Hitting the books

A week of HITTING THE BOOKS

Julia Cleton (22, fiscal economics) recorded her student life in a diary for a week.

By Sebastiaan van de Water

University studies can be so much more than a road to 240 credits. That is the deep conviction of Julia Cleton (22), fiscal economics student.

She makes full use of the possibilities that TiSEM offers students to develop themselves outside of the lecture hall. “If you want, you can have a successful academic year here without having obtained a single credit,”

Julia says. She recorded her student life experiences in a diary for a week. CV

Julia Cleton Born 30-01-1998 Resident of Tilburg

2019/20 student assessor TiSEM

2018/19 vice-president of the SAM party

2018/19 seat on the University Council

2017/18 treasurer of Serve the City Tilburg

2016-heden Fiscal Economics bachelor

2010-16 vwo (subject cluster Economics & Society)

Monday

I finally know the answer to a question that is difficult to answer. For the past two months, I have lived with my parents, in Haarsteeg, because of the corona crisis. A village hidden between pastures full of grazing cows. After eight quiet weeks, I stood at the door of my student room in Tilburg for the first time last night. I opened the door and breathed, ready to discover what the cramped room I’ve been living in for three years really smells like. And... wow. From now on, I will never doubt the unsurpassed effect of fresh laundry fragrance sticks. So much for the good news. This promises to be a tough week. The exam period is approaching. Including, for me, two exams in one day. I owe it to myself, though. Last year, I was a full-time member of the University Council of Tilburg University. Some students think you’re there for show, but you have real influence, even where the university budget of 250 million Euros is involved. What’s more, you learn to networks and cut Gordian knots. Unfortunately, it results in a grand total of zero credits. So, I have to catch up. Starting this week by hitting the books here at my desk. Fortunately, it smells like clean laundry.

Tuesday

My gym is hermetically sealed, so I did a tough YouTube workout by one of those fitness girls this morning. That was the highlight of my day, because after that I dove into the subject of “Principles of Company Taxation”. I’ll quote the textbook: “Cessation is the termination of subjective enterprise of the natural person. In the case of cessation, you have to settle all profits that have not yet been taxed.” So now you know. I admit, I never used to think, “Yeah!!! I’m going to study taxes when I grow up.” After vwo, I chose to study business economics. But there was only one subject that fascinated me: fiscal economics. That’s why I switched to that program. FE has two parallel dimensions: the legal side and the numerical aspect. Together they form a labyrinth of limitations and possibilities. The challenge is to find optimal ways out of the labyrinth. So, it’s like a puzzle. Sounds a little better, doesn’t it?

Wednesday

Roses now adorn my room. Bought them this morning at the market around the corner. I’d never been there before. Crazy, huh? Maybe it’s because I’m afraid of becoming bourgeois too soon. Anyway, this afternoon an interesting dilemma came up during a Skype meeting with the TiSEM Education Board. Due to the coronavirus, exams cannot take place as usual: with elderly observers in a crowded hall. As a student-assessor, I help the faculty find solutions for these kinds of problems. One option is home exams, where students are monitored via a webcam and eye-tracking soft

ware. But what happens to those recordings? And what if the Wi-Fi fails? In view of these concerns, we decided to use this system as little as possible. Other options are preferred, including substitute assignments and open book exams. The latter sounds like a license not to have to study but believe me: if you take an exam like that when you haven’t studied hundreds of wordy laws, theories or formulas before, well, good luck with that.

Thursday

Two years ago, I was running a campaign for SAM student party. For three very long, intense, and unforgettable days, I attempted to convince students on campus to vote for us. Over the past year, I served as a mentor for new candidates. Why am I telling you this? This afternoon, after studying (and after a picnic in the Spoorpark), I visited a board member of SAM to pick up a thank you. After that, I hit the books again. At least, that was my plan. But my party mates thought otherwise. They said that, because I had already had a beer, my focus would no longer be sharp and studying would be a waste of time. I thought that was an irrefutable argument and celebrated my night off.

Friday

I’ve gotten completely used to my room again. But you know what I miss? Especially at times like this afternoon. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. I took part in a Zoom crash course for the investment course. Five hours. Without a break. Afterwards, I walked to my kitchenette, opening half-empty cupboards in search of caloric comfort. That’s when I miss my parents’ huge fridge, which is always filled to the brim. Oh, well.

By the way, a few software demos arrived today. At TiSEM, we want a better program for students to evaluate courses and teachers. One of my requirements is that students should be able to see the results for themselves. This weekend, I will thoroughly evaluate the evaluation programs. But first, I’m going to cook dinner tonight with my roommate and her boyfriend. I’m looking forward to it already. Those kinds of cozy moments with people my age make me feel how nice it is to be back home again. Even though I can barely smell the fresh laundry.

“I miss my parents’ huge fridge, which is always filled to the brim”