The beginning of a journey
Way back when I started my advanced education as a social cultural worker. This was a fun time in my life. Meeting lots of new people and cultures in a tumbulent, but cosy environment.
The classes were varied to say the least. We had courses like policiy, PR, philosophy, and impact. Since the main goal of this study was the planning and subsequential hosting of events and activities. This was a great part of it, and a part I fondly remember. These activities did not limit themselves to our individual internships, but included joint efforts.
We hosted a christmas day at/for our school, did one year of the Sinterklaas huis near the Beijerlandselaan. There we preformed a story about Sinterklaas and his Pieten for underpriveledged children who during the experience also baked pepernoten. We even recorded and published a single with our class.
Allas it had to end and at the end of the road I felt stronger in working with individuals then with groups. Since this didn't really fit with this line of work I wanted to move on..
Bridging the gap
At the end of my previous study there was a period of being lost and not knowing where to move to in the future. During this time I did some orientation and discovered the bachelor study psychology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
There was a problem, since my credentials were good for the MBO and after my previous study for the HBO, but not to academic education. At that time, however, you could bridge this gap by completing the first year of and HBO study. During this period activities and social work still spoke to me, and so I opted for social pedagogical worker.
The study was fun, but my did the environment change. Not only did things turn white, I was the only boy in the class for most of the year. There was also a lot of struggles between clicks that took on a vile level. During my MBO days you just went out and said it if you had a problem with someone. Things got solved from there or you just avoided each other. Here people were set out to make eachother misarable.
At the begining this made it extra hard for me to fit in, but around the end of the year things were stable, might I even say better. More important The year was done and completed, and I was on to the world of academia.
Bringing it home
My start in the world of academia was a bit of a rough one. During HBO I was used to high grades, now my grades made me wanna get high. Not that I got a lot of unsatisfactory grades, but giving my all resulted in a 6, maybe a 6,5 if I was lucky. However, with time I picked up steam and especially in my third and master year this improved.
The
campus life was a whole new experience as well. There were still some
petty people, but these were so few I can't even remember a single one.
Most people were just going there own way, doing there own thing. Also
the switch from a school to a campus had something worth of awe.
There
were so many activities and extracurricular activities it was hard to
follow. Since I was going hard just to get by I didn't have the time
anyways. During the third year of my bachelor, however, I did partake in
some activities, and had a good time doing just that.
During the master I really got my (self)confidence up. Things were just working out. I was working my *$$ off don't get me wrong but it payed out. This year also helped me reach new heights in personal development, and although I met a lot of new people, unfortunately I did not really have the time to get to know them.
Since I was writing my masters thesis during the corona outbrake it all had an extra surreal quality to it. Yet my research was online so that was not hampered. The closing, however, left me so depleted that at the message of completing the master track I could not even give an exultation of joy. It was more of a deep breath "it is (finally) over".