“I have the opportunity to study in many places in the world”

Paolina is "one of the girls" studying ICT at HZ

From a very early age, Paolina from Bulgaria was interested in everything related to computers, gaming and the technology behind it. So it comes as no surprise that studying Information & Communication Technology at HZ is the right fit for her. If you ask Paolina, HZ’s slogan ‘Where students matter’ is a big plus: “You can talk with everyone. People are just nice around here”. And the uniqueness of being a girl at an ICT study? Those times are behind us, because there are a lot more female students than she had expected. Paolina is merely "one of the many girls" in her class. Nothing special about that at HZ!

Choosing to study at HZ

Paolina’s choice to study abroad has everything to do with all the international connections that she is able to get here. In addition to that, HZ is unique in offering study programmes in which students learn, by doing real projects for real companies from the beginning. Paolina had never heard of such a thing anywhere else in Europe, let alone in her own country, Bulgaria. "When I heard about these real life cases, I was like: okay, this is my place”. And last but not least: “I’ve heard that the Dutch are one of the happiest people in the world, who wouldn’t find that appealing?!”

Technology for a better world

Before moving to Zeeland, Paolina attended an open day at HZ after a friend advised her to do so. Her own mission was clear: learning how technology can make the world a better place. While talking to an ICT lecturer about the projects, Paolina found out that she and HZ shared that same mission. It all sounded like music to her ears. Making a Virtual Reality for the elderly that would be helpful in their daily life, for example. And it turned out she couldn’t have had a better timing, since HZ was just launching a bachelor programme in English concerning Information & Communication Technology.

Teaching kids how to deal with cookies

Another great example of technology for a better world is Paolina’s first assignment at HZ. The project was about teaching children how to be safe on the internet in a playful way. Paolina and her fellow students came up with a videogame that focuses on the use of the cookie bar. “We all know it from opening a new web page, the 'accept all cookies' button. But what are you actually agreeing to when you click on it?”

After their research, Paolina’s project group started to work on the looks of the game. They came up with a character that collects litteral cookies in different shapes and flavours. Those actual cookies represent all the different terms of agreement. Any time the character puts a cookie in its basket, the game explains what the player is agreeing on. The prototype was being tested by a group of children, who then gave feedback. “They especially liked the character of the game”, Paolina tells proudly.

The future is bright

In the meantime, Paolina is working on other projects and she still has a lot ahead of her. For example, she is already thinking of doing an internship in yet another country. “HZ is giving me the opportunity to do so, which is great for international networking”. Paolina loves travelling and getting to know different cultures, but she can imagine returning to her country at one point after graduation: “I would like to implement what I have learnt at HZ, back in Bulgaria.” It’s an opportunity to contribute to the IT development in her own country.

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