CHLOE (3rd year)

"I come from the small island of Guernsey, so it was difficult to settle into The Hague at first, but I soon made close friends who made it feel like home. As I thought, the pandemic had reduced my chances of meeting new people – especially since I missed out on a semester abroad – I made the spontaneous decision to apply for the role of Treasurer on the BASIS Board. I wanted to push myself and take on a new challenge outside of my studies. Thus far it has been a great opportunity, although at times tough. There have been some difficult moments and it takes up quite some time, but it has been a really rewarding experience. I have met some amazing people which has helped me to feel more integrated into the student community.

Last semester, I got to the point where I was really stressed because my schedule was very busy, I was writing my thesis, and I had a lot of responsibilities while being on the Board. I have never been the person to structure or organize my days much, but I have learnt to try and plan things out now. As well as scheduling work-related tasks, I learnt the importance of prioritizing the things that make me happiest: whether that be baking or meeting a friend at a café, it helped me to balance my time. It was also helpful to vent to my friends. Being on the Board is hard work, but we are very close so when one of us is struggling it helps that we are in a similar situation. I realize now that it is also okay to open up about your issues and not keep them bottled up. And most importantly if you enjoy what you are doing then it’s all worth it in the end."

(Chloe, 3rd year, Guernsey)