I came to study...
...at TU Delft in 2015. Back then, X was still called Sport and Culture and they also had separate subscriptions. I decided to get a sports subscription, and with a group of friends we neatly went to HIIT class every Wednesday at 17:00. However, I missed getting involved with music, so it was great for me when Sport and Culture fell together under the umbrella of X and everything was moulded into one subscription. It allowed me to spend my entire student days relaxing in hobbies I already loved, like fitness and tennis, but also discovering and developing new sides of myself. I am grateful to X for that, and it enriched my student days immensely.
In addition to my participation in the offer of X...
...I was lucky enough to work as a host at X for a little over five years. The best thing about working there is the team of people you do your shifts with. The most memorable night I experienced was the night the very first Covid lockdown started. The lockdown was announced by the government at 20:00, and it was then decided to close X immediately as well. It was very hectic and everyone had questions for the hosts that we had absolutely no answers to. But that is definitely an evening to remember!
Last December, I completed my master's degree...
... in Applied Mathematics. Now, after a long holiday, I am quietly looking for my next job. In the meantime, I've started working behind the scenes at X, at the communication department. I find it extremely fun to get to know the organisation in this way as well. The thing that surprises me most is how much X has to offer. It's a huge collective effort to streamline that, and it's interesting to discover more about how that works. Among other things, I deal with the website content, and I can tell you it's not easy to keep 150 different offer pages up to date!
I have always been a hobby hopper...
...and immensely enjoy trying different things, from screen printing to Zumba. The one thing where I stepped out of my comfort zone the most was when I signed up for the jazz ballet course at X. My dance experience at the time, when asked, was: 'I often play Just Dance on the Wii and sometimes go to parties'. But that course has become one of the most fun things I have ever done at X, and I am now doing it for the third time. It is a great way to recharge your energy (much needed during your graduation and while looking for a job) and the teacher is one of the most cheerful people I have ever met!
In case you are just new to Delft...
...welcome! And if you're still a bit lost in all X has to offer, don't worry, because I was too. Start with something you feel comfortable with, and explore further from there. Furthermore, I also had an app group with some friends with whom we tried just about every ticket hour. There's no better pressure than social pressure to exercise, and it's fun too! And remember that your student time is the best time to completely reinvent yourself. So have you always wanted to try something new? Then X is the perfect place to start doing so.
Photo credits: Suzanne Oskam
