‘You can be an hour late if you want’

Guide Vincent noticed during his own Eurekaweek how nice it is for freshmen to be helped on their way. His secret as a guide: be relaxed with time and presence.

At the edge of a passing crowd, a fellow guide pushes 19-year-old Vincent forward. The smiling third-year psychology student drinks small sips of his Desperados 0.0 and is dressed in a yellow T-shirt. Together with another guide, he is the proud contact for fourteen social science students.

Why are you a guide?

“Last year, I really liked the fact that you were treated to an introduction to student life and Rotterdam. You can really help freshmen get off to a good start. As the person in charge, I do sometimes feel stress, because you have to be sensible. But it is definitely worth it. You get a lot in return.”

What places and associations that are not covered in the programme do you want to showcase anyway?

“The programme is already quite full. But I definitely want to visit my study association Cedo Nulli. That’s where I do committee work for first-year students. I also want to visit sports associations.”

What did you appreciate about a guide when you were a freshman yourself during Eureka Week?

“We did not have to be punctual, I appreciated that. Because sometimes you don’t get much sleep. As a guide, I try to strive for that as well. I don’t mind being an hour late. As long as it is not the whole time. What I also appreciated was that the guide did not always count the number of group members but that the guides were a bit relaxed about that. The most important thing is that people meet each other, how and what is less important.”

What is your nightmare scenario for this week and how do you prepare for it?

“This morning I did panic a bit when a girl wasn’t there. Fortunately, nothing was wrong. She had already indicated that she could not attend the first day and had only cancelled via the board. So we only heard about it later.”

What do freshmen think of the guide?

A first-year student blushes and says after some prompting, “He is sweet because he often asks how you are doing.”