If I would go back to when I started my board year, I would have never thought that it would turn out like this. Not only did I not see the corona virus coming, but also how special of an experience this actually is. I never really stood still and thought so carefully about it, but writing this blog made me realize and put what I went through into words.
What really amazed me is the involvement, as a person, in such a big organization as the UT. After a while I started to see how not only the Student Union but also the UT works. During my year I was involved in so many projects, since every project should be financially stable in order to be executed. This showed me another side of an organization than what I have normally would see as a student. It taught me much more about financial procedures and organizational structures.
Also being involved so much causes that I come in contact with a lot of different people, from first year students to directors, where a formal setting can change to a very informal meeting in a couple of minutes. Meeting all those people shows me not only new insights from the different perspectives, but also how to communicate, negotiate and organize effectively. This causes a lot of variety in my days. Almost every day looks different and I have a lot of freedom to give direction into my activities. This really makes my days interesting and keeps me going.
Many of those people also support me in my activities and projects. I remember in the beginning I was overwhelmed by all the new information I had to process, but luckily there is always the support I need. Within the board we discuss a lot and help each other out where needed, but I also often reach out to a variety of UT employees for certain matters. This creates a safe environment to learn and figure out how to handle certain situations. After all doing a board year is about the learning experience right? For me the Student Union is a great way to do so. Especially during the Corona situation I encountered and learned from situations that I would have never experienced before. All these people I met along my journey and the experiences I had, made my board year a very valuable one.