By Sophie Staal
Every day we walk the same side-walk, we see the same faces, we contemplate the same question of getting lunch at Spar or not. About three months ago many of us did not know anyone else here, and now we are all neighbours, classmates, teammates, friends? AUC is often referred to as a bubble. Our own little space at the edge of Science Park with the train station right around the corner, a gym complex two minutes away, and the dorms we call home five. In many ways this can be seen as a positive thing, but it also comes with its challenges.
Kaï Humpleby, a first-year Social Science student, compares starting university to “jumping in the deep end,” especially in such a close-knit “bubble environment.” He has finished University College Twente (UCT), and is therefore quite used to a sheltered setting. For him, AUC actually feels like less of a “bubble isolation,” as he states, since UCT was a lot smaller and had housing in the academic building.
Vania Gomez, a first-year Humanities major, reflects upon her first encounters with the bubble as “blurring the lines” between her education and her personal life. “In the beginning I really didn’t like it. I felt like everything was merging and I felt so small.” She elaborates by naming how university is often described as a place to explore new experiences and expand one’s perspective. “Now it just seems smaller than high school,” Gomez expresses.
When asked about the dorms, Kate Manning, a first-year Social Science student, reacts by saying, “It’s kind of weird, because you can see people live.” Considering that, and the fact everyone goes to the same school as well, the bubble seems to offer very little space for privacy. “I would like to have a minute alone sometimes, just to go to the supermarket in my pyjamas,” Catherine Lebiedzińska, a second-year Social Science major, admits.
A specific source of stress for students is the pressure to meet new people and form lasting friendships quickly. The idea of finding your “lifelong friends” at university can be overwhelming, especially when new groups seem to form every day and you can hear parties from your dorm window. “Especially with social media, you can easily buy into the idea of ‘oh s**t, everyone has found their people, I haven’t,’ but seeing people together on social media doesn’t necessarily mean that,” Gomez says.
Being surrounded by so many people can feel lonely in that way. Even when you are invited to parties and go to committee events, it can take some time until you start to feel at home. “You shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself, I feel like it would do the exact opposite,” Gomez concludes. Manning comes to a similar conclusion regarding forcing yourself to be interactive and social. She acknowledges the idea of the fear of missing out (FOMO), but also dismantles it by saying “If you go it’s fun, if you don’t go – it’s fine.”
AUC can feel both overwhelming and isolating, with students caught between the desire to belong and the urge to escape the bubble, despite having all their basic needs met. Gomez reflects on her first weeks, noting that while she felt the need to leave, she didn’t recognize it at first. Manning describes leaving Science Park for Amsterdam as “getting a breath of fresh air,” offering a moment of relief from the bubble. Humpleby provides a new perspective. “The bubble is a thing, but I wouldn’t give it too much weight,” he says, suggesting that the bubble is more about individual hesitation and procrastination. He emphasises that getting out is not as difficult as it might seem, pointing out that a simple tram or bike ride will get you into the city.
There are, in fact, numerous ways to engage with the world beyond AUC. Gomez, for instance, enjoys visiting markets, whether with friends or on her own. A nice example is the Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp, known for its lively atmosphere and diverse selection of goods, providing a perfect opportunity to experience the city’s culture firsthand. Studying at cafés or in libraries around the city is another way of “getting out.” Manning recommends the OBA (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam) near the central station, but there are many more locations. Depending on how long you feel like riding your bike, there are great options throughout all of Amsterdam.
Another way could be to join associations that present the opportunity to engage more with students outside of AUC. Lebiedzińska, for example, is the External Relations Officer for the Student Council and Gomez is a part of the USCRN, which connects her with people at other university colleges.
It is with these opportunities to get out of it, that AUC students start to appreciate the bubble more. “In a way we make our own community,” Manning says with a smile. Even though the bubble can make you feel like you are suffocating, it also functions as a familiar haven. And even if we are surrounded by the same 900 people every day, there is almost always something happening, and if not, you only have to walk into your hallway for that to change. Humpleby talks about how these kinds of environments are “conducive to spontaneous social interactions.” After all, hardly anywhere else will you go to throw out your trash and end up eating dinner at someone else’s place, because you just happened to run into them.
The Herring 