Last week I virtually sat down with (for me) a familiar face around BUAS: Carla Roelse. Carla has been working for over 21 years at BUAS and has worked on many different types of jobs. The best part of her job at BUAS is direct contact with students.

What exactly do you do at BUAS? 

 “Together with study delayers, I try to find the cause of why they want to quit school and find new motivation to proceed with education. I also teach different BEST trainings such as master your study stress, fear of failure and study planning. From this year on, I also accompany interns. I coach multiple classes divided over different study years. The best training is BUAS broad but within my other work activities, I’m focused on the tourism program. My work is succeeded when the student takes a step in his/her personal right direction. I doesn't matter how big their step is, as long as they take a step back out of their status quo situation. If a student after my help still decides to leave school, it’s still all right with me if the student is conscious. I think it’s an honour to accompany a student and be part of their life path. Skills you need to have to do my job are to be a good listener, having empathy and a broad background knowledge of the psyche. You have to have enough knowledge to accompany a student wherever his or her path leads. “

If students come to you for help, what is their request?

 “When helping a student I try to look at the broader picture, sometimes their private lives interfere within the student’s school career. Most of the students that come to me for help are dealing with a lack of self-confidence. From this insecurity, the student develops stress. Students also have difficulties with what is expected from them, most of the times students are dealing with expectations for themselves they see reflected in family, their surroundings or the society. Most of the thing’s students come to me for help go hand in hand: fail of failure, stress, self-doubt. These elements form some sort of triangle and are closely related.”

What are the most common reasons students decide to stop their education?

 “To be honest I can’t answer that, in my experiences its always good to have an in-depth interview before students decide to leave BUAS. In some cases, insecurity plays a big role in the student’s decision to quit school. Sometimes they doubt if they can proceed with the education. If you can find out that it’s the student’s insecurity and not about the contents of the education than is the angle of approach different, they realize the education is right for them, but their insecurities make decisions for them. The most human thing we all do is we like to keep things outside from us. I think an in-depth interview should be a mandatory part for early school leavers, it’s important to chart the reason why the student is quitting school.”

Could you maybe tell me about a funny situation that occurred during your work? 

“Yes, that was within my last group, most of them are now receiving their diploma. This group had a great group dynamic. And I received multiple comments because they thought I had a too harsh approach towards students from their group. The students corrected me that I was too direct and too confronting. To see the students, come up for each other and react out of emotion was such a wonderful experience for me. “

Do you experience more need for help since the covid-19 period? 

“No, I can’t wrap my head around this. Everywhere I read that students are in more need for help than help ever. Together with the organizers of the BEST trainings, we try to jump into this and create trainings especially for students who are struggling with Covid-19 and the accompanying stress. But applications are minimal. And I just can’t explain those low applications. I feel powerless and I will try to find an explanation for this. Every student that experiences unhealthy stress and has the feeling that he/she can’t influence itself and they feel hindered by this stress I hope they search for help by a coach or dean.“

Why would you recommend students to sign up for BEST training?

 “If students experience negative stress and it influences their functioning, I wish for them to have a broader perspective, so they can make a choice. If they don’t know how to cope with stress, I feel like they don’t understand that they have a choice, and they just have to undergo the stress. With the tools we provide in the best training we allow the students to make a choice.“

I’m a professional overthinker, do you never take your professional life home?

“No, I learned this when I was working as a nurse. When I worked in a nursing home I bonded with the patients and when one of them passed away I felt really bad, but I’ve learned to let it go, so when I left the nursing home I left my thoughts there.”

Do you have tips for students who are coping with stress?

 “My most important tip is to talk about it. Ask for help and make it known. Don’t be embarrassed, but talk about it with your fellow students, your coach or dean. And ask yourself when did my fear of failure start. “

Want to learn more about the BEST training I followed? Read my next article.