{"id":119155,"date":"2020-10-30T19:41:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T18:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=119155"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:12","slug":"stronger-focus-on-studying-less-gezelligheid-this-is-how-study-associations-are-responding-to-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/10\/30\/stronger-focus-on-studying-less-gezelligheid-this-is-how-study-associations-are-responding-to-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Stronger focus on studying, less gezelligheid: this is how study associations are responding to the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

EUR\u2019s study associations generally distinguish themselves through live events like lectures, get-togethers and trips. But this year, the associations will have to make do with a digital programme. The social aspect in particular is sorely missed: \u201cSome of our members have started to lose touch now that they no longer run into each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

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STAR chair Thom van Dalen<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

The board of STAR \u2013 Europe\u2019s largest study association \u2013 works from the assumption that events will have to remain online for the time being. STAR chair Thom van Dalen: \u201cWe\u2019re adhering to all the national guidelines and remain in close touch with the faculty and the university. Our calendar is gradually filling up, but for the moment, we only have one large-scale event planned: the STAR Management Week. This year, the entire programme will be held online since we don\u2019t want to run any unnecessary risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sorely missed: social interaction<\/h2>

According to Van Dalen, what STAR\u2019s members miss most is face-to-face interaction: \u201cBoth the students and we as an organisation get a lot of energy out of this.\u201d Still, he\u2019s pleasantly surprised to see how resilient everyone has proven so far. For example, despite the rather disappointing turn of events, the committee responsible for organising the STAR Management Week has remained in a buoyant mood.<\/p>\n

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Cedo Nulli chair Bas van Kreuning<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Van Dalen explains that the main challenge lies in determining what students need most right now and how the association can help them in that respect. But answering these questions is sooner said than done, concludes the STAR chair. \u201cIt\u2019s an on-going process \u2013 which will probably continue until we start returning to normalcy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bas van Kruining, the chairman of Cedo Nulli, agrees that the lack of social interaction is an acute problem within the university\u2019s study associations. \u201cWhen we recently organised our monthly social \u2013 with due adherence to the government measures \u2013 it was fully booked within a matter of minutes,\u201d says Van Kruining. \u201cAt the start of the year, we were still conferring with the faculty in an attempt to organise face-to-face events wherever possible. But after the prime minister\u2019s most recent press conferences, we moved everything online. And as a board, we\u2019re doing everything digitally too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Study groups becoming popular<\/h2>

Social activities may be more difficult to organise in a digital environment, but online study-related meeting are gaining more and more traction. For example, Van Kruining notes that since the start of the pandemic, Cedo Nulli\u2019s study group sessions have drawn a growing number of participants. During these sessions, students can ask a senior to explain points in further detail in preparation for an examination. They\u2019ve become more popular since the outbreak because a lot of students find it harder to study in an online environment. \u201cStudying via Zoom is more complicated than on campus, so I guess students appreciate the opportunity to go through the subject matter with a senior-year student who has a firm grasp of the ins and outs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marked differences between students<\/h2>

While large associations run into considerable difficulties when it comes to scaling down their events, this poses less of a problem to smaller associations. \u201cWe\u2019re one of the smallest associations, and in a sense this is to our advantage,\u201d says Stijn Voogt, chair of the Philosophy faculty association ERA. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit easier for us to stay in touch with our students and the faculty. This allows us to effectively respond to the various restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Occasionally, we\u2019re forced to prepare an event four times before it can actually go ahead\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

This close collaboration with Erasmus School of Philosophy comes with its own benefits: for example, thanks to their representative body, Philosophy students were able to reserve a spot to study at the Kaapse Maria when this bar was still open. Voogt: \u201cThis allowed students who weren\u2019t able to study on campus to still get out of the house to study. And it\u2019s an interesting example of the collaborative economy. Kaapse Maria would normally open for business at 5 p.m. \u2013 so why not let in students looking for a quiet place to study in the hours beforehand?\u201d In addition, ERA has set up a buddy system where new students are assigned a senior-year student as a mentor. This gives everyone the opportunity to stay on track in their programme.<\/p>\n

Still, it isn\u2019t all roses according to Voogt: \u201cOccasionally, we\u2019re forced to prepare an event four times before it can actually go ahead. And some of our members have started to lose touch now that they no longer run into each other. We\u2019re trying to mitigate this loss of face-to-face interaction by offering digital alternatives.\u201d Although he does see \u2018a schism\u2019 within his association\u2019s membership: some students are fine with the transition to dial-backed student life, while others dearly miss the gezelligheid<\/em> (cosy togetherness).<\/p>\n

Forced to innovate<\/h2>
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FAECTOR chair Daan van Regteren<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

FAECTOR chair Daan van Regteren recognises the issues sketched by his peers. While members miss the social events organised by his association, they continue to attend online activities relating to education and career choices. \u201cYou\u2019re basically forced to innovate. Suddenly, you need to transfer activities that have always taken place in a physical setting to an online environment,\u201d notes Van Regteren. And occasionally this goes surprisingly well: the online application procedures for committees were very well received, for example. \u201cThis allowed students who weren\u2019t in Rotterdam at the time to still apply for a seat on a committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

EUR\u2019s study associations have joined strengths in the umbrella organisation KORF. As the KORF chair, Van Regteren represents the associations in consultations with the university and the municipal administration. \u201cWe\u2019re kept in the loop reasonably well. For example, we recently had a meeting with Mayor Aboutaleb. By now, the Municipality understands that to effectively control this outbreak, you need to involve other players besides the student associations. For example, in the case of study associations, hospitality restrictions play a far bigger role. For the simple reason that we don\u2019t have our own society halls. At the same time, we represent a huge number of students \u2013 which is why it\u2019s good that we\u2019re taking part in these consultations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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