On that evening, while scanning through the Resource website, I fell, by chance, upon an article named ‘Painful decision can reverberate for a while’ linked to VHL. Curious, I clicked on it and read in horror the words that tore my world apart.
Under the dimming light of the night sky, I sat perched upon the open window staring out with misty eyes. The tears that wanted to come out were a mix of sadness, anger and frustration. VHL and WUR had decided to go their separate ways, at that moment I just felt like a fool. How could I have ever possibly believed that my life was so perfect?
So many questions flashed through my mind. How could they have not informed us of the troubles? How could they still not have told us about the decision, two days after it had happened? Did this organization know what ‘management’ meant?
Had anyone taken into account, me as an international student? I had made a huge decision to move away from home for the first time. I changed country, I changed language, I was completely alone and to be frank, I was scared of what the future held. Four years is no joke, it is a huge commitment. My decision was based on many facts, the link to the WUR, its Forum and facilities being the biggest one. Now, with no warning whatsoever, I am expected to accept the fact that what I signed up to and paid for is not what I am going to get. In most European countries, this is illegal. Why not here? I am one of 15,000, my course is one of many but how could any student reading this trust an organization which destroys whatever it wishes, and considers students to be a fee-paying irrelevance?