{"id":101568,"date":"2019-08-16T13:39:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T11:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=101568"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:24","slug":"moving-stories-and-making-friends-students-prepare-for-life-at-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/08\/16\/moving-stories-and-making-friends-students-prepare-for-life-at-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving stories and making friends: Students prepare for life at university"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around 250 students filled the lecture halls in Theil Building in the second week of August, for the seventh edition of the Pre-academic Programme. This year, the programme addressed the themes of \u2018knowledge\u2019, \u2018capital\u2019, \u2018opportunities\u2019 and \u2018direction\u2019. The students, starting their studies at Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus MC and in Liberal Arts and Sciences, attended workshops, lectures and group discussions over the four-day period.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Refkka Khalil and Jim Bakkers after the 2019 Pre-academic Programme.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIida Riikinsaari<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWe know that the transition from secondary school to a research university is often perceived as very difficult, and see it as our responsibility to prepare the students.\u201d, explains Jorian Waleson, coordinator for the programme. \u201cThe Pre-academic Programme isn\u2019t necessarily focused on the contents of specific bachelor programmes, but rather we call it a personal development programme\u201d.<\/p>\n

For Jim Bakker and Refkka Khalil, the programme was an exciting start to their new studies. Refkka is transitioning to university life straight from secondary school, but Jim previously studied in a University of Applied Sciences. \u201cI signed up for the programme because I wanted to make a head start to my new studies, and meet new people before the academic year even starts\u201d, Jim, a new student in the faculty of Law, explained. \u201cI think that making friends this way is easier than in a classroom.\u201d Refkka, who is starting her studies in Health Policy and Management, was pleasantly surprised by how much the programme challenged her to reflect on herself. \u201cI honestly didn\u2019t expect to explore myself this much or be this inspired.\u201d she contemplated. \u201cI also connected with so many people and ended up spending time with them after the activities were over.\u201d Jim and Refkka were already friends before taking part in the Pre-academic Programme but that didn\u2019t stop them from making new friends, having dinner together as a group and going out in the city once the third day of the programme was done.<\/p>\n

\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

The PAP 2019 "hall of fame".<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIida Riikinsaari<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

When asked what their favourite part of the programme was, both Jim and Refkka brought up stories shared by student assistants in lectures. \u201cThe student assistants told their own stories in individual lectures and really brought up a lot of emotions in me.\u201d Jim said and Refkka agreed; \u201cThe stories were beautiful because they really reminded us that even though we are different, we can still find strength in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIida Riikinsaari<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Thanks to the Pre-academic Programme, both students are now \u2018even more excited\u2019 to start their studies at Erasmus University, and think that everyone should take part in the programme. As it now exists, the programme is only available to Dutch-speaking students but according to Waleson, the dream would be to expand it: \u201cWe have high ambitions about this programme and believe that such a programme should also be made available to international students to better prepare them for academia.\u201d For the time being, however, there exist no concrete plans about a preparatory programme for international students.<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

About last year<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t