{"id":170602,"date":"2024-08-19T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T15:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=170602"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:26","slug":"thousands-of-first-years-are-told-at-opening-failure-is-not-failure-but-personal-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/08\/19\/thousands-of-first-years-are-told-at-opening-failure-is-not-failure-but-personal-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands of first-years are told at opening: failure is not failure, but personal growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eurekaweek kicked off on Monday morning at Ahoy with an opening full of old and new traditions. Nervous first-year students, the Rotterdam song, and the message that help is available if the academic pressure becomes too much.<\/p>\n

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Just a few more minutes in the queue and then Eurekaweek will oficially start.<\/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\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

After navigating through a bicycle traffic jam filled with shiny new Swapfiets bikes, rickety old-fashioned bikes, and rented electric ones, the first-years and their guides arrived at Ahoy. Some still felt the need to double-check the route, cycling with their phones in hand \u2013 an expensive risk when passing by the police. Outside the entrance, homemade sandwiches were quickly eaten as they were not allowed inside. In hindsight, the rush wasn\u2019t necessary at all. Entry was permitted from 8.30 am, while the official opening was scheduled for 10.00 am. However, technical difficulties caused about a half hour delay.<\/p>\n

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Once after the registration tables, when students know their group numbers, they are allowed past the curtains into the main hall.<\/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\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Welcome and wellbeing<\/h2>

During the opening, much attention was given to the wellbeing of the first-year students. The theme was reiterated in speeches by rector magnificus Annelien Bredenoord, alderman Faouzi Achbar, and Eurekaweek chairwoman Candice Molenaar.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to learn what works for you\u201d, Bredenoord told the 5,000 people in the audience. \u201cWhat works for each person varies, and that\u2019s okay.\u201d She encouraged students to experiment with what suits them. This journey may involve challenges such as \u2018failure\u2019, \u2018performance pressure\u2019, \u2018doubt\u2019, and \u2018perfectionism\u2019. If you get stuck, the university offers support, the rector emphasised. \u201cDon\u2019t see it as failure, but as personal growth. In the coming years, you\u2019ll learn more than just what earns you a diploma \u2013 although that diploma is, of course, very important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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