new program. "I initially considered mechanical engineering, but I found that too mechanical." With mechatronics, everything fell into place. "Summa Engineering offers a Mechatronics Technician program. It's a mix of everything: mechanical, electrical, and a bit of programming. Very broad; that's what makes it so challenging! It was a perfect fit."

Gijs is currently in his third year. What he'll do next is still completely open. "Because I'm getting a very broad education now, I can still go in any direction. I might specialize further, perhaps a two-year university of applied sciences program, or maybe I'll find a good internship where I can start right away."