'When I was a kid, I was really into gaming and sci-fi, especially Star Wars. In high school, I took computer science classes and fell in love with the subject. That’s when I first considered pursuing a bachelor’s degree in this field. During my search, I found the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme at Leiden University. It felt like a more specialised field compared to Computer Science, offering me the chance to become an expert rather than a generalist.
With a German and Brazilian background, and having lived in countries like Mozambique, Moldova, and Indonesia because of my dad's job, I’ve always been exposed to different cultures. So living in another country wasn't the biggest challenge for me, living on my own was. I realised I had taken many things for granted at home. But the freedom to make my own decisions and plan my own schedule is really nice.
Knowing that housing could be a challenge, I started my search early and eventually found a place through The Social Hub. It’s like a student hotel with rooms and apartments, as well as shared spaces like a gym. Students from various universities live here, and we all moved in together during the first week. A great and warm start where I made many new friends. We hang out often, doing fun activities like bowling, watching football, and partying.'
Lenard Johannsen
Loves living together with other students
