{"id":176909,"date":"2025-03-19T11:11:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=176909"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:44","slug":"tim-has-adhd-and-helps-students-with-disabilities-with-their-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/03\/19\/tim-has-adhd-and-helps-students-with-disabilities-with-their-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim has ADHD and helps students with disabilities with their diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tim van den Burg had a tough first year. The transition from the university of applied sciences to the university is challenging, he is diagnosed with ADHD, and the corona pandemic breaks out. He feels completely lost until he receives support from a fellow student who also has ADHD. Now, he helps students with disabilities himself.<\/p>\n

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Tim in front of a wall of posters featuring various parties organised by the housing committee in the pub of the building.<\/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\tTyna Le<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cLook, these are the posters from all the social events I\u2019ve organised for my student complex.\u201d Tim (24) flips through a stack of flyers from a box he\u2019s pulled out of the cupboard in his small studio. The posters, in bright colours, advertise themed parties such as \u2018Pride\u2019 and \u2018Fl\u00fcgel Fissa\u2019, regularly held in the pub of the building, about a five-minute bike ride from the university. He is the treasurer of the residents\u2019 association of student building De Snor. \u201cI really love the social and creative aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tim from five years ago would never have imagined this\u201d, he says now. In 2019, Tim was struggling and discovered he had ADHD. Through a peer coaching programme, he learned to manage it with the help of a fellow student. The skills he acquired then, he now passes on to new students.<\/p>\n

Because besides his role in the residents\u2019 association, he has also worked as a peer coach for Studying with a Disability (SMF), the university department that supports students with disabilities. There, Tim helps fellow students with ADHD to navigate university life, from dealing with procrastination to discussing the acceptance of their diagnosis. \u201cI\u2019ve managed to turn my own growth process and struggles into something that now helps others.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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SMF supports students who need extra help with their studies due to a disability. The department assists with access to lifts, additional financial support, extra time on exams, parking permits, and peer coaching programmes.
\nA peer coach is a student with a disability who helps other students with disabilities. Whether it’s tackling procrastination, making a study plan, or finding effective study techniques, a peer coach is essentially an expert by experience.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Survival<\/h2>

Tim has come a long way to get to where he is now. In 2019, he starts his psychology degree. The transition from applied sciences to university is difficult: more reading, a faster pace, fewer contact hours, and no fixed classmates. \u201cIt was overwhelming. I often just froze. That really panicked me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He becomes increasingly unhappy. \u201cOthers were figuring out how to balance student life. I was just trying to survive.\u201d His poor academic performance also affects his social life. He has no time for parties or societies and finds it difficult to connect with his fellow students. \u201cI was really scared to approach other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

World turned upside down<\/h2>

A study adviser suggests Tim to get tested for ADHD. After an extensive assessment, he is diagnosed. \u201cMy world was completely turned upside down. The image I had of myself suddenly didn\u2019t match reality. The diagnosis confirmed that my brain works completely differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as he is starting to process the diagnosis, corona strikes in March 2020, and the world goes into lockdown. \u201cThat was such a surreal time. Literally everything in my life changed.\u201d Day in and day out, Tim follows lectures from his bedroom at his parents\u2019 house. \u201cI was completely stuck and felt very lonely.\u201d His academic performance worsens, and he is at risk of failing his first year. Therapy didn\u2019t help much. \u201cThe therapist would say, \u2018Maybe it\u2019s helpful to study with a schedule.\u2019 And I\u2019d think, okay, but how do I do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then his older sister points him towards SMF. She has chronic fatigue syndrome and had received support from a fellow student through a peer coaching programme. \u201cShe said, \u2018Tim, this is exactly what you need\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tim on the rooftop terrace of the student complex De Snor. In the summer, parties and barbecues are often held there.<\/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\tTyna Le<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Toolbox<\/h2>

Tim signs up and is matched with a peer coach. \u201cFinally, I could talk to someone who had been through the same thing, who really knew what it was like to study with ADHD at university. That was such a relief. I wasn\u2019t alone. There were more people like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He learns a lot from his peer coach. For instance, he discovers that the well-known Pomodoro technique (focusing for 25 minutes at a time) doesn\u2019t work well for him. Instead, concentrating for an hour and a half and then taking a 15-minute walk outside is much more effective. \u201cEach time, she taught me a new study strategy. It was like starting with an empty toolbox and gradually filling it with useful tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly but surely, his toolbox fills up. \u201cThen I knew exactly whether I needed a hammer or a chisel to get through my studies.\u201d Over the course of eight meetings, Tim regains control of his studies. After a few months, he leaves the peer coaching programme with a fully stocked toolbox. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy how much of a transformation I went through in just a few hours of coaching. It really got me back on track.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parties at De Snor<\/h2>

Thanks in part to peer coaching, Tim began to feel better. He becomes more socially confident, and when he moves into De Snor at the beginning of 2022, things progress quickly. His sister takes him to a party in the complex\u2019s pub. \u201cI still found it scary to approach people, but I thought, \u2018I just have to try. I must challenge myself\u2019.\u201d At that party, he meets a fellow resident who tells him about the housing committee.<\/p>\n

Tim joins and immediately feels at home. He goes from someone who never has time for parties to someone who now organises them himself. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s really a creative outlet.\u201d Around the same time, he also starts working as a peer coach at SMF.<\/p>\n

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Tim in the chicken coop of the student complex De Snor. Just before joining the housing committee, Tim was part of the chicken committee, where he was responsible for taking care of the chickens.<\/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\tTyna Le<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The circle is complete<\/h2>

Tim has now been a peer coach for three years and has supported more than ten students with ADHD. \u201cSimply put: someone needs help, you can provide that help, and you get matched.\u201d Each student has different needs. \u201cSome want help with making a study plan, while others need almost therapeutic conversations about accepting their diagnosis.\u201d
\nCoaches have flexibility in how they conduct sessions. \u201cOne student might prefer grabbing a coffee in the Pavilion, another might prefer online meetings. Some just need a listening ear, while others are looking for practical tips.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Tim\u2019s sessions have a real impact. \u201cLater, students tell me, \u2018Since working with you, my grades have improved so much. I\u2019m doing really well now\u2019. It feels great to be able to help someone in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being a peer coach brings Tim a lot of fulfilment. \u201cIt really feels like the circle is complete. That I can turn my personal experience into support for someone else. As if I\u2019m passing on my toolbox to the next generation of students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Would you like a peer coach? Send an email to smf@eur.nl.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t