Barely 18 years old

It sometimes feels like just yesterday that I came to the Beestenmarkt in Delft one Sunday evening when I was 18 years old for the opening party of the OWee. A couple of weeks ago, 18 years later, the opening party was held on campus. That OWee Sunday, despite the many changes in the world, still for many students marks the exhilarating beginning of the best time of their lives.

For me, the evening was the start of the period in which I met my best friends, experienced many memorable stories, and learned plenty about chemical technology but even more about myself. That evening, the world and all its infinite opportunities lay at my feet. It was exciting and unknown and because of that: oh so fun!

Missed opportunity? Don’t worry

For those of you who just came out of the womb when I took my first steps in Delft, I have the following tips to help you make your student period the best time of your life.

• Make an effort, your student life will really be a lot more enjoyable if you’re passing. Working hard with others in the University Library creates a bond, especially if it leads to good results, which can (and should) of course be celebrated. But don’t work too hard. An occasional six, a resit, or a little study delay happens to the best of us.
• Do what you enjoy and do not be scared to change direction or even to drift a bit (in my case from Industrial Design to Molecular Science & Technology with a minor in art history, to Materials Science).
• Be open, look around you, and grab any opportunities you can. There are opportunities anywhere and everywhere, but no one will present them to you on a silver platter. Committees? Boards? Crazy master’s research? Going abroad for a while? Entering politics? Starting a company? A fun part-time job? Everything is possible if you stay alert, are proactive and act fast. In my case I found the end project for my bachelor’s (which led to my doctoral research) by approaching a professor after reading an article in Delta. Missed opportunity? Don’t worry, another one will arise soon.
• Join in and be an active part of the community. We, 26,000 students and 8,000 staff members, are TU Delft. You too are part of this bigger whole, so let your voice be heard and contribute what you can in your own way.
• Find a safe bubble and step out of it again. Everyone needs a place where they feel at home and feel understood. Whether this is a student house, a student association (sports, study, students) or something else. Find that place where you can find peace, but leave it too. Go abroad for a while, do something with some students from outside your association, and take advantage of the diversity of our community.

And finally, but perhaps most importantly,

• Say yes (unless there is a really good reason to say no), do senseless and crazy things, make mistakes and learn from them!

The singer and actor Ramses Shaffy catches the sentiment of these tips perfectly in his lyric: sing, fight, cry, pray, laugh, work and wonder. I have nothing else to add!