What do scientists say about their induction period?

Otis Tromp: ‘My future friends were sitting in that lecture hall, even though we didn't know each other yet.’

“My eight-day introduction week in 2019 was packed with a wide range of activities: from a sports day with rowing and rugby to a pub crawl and an open stage. I was assigned to a group with other students from my faculty. This allowed me to meet many new people right away. Together with our intro mentors, we competed against other groups in all kinds of assignments and games. I felt very comfortable and dared to step out of my comfort zone, because everything was without obligation. This meant that I didn't feel any pressure when I skipped a night out, so that I could join the programme again the next day with fresh energy. Our mentors were also very nice. They introduced us to student life in Nijmegen and took the initiative when the group found something exciting. The week ended with a weekend in Germany, which was organised for the last time in my year before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. I skipped this weekend because I found the fatigue of the whole week, the hot days and the tents full of bunk beds a bit too much at that point. 

What stuck with me the most was the opening lecture of our faculty. Suddenly, I was sitting in a lecture hall with about 500 other first-year students. I was very aware that this was the community I would be studying with for the next few years. My future friends were sitting in that room, even though we didn't know each other yet. After the introduction, my group turned out to be my study group for the first semester. It sounds cliché, but thanks in part to the introduction and that study group, I made friends for life. 

When I started studying, I had the idea of starting work as a lawyer as soon as possible after graduating. Although people around me work in the field of research, I had never considered becoming a researcher myself. It was only during my studies that I gradually realised how much I enjoy research. I have the freedom to investigate what I find interesting and, as a researcher, I can talk about my field all day long. 

My tip for new students? Just go with the flow during the introduction week. It's new and exciting for everyone. You'll meet nice people and get to know student life in a short period of time. But don't set the bar too high right away: you don't have to make friends for the rest of your student life. And don't be afraid of missing out; you won't fall behind if you skip an evening. That way, you'll keep it fun for yourself and enjoy it the most.” 

Otis Tromp is a PhD candidate and lecturer in Business Law and conducts research into the legal position, rights and obligations in the event of the (temporary) absence of directors and supervisory directors, and the manner in which replacements are appointed and powers are assigned. 

Researcher Stéfanie André on her introduction period twenty years ago: ‘Always follow your own instincts’ 

‘My introduction was in 2005. I was really looking forward to it. Of course, with some healthy nerves. That summer I didn’t go on holiday so I could already get used to my new city, Nijmegen. I worked six weeks at Albert Heijn on Sint Jacobslaan. And that helped: I didn’t feel homesick for Groningen, the city I came from. 

I had already been to the campus once before. Back then, they still organised a two-day campus visit to get to know the Sociology programme. Even before the introduction started, I already knew: this is it. This is where I feel at home. I was allowed to attend seminars and lectures, learned more about the student association, and even slept in the Gymnasion. But the most valuable part? I met Nick and Suzanne, who, like me, were about to start studying sociology that year. 

I arrived at the introduction a day later because I went to Lowlands with my high school friends. But that wasn’t a problem. I had kept in touch with Nick and Suzanne, so I could easily join the group. 

What I remember most is the ‘socio quiz’: a pub quiz full of questions about Sociology and about the introduction, but also with challenges. We were all at the SSHN building on Jacob Canisstraat. There they mixed a drink with all kinds of things; if you drank it, you earned points for your group in the quiz. At first, it was just water. Soon milk and pepper were added. When someone threw in a raw egg, I thought: I’m definitely not drinking this. That’s also the lesson I want to pass on to anyone taking part in the introduction now: always follow your own instincts. Respect your own boundaries, no matter how strong the peer pressure is. 

During the introduction weekend, the closing event, I got to know the student union AKKU. Again, I felt that sense of belonging. More students who couldn’t stand injustice. All a bit alternative. In the end, I spent my entire five-year study period at AKKU. 

Two weeks ago, my husband and I visited two of my introduction camp leaders with our children. We went to see them in Eindhoven, the kids played together, we got some ice cream, and we could catch up. It just shows: during your introduction period you make friends for life.’ 

Stéfanie André is Associate Professor and Policy Sociologist in the Department of Public Administration at Radboud University. André researches the inclusivity of policy, focusing on family and housing policy. She studies work–care ambitions, fathers’ work–care behavior, and how fathers do (or do not) make use of family policy. On Thursday, September 11, she will record a podcast on fatherhood during the science festival Infinity. Will you join? Tickets are available via www.ru.nl/oneindig. 

André will also speak at the Alumni Event on 2 October. She will talk about achieving a good work-life balance and what that looks like in practice. Participation is free, but please register here before 25 September.

Mieke Verloo: ‘When I arrived in Nijmegen, the lectures had already started’

‘When I enrolled in Social and Political Sciences in 1968, I was the first student in my family to attend university. I didn't know anyone else who was studying. I hadn't received any detailed information from the university either. Without any idea of the difference between the academic calendar in Belgium, where I lived, and here, I assumed that the academic year would start in October. I left for Nijmegen two weeks early to get to know the city and pick up my student card. That's when I found out that lectures had already started. I had missed the introduction, but I didn't realise that until a few weeks later.

I liked that leap into the unknown, as a 17-year-old in a new city and a new country. I was curious to learn a lot of new and difficult things. In the late 1960s, all kinds of exciting things were happening in society in terms of emancipation and democratisation. But many lectures were disappointing, especially the only political science course. It was about swing voters and parties I knew nothing about. The sociology courses were more in-depth, so after one year I decided to focus on sociology.

As a young woman, I stood out at the time. There were ten women and a hundred men in our programme. I was constantly asked, 'But what are you going to do with your degree? Especially when I got married (four years later), I had to defend myself constantly. People thought it was crazy for a woman to study, let alone work. After graduating, I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't see myself working in business or civil service. A research job seemed like the only meaningful alternative.

After a second job for a national committee on research policy, I finally felt the desire to work at a university, and I decided that I wouldn't do so without a PhD. As strange as it may sound now, in the 1980s you could get a job (sometimes even as a senior researcher) without having written a thesis. So I looked for and found funding for a PhD. The plan became reality, with some ups and downs. I obtained my PhD in 1992.

Nowadays, students almost have to engage in career planning, but I wasn't concerned with that myself. I stayed true to myself and chose positions based as much as possible on my intrinsic motivations (to better understand the world and, above all, inequality). That is the advice I would give to others: stay true to yourself, although I understand that not everyone is the same.

I am still doing research. I am currently coordinating an international research project in which we are comparing the feminist response to opposition to feminism and emancipation in a broader sense in seven European countries. At 74, I no longer need to work, but my passion for research is as strong as ever.

Mieke Verloo is Professor of Political Science at Radboud University. More information about her current research can be found at www.CCINDLE.org.