Social work

Last year, I finished middle school and this year I am starting a study at the The Hague University. I am very excited about it. The study I have chosen to start is Social work. We call it SPH in Dutch. If you study SPH, you learn how to help people to rearrange things in their life, and it is mostly about a group of people with a certain mental illness or disability. The reason I want to do this study, is because I really like to help people when they are in trouble, and I am very interested in various types of mental illnesses, also because I do have experiences with mental illnesses myself. I think I can help people, because I have have experienced some illnesses myself, and because I will be a professional, who has medical knowledge about certain disabilities.

To start this study, the HHS (The Hague University) organised a introduction camp to get to know each other. We did several games and activities to get to know the other students, but also to get to know the teachers and about the subjects they teach us. Last Monday, I had to get up very early, because I had to catch the train to go all the way to Den Helder, which is in North Holland. When I arrived there, I went to Texel, where the camp was, by a ferryboat. I didn't want to be too late, so I made sure I was there a bit too early. I wasn't a bit too early. I was there one hour before other people came too. It was not problem, though, I was not completely on my own. When all the other students and some teachers had arrived, we went to the Stayokay hostel by bike. It was a nice ride, with the wind and the sun was shining and it smelled nice. First thing we did when we came there was gathering together with my classmates and we practised each others' names. Turned out that I was the youngest student in my class, and the oldest one is twenty five and already has a little daughter. Everyone thought I was cute.

Later on, we went outside to play games. The funny thing is that all the games had to do something with trust and teamwork, and I could see the connection between those games and the study we start with. That took us kind of the whole day. When we finished playing games, we went into our rooms and get ready for dinner. The food was good, I have to say. I totally expected to get disgusting fries or something, but I actually was pretty delicious. One thing I was not very happy about, was that the plates and knifes and forks were pretty dirty. Most of cutlery wasn't very clean and it had bits of old food attached to it. Oh well.

That evening we played a game called foxhound, and they made the game about different kind of mental illnesses and disabilities, which was very interesting and funny at the same time. We basically had to walk around town in the night and had to look for people who were dressed and acted like people with certain mental illnesses. Then we had to answer a question about that and we got a piece of the puzzle we had to make in the end. My class was the fourth one to go hunting, and we were the first one to come back. Unfortunately, we didn't have all the pieces, because there was some miscommunication going on, so we didn't win the game, but we had fun and it was interesting, and that is the important thing.

The next day we had to get out of bed around eight o'clock, which I think isn't very early at all. Again, we went to play games. There is a Dutch television show called I love Holland, where they play games and answer questions about the Netherlands. That is the game we played and it was fun. Obviously they made the game about things that have to do with my study, so it was very interesting and a bit fun to play too. And we didn't win this game, which I don't think is a problem.

After this games, we went to the beach with all those two hundred thirty five students, where we were told about the teachers and about the subject they will be going to teach us about. That was clever thing to do, because now I know some things about the subjects. When we got back in the Stayokay hostel, everyone had to make a short play about a certain type of people who could be looking for help with a SPHer. We had to do the prostitutes. I think our play was very good, and I hope more people thought so too.

That evening, all there was, was a party. Everyone had to put on clothes fitting in a certain theme, and it was nice to see that lots of people were dressed funny. I had a nice costume too.

The next, and last, day of the camp. We didn't do very much at all. We gathered around with our class and our counsellor told us things about the school and we got our timetable. And played a little game. And already did some homework kind of things with each other. My timetable is pretty good, for now. I don't have any lessons at Mondays, so I will have a longer weekend than I used to have, and I am very happy about that, because I really hate Mondays. On Tuesday, my first lesson starts at a quarter to nine, and my last one finishes at a quarter past four. On Wednesdays, I start at half past ten and go home at a quarter past five. Thursdays are okay too; from half past ten until a quarter past four. I really love my Fridays, though! I am finished with my lessons at twelve o'clock! That means I have a pretty long weekend!

Today and tomorrow, I don't have to go to school! Tuesday my new study and my new life will start! It does feel like that though, because I really hated middle school, and I hope things will be a bit better :)

I will write more about my life and about experiences with this new school, these new people from time till time!