The Bachelor College, the USE learning line (now ITEC), CORE courses, and electives all offer flexibility—a unique selling point for TU/e. I enrolled in Applied Physics and, in my first year, immediately took courses from Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In my second year, I added Mechanical Engineering and Data Science, and in my third year, I picked up some “easy” credits from Biomedical Engineering. Meanwhile, I attended minimal in-person education, and the guidance I received in orienting myself and making choices felt mostly symbolic.

The result: 180 ECTS credits that look impressive on paper, but don't really tell a coherent story. The freedom of choice that drew me to Eindhoven gradually turned into making uninformed and hurried decisions—reinforced by the informal chatter of “this course is tough” or “you can get easy credits there”. In a moment of panic, I decided to do a board year. In hindsight, that turned out well, but it wasn’t until my master’s that I realized how little my bachelor’s degree had shaped my scientific foundation or academic interests.

We like to call it “customization,” but true customization requires tailors: intensive supervision, smaller groups, and genuine in-person contact. You see this at University Colleges at top universities, where competitive admission, high staff-to-student ratios, and a culture of academic coaching make personalized curricula work. At a broad technical university without those preconditions, the Bachelor College sometimes feels like a golf course without holes: the field, the rules, and the equipment are there—but direction is missing.

As far as I’m concerned, the focus should return to the core: less menu, more direction. Limit the number of electives, make attendance and mentoring sessions more meaningful, and tie ITEC and electives more closely to the major and later specialization. Strengthen the through line. After all, a good restaurant keeps its menu short for a reason.

Lars ten Hacken is a master’s student in Applied Physics at TU/e. He is currently a guest researcher at the Theoretical and Applied Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. He writes this column in a personal capacity.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.