That one’s time as a student is the greatest time of one’s life, has been a popular expression for a long time. But if that was ever true (“then you have had your best at 25, which would be sad”), it is even more of a question these days: students are burdened by stress and high demands, Letschert told the well-filled hall. They feel rushed, overloaded, sometimes lonely, and struggle to meet expectations: of themselves, of the study programme and of their surroundings. It is no wonder that half of them suffer from psychological complaints (of which 12 per cent are serious complaints), as appeared from a Trimbos survey on the mental health of students.
Mistakes
Social media that are full of success stories also play a major role. Failing appears to be something only the weak among us experience. Nothing could be further from the truth, Letschert argued. Without mistakes, without failure, but also without uncertainty, growth is not possible. Everyone makes mistakes, large ones and small ones, everyone feels unsure at times, but those experiences are not always shared and because of this, students of today (and not just students, it applies to all of society) have a distorted idea of what is ‘normal’.
Stress
Maastricht University has undertaken a number of actions in many ways to improve the well-being of students – such as skills that will help you deal with setbacks better – and to create a community in which you are allowed to fail. The objective is not to take away all the stress, on the contrary, stress and pressure are not just negative, Letschert argued. They help you achieve a goal and give an extra good feeling when the finishing line has been reached. It is about finding the right balance between performance and relaxation.
Difficult topics
“This also means that we won’t shy away from difficult topics,” she said, referring to the campaign on sexual safety that was launched during the faculty introductions.