About MESA – MESA Groningen

About MESA

MESA (Media Studies Study Association) is the study association tied to Media Studies at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. As a study association (run by students, for students), we welcome everyone that is a part of Media Studies and wants to enhance their time at University.

As a student, there are many options to get involved with extracurricular activities and get in contact with other students. You can join a student association (‘studentenvereniging’, such as AEGEE, Ganymedes and Dizkartes), a sports club, or an association for international students (like ESN). At the University of Groningen, many studies have an association that focuses on students who do the same studies, like MESA for Media Studies.

Many students join study associations like MESA for the free summaries. There are also reasons with a more social aspect to join. Study associations organise various activities interesting for students, some of which are more study- and career-related than others. You can get a clearer idea of what study associations like MESA organise for its members by checking out the committees.

Would you like to unleash your creativity in addition to your studies? Join one or more of these committees! Study associations consist of a board and committees who organise events and engage in various activities throughout the year. At MESA, you can choose out of 6 committees, so there is most likely something to your taste.

Our goal is to support students and offer various things to them that can be beneficial and a great addition to their study period. We furthermore aim to promote and introduce the bachelor programme to both new and prospective students. To give you a minor insight into how our association works, here is a structure of our association:

Our active members consist out of the board and the committees

The board runs the association and makes sure our association runs smoothly

Our committees organise and run different parts of the association, dependent on their committee’s tasks

All other members profit from the advantages of a regular membership

History

The Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG) has offered the programme Media Studies since 2015, and MESA was subsequently established in 2016. A group of enthusiastic students, together with the study department, made sure that the association was properly established – and a lot has changed since then to become a well-known association. Every year, MESA is becoming a bigger and more established association. With over 300 members, we are an association that continues to grow every year.

What MESA has to offer

We organise activities for and offer help to everyone that is a part of Media Studies. As a member, you can join our monthly drinks and catch up with other people from media studies whilst enjoying a drink. We also host various events, including an annual excursion abroad, fun activities like bowling, and educational events with guest speakers that offer insight into the field and help you plan your future. If you’re a MESA member, nothing is obligated, but a lot is possible if you’re interested. MESA also offers free summaries of most courses to its members, which will help you boost through the year and support your learning process.

In short:

Get free summaries of every block (bachelor courses);

Join the monthly drinks;

Meet new people and make friends;

Possibility to take part in the annual MESA trip;

Go to social and study-related events.

Becoming a member

Becoming a general member is possible throughout the whole academic year. If you want more information about the membership or want to become a part of MESA, click here.

On this page, you can also find more information about becoming an active member. At the start of the academic year the applications for the committees open, so keep an eye open for that!

Committees

If you become a part of a committee, you can not only make new friends, but also learn new skills such as planning and organising events, taking part in committee meetings, and in general making sure that your committee is doing its job. Since we offer a variety of committees, you can always find something that is right up your alley. You will not only develop a new set of skills in addition to your studies, but you will also get to know a group of people that are passionate about the same things as you.

Click here to learn more about our committees.

Network

Within our faculty (of arts), MESA aims to hold close ties with other associations to extend our network and make sure we are always on top of everything that is happening within the faculty. This also means that we sometimes organise big events with other study associations.

What is a study association?

A study association is an association run by students, for students; often tied to a certain study. It acts as an extension of the study, bringing students together to socalise, study, and have fun. Being part of a study association has various advantages, such as discounts, joining activities organised by the association, and meeting other people from the study. When you are a member of a study association, it is much more non-committal than a student association, and combining both is not unusual.