07:00 - My alarm clock rings. Fortunately, my wake-up light means I am already reasonably awake. This really is a lifesaver, especially during the dark winter months. I get out of bed and open my phone to see if I received any messages while I was asleep. I respond to the most urgent ones and save the rest for later.
07:15 - I make breakfast and make a big cup of tea. On the sofa, I answer the remaining messages on my phone. I also check my socials and the newspaper app.
07.30 - Time to get dressed and get ready for the day!
08.10 - I quickly flip open my laptop to check my VU email and the digital learning environment Canvas. This is where all the articles we need to read, assignments we need to complete and announcements from lecturers about lectures and tutorials are posted. Armed with notebooks, a few pens, diary, reusable coffee cup, laptop (charger) and earphones in my bag, I am ready to go to VU.
08:30 - I leave my student complex where I rent a room and get on my bike to VU. Within ten minutes of pedalling, I am on campus. Unlike other universities, you find the various VU buildings on one site.
08.40 - I park my bike in front of the VU main building. Our cheerful host Hans greets me and other students with great enthusiasm. This always puts a smile on my face! I quickly score another cup of coffee for during the lecture. Disposable cups are no longer available at VU because of environmental concerns. You can get reusable cups at the coffee corners, but I like to bring my own cup.
09.00 - The lecture of the TOSCA (Theoretical Orientation to Social and Cultural Anthropology) course starts. I really like the thematic format of this course: we discuss different theoretical topics with a different lecturer each week. Today we are covering rituals and the sacralisation of objects. For instance, why do we leave flowers and hugs at the sites of tragedies? What do we do when they start to wilt and rot, or when these spontaneously created ‘memorials’ need to be disposed of? Can we just throw these objects away or do they need special treatment because of the memory of a tragic event? It's a great read and ties in nicely with my own research on contemporary commemorations of past witch hunts.
09:45 - The first half of the lecture is over. We have a 15-minute break before the second half begins. Together with some friends attending the same lecture, we walk to the nearest coffee machine to refill our cups and then return.
10.45 - The lecture is over. My friends and I discuss our plans for the rest of the day. In 15 minutes, we have the working group of the subject FRD (Field Research Design). Since we do not work in the same rooms, we decide to meet for lunch in the canteen after the working group.
11.00 - The FRD working group session today starts by discussing last week's assignment: finishing our theoretical framework of the research so that we can get started. We discuss the frameworks in pairs and give each other feedback. Then we write the methodology: the method of our research.
12.45 - The working group session was very productive; feeling good, I plan to continue working on my methodology later today. First, I meet my friends for a nice lunch in one of the VU canteens. We find an empty table and sit down. I brought some lasagne from last night and warm it up in one of the microwaves.
13.15 – We walk to the new VU building on campus to work on our research. The new VU building is a nice place to work: it has a very open and spacious floor plan with many large windows. Because it is sunny today, there is a lot of light coming in. On the first floor, just above the coffee corner, is my favourite study area with long tables and benches. I can focus better when I am in a room with more students.
17.30 - Time to go home!
18.10 - Before my photography course at the VU Griffioen cultural centre, I quickly upload some photos from my camera to my laptop. I want to send a few for tomorrow's class. We are practising shutter speed, which allows you to capture movement.
18.20 - Together with some girlfriends who live in the same student complex, we cook risotto. In my room, we cosily watch a few episodes of The Crown.
23.00 - Although it is still very cosy, we all go back to our room. We decide to work together in the common study room at 08.00 tomorrow, as we have no lectures. So my alarm clock goes off again at 07.00. Good night!