Hi PISA, My name is Rene Zeevat. I'm a second-year international studies major with a minor in creative writing and journalism. I'm also a proud linebacker of the Bishop's Gaiters football team. I'll start with a little bit of background about myself. I was born in the United States of America, yet my whole family is Dutch. When I was four, I moved to Switzerland, where I spent two years before moving to a small town in Belgium. After I graduated high school, I packed my bags and went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to do an extra year of high school here in Canada. I started playing football, and got an offer to play at BU, and now I am a proud member of the Gaiters Community.
Let's talk about the life of a student-athlete as an international studies major. Time management is crucial for a student-athlete. Especially during the season, when there are a lot of things going on simultaneously. We have meetings early in the morning, often followed by workouts and practice in the afternoon. In between all of that, we have to make sure we study for school, as well as for football. So it is essential to plan your day in order for a student-athlete to be successful both academically and in your sport. We are very lucky to have Coach Mike—who is the Academic success coach for all student-athletes at Bishop’s. In my first semester, I struggled in school because I didn't understand the system. I took the wrong classes and had a hard time scheduling my time. Coach Mike helped me understand how to plan my days, and now I actually have good grades. Being a student at BU is generally incredible. Help is never far away if you are struggling academically and the BU community is always ready to help you no matter what. Situations frequently happen where I have to DM a random person in my class to ask them a question, and every time they are willing to help me. I have actually made a couple of good friends this way.
After BU, I want to do a graduate degree. I'm not sure exactly what I want to study, but I want to become a diplomat and work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in either the United States or the Netherlands. I have also always thought about working for the military as well. I know I want to work internationally, but I still have time to precisely decide what I want to do. The courses offered at BU give me more insight into how politics in different countries work, how governmental systems are set up, and conflict erupts. Plus, professors are always ready to help us if we have questions about various job opportunities, internships or even extra information about different topics. BU is really a place to figure out what you want as there are so many resources for a small number of students.
