Testimonial Violinde den Breeijen

My name is Violinde den Breeijen and I’m studying Applied Physics at the TU Delft. Choosing which minor I would start in September 2019 was a huge challenge. Although I knew I wanted to learn something different from my bachelor Applied Physics, there were lots of possibilities left. After some research, I chose the minor of Electrical Sustainable Energy Systems. This appeared to be the right decision.

During this minor, the main focus is sustainability, a subject which I find quite interesting. The working of solar panels and wind turbines is discussed. Besides, the basic principles of electrical engineering are provided, as well as the basis of the Dutch grid connection. For me, as a student at Applied Physics, it was nice to learn about these practical things. For the first time during my studies, I was taught about things I could see and use in my daily life.

For example, in my spare time I love to ride my bike. As a cyclist, you see a lot of the surroundings. The knowledge from the courses given in this minor is really enjoyable while riding my bike. Suddenly I understood the working of the solar panels on the roofs I passed. I recognized the shapes of different wind turbines I saw. And I knew what happened at the electrical substations I came across.

Furthermore, what I like about this minor are the electives. Every quarter, there are compulsory courses and electives. These electives differ a lot from each other. Since you only have to do one of them, every student can follow the subjects she/he is interested in.

The minor is completed with two projects. I learned a lot from these projects, especially from other students, since the groups are multidisciplinary. My own knowledge and skills, learned at Applied Physics, were completed by the qualities of students from other studies. I worked a lot with someone from Electrical Engineering, who showed me a different and very nice approach of performing practicums. 

In conclusion, this minor was the right choice for me. I like to recognize the knowledge provided in the courses in the world around me. Besides, it is interesting to know more about the production of sustainable energy, currently one of the major issues in engineering. The interdisciplinary collaboration was very useful to broaden my knowledge. In other words, I really recommend this minor.