Mijke. One of our originals
“It’s often said that your time as a student is the best time of your life. As a lecturer, I hear it said all around me. But what if it doesn’t feel like that? I hear lots of things from my students. About trying to juggle everything, not sleeping at night and feeling very stressed. They find it difficult to share the not-so-nice things, either because they think they’re taboo, or because they don’t want to resign themselves to the situation. It hits home with me because I’ve been there.
"Your time as a student is the best time of your life, but what if it doesn’t feel like that?"
I was only 25 when I resigned from my job. For years, I’d not been able to set my own limits and I’d not followed my heart. It led to a depression. I didn’t have any energy, I was tired and I was sombre.️ I was out of balance. While my friends were out having a busy social life, I’d lost my way. Sometimes I felt lonely because the people around me didn’t always understand. Thankfully, I sought help and was able to find my way again.
Why don’t we talk about it all more often? I used to wonder that before and I still do. As well as being a lecturer, I’m a photographer, and so I decided to take portraits of the students I talked to. Just as they are, and with their true story. I put the portraits together in an exposition ‘The best time of your life’. I think it helps, seeing examples and recognising yourself in others. I hope it will make it easier for us to talk to each other and find help in time. Finding help certainly did me a lot of good at least. And isn’t it great that I can now help others? It’s all come full circle.️”
Mijke Bos, lecturer for Leisure & Events Management
