Doing a CSF board year

Did you become enthusiastic about CSF and do you want to see if a board year is something for you? It is good for your curriculum vitae, you learn how to implement your own ideas, create valuable connections and there are many more benefits from doing a board year, besides the fact that it is fun of course! Let the current board members explain you why they liked doing a CSF board year!

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Joël Kampen - Chair & Secretary

During my board year as the chair of CSF, I learned a lot about forming opinions, even though you will not always have one. My opinions are mostly in the form of ideas for implementation in the university that is pushed forward as CSF initiatives. In political debates and negotiations, these ideas are discussed with student council members (12 students). In addition to that, I also learned about the organizational structure of a big institute like our university.
 
 
Besides what I learned, I am also representing Wageningen University and Research students, especially our constituencies, who might sometimes have different opinions than the rest of the SC. Moreover, I am getting the opportunity to represent the students at the table of our rector, Magnificus, Arthur Mol. I am also a part of the WUR council, where the student council works jointly with the employees of the University to discuss all university-related matters/topics in the presence of the president, Louise Fresco! 
 
Finally, I find the board year a good initiative to build an excellent curriculum vitae. Above all, it is fun to work with different kinds of persons in diverse committees, and you can choose the committees related to the topics that interest you most!

 

Jacob Zournu - Treasurer & Promoter

As a representative of CSF, my student council year has given me yet another opportunity to break out of my comfort zone and learn new skills. Talk of the comfort zone, I am not fond of frequently talking in a group setting, but the proceedings in the student council demand active dialogue discussions. As a result, I am learning to be opinionated, which I find useful in building interpersonal skills for a job outside the University.

Moreover, I am learning to be thoughtful and critical about my decisions. This stems from critical reviews of policy documents from the Executive Board to satisfy students and the University. My ability to be critical and thoughtful in decision making has also improved my written communication skills. I have learned to be critical in writing to communicate my thoughts clearly and concisely.

Furthermore, I find fulfilment in helping people, which makes my student council journey even more exciting. I can help students by representing their interests and presenting their needs to the Executive Board. Consequently, I am building my network by interacting with many students, boards of student associations, members of the participation council and the Executive Board.

Lastly, I am learning new ways to navigate people from different cultural backgrounds in a job setting. As a regular student, I had the opportunity to embark on group works with students from different backgrounds. However, my student council year has offered me this opportunity to learn ways to accommodate divergent views in a job setting. Taken together, working in the student council is preparing me to fit in any job or cultural setting as it also builds my resume to be all-encompassing!