Flowzine, March 2021

FLOWZINE READER STORIES about online education Get excited for the SYMPOSIUM MENTAL HEALTH in a pandemic

Issue 22 March 2021

Dear Flowzine readers, The first Flowzine of the ‘20-’21 committee marks the start of a new rotation in Flow’s history, yet it has never felt less like a fresh start. The world is stuck in a rut, and morale’s on an all-time low.

Solidarity has never been more important. We have to look out for each other. Check in with people you miss or wish you could talk to more. Ultimately, there is only strength in love, and loving takes courage. I’ll use my courage to make a promise: the Flow-yellow sun will shine on us all again.

Lots of love, Rosa van der Vleuten InFlow commissioner ‘20-’21

COLOPHON

Flowzine is the official magazine of Study Association Flow.

Issue no. 22 Contact: NL: inflowcommissie@svflow.nl EN: inflowcommittee@svflow.nl

Commissioner: Rosa van der Vleuten Design: Rosa van der Vleuten, Désirée van den Berg, Isa Kraaijvanger, Ioana Pintilie Committee: Rosa van der Vleuten, William van Wijk, Désirée van den Berg, Isa Kraaijvanger, Ioana Pintilie, Judith Prins, Sandra Pham Special thanks to: Robèrt van Beckhoven

CONTENTS

03 06 07 09 11

Meet the InFlow

Reader Stories

Instagram’s hidden likes

By Ioana Pintilie The Social Dilemma

By Judith Prins The Five: Creative Recreation

By Sandra Pham

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Conspiracy Theories

By Isa Kraaijvanger & Rosa van der Vleuten

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Robèrt’s Savory Support

By Désirée van den Berg

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Mental Health

By Ioana Pintilie & William van Wijk

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Focus with Forest

By Judith Prins

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Christianity on Campus

By Désirée van den Berg & Sandra Pham

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Quarantine Bingo

By Judith Prins & Désirée van den Berg

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MEET THE INFLOW Before we allow your eyes and brain to feast upon the 22nd edition of the treasured Flowzine, let’s see who your hosts are this year.

ROSA Hello everyone! I’m Rosa, and I’m 19 years old. I grew up in Beek en Donk and I’m into music, art, and language. I enjoy learning new skills, instruments, or languages. As far as I know, I’m generally perceived as caring, funny, and creative. I hope to educate and entertain you all yet another year, joined by this beautiful committee.

JUDITH Heyy readers! The first thing I want to say about myself is that I don’t like starting this by telling you my name, age, and where I come from. I’d much rather start by telling you that I live in sweaters, that I’m 187 cm tall, and that I love creating graphics. I’m also interested in sustainability and would love to elaborate on that. But for now, I’m very excited to be part of this committee and I look forward to creating new things together.

IOANA Hihellohey! My name is Ioana, I am 23 and I grew up in Romania. I consider myself to be creative and a good listener, usually with a smile on my face. I love(d) going to concerts and I declare myself a music fan (my 2020 Spotify Top Songs playlist is a bit questionable, though, but moving on…). Besides that, art in general is something that means a lot to me, so I paint and draw from time to time.

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SANDRA Hello Flow members! My name is Sandra, I’m twenty years old and I grew up in Wijchen, a village close to Nijmegen. I like to go to cultural events, but now that I can go there less, I often write poems and make songs in my bedroom. I work hard to make music and poetry part of my career. I also like to walk in the woods or have long deep conversations with friends. I hope to meet new people at Flow and create some great content with my committee members.

ISA Hello there! My name is Isa and I’m 19 years old. I live in Bladel together with my little brother and my parents. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, watching movies, painting and reading. Moreover, I love hanging out with my friends and family, and going on spontaneous trips. I am really excited to work together with these lovely people this year and create something memorable!

WILLIAM Hey everyone! My name is William van Wijk, I’m 22 years old and this year’s Chair of this beautiful association. I was born and raised in the small and unconcerned town of Nieuwaal, located between the rivers Maas and Waal. When I started my premaster’s program in Data Science & Society two years ago, I first met Flow. I made the weird choice to join the study trip to Helsinki & Tallinn as a complete stranger, just over one and a half years ago. Since then, I cannot imagine my life without Flow. Last year, I was active in the Study Trip Committee and this year I have the honor to be the board buddy of the InFlow Committee!

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DÉSIRÉE Hi there! I’m Désirée and I’m 18 years old. I grew up in Wijk & Aalburg. I’m into writing, (web) design, games, and art, so I think creativity is a big part of me. I adore being with my family and friends, but these days it’s mostly online, as you know. I hope you’ll have fun and you’ll learn something while reading our Flowzine!

WHO’S WHO? a. I only wore skirts and dresses until I was nine because the feeling of pants gravely upset me. b. I’ve been a big fan of the Efteling since I was born. c. I stole a donkey plush toy from a shop when I was 3 (and pretty semi-conscious about my decisions) and that became one of my favorite toys ever. d. I had a lot of phases during my younger years, in some years I loved fries, other years I hated them. You could say that I was a bit stubborn. e. When I was little, I once cut my own hair and hid little pieces in different places to spread the evidence. My mom never found out, until recently, when I told her. f. As a toddler, I looked angry at the camera because I didn’t want to be in the picture. g. My father used to call me Didi when I was little and still does sometimes.

1. Rosa

5. Ioana

2. William

6. Judith

3. Désirée

7. Sandra

4. Isa

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READER STORIES ONLINE MEETINGS

1-a, 2-d, 3-b, 4-e, 5-c, 6-g, 7-f

‘My who le c tee met m ommity mother d granduring a meeting.’

ange h c g to d from n i t get ave oun ‘For backgr you h ’ n . r you k whe eeting in m a dr erious a s

ely rted extensiv ta s r e th o r b ‘My next to my m o m y m t . screaming a ctorio exam o r P a g in r u as door d ream back w c s to y it il b The ina ustrating.’ extremely fr

‘Having WhatsA pp notifications on while screensh aring makes for awkward sit uations.’

Thank you for your submissions!

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Instagram’s hidden likes A sweet dream or a nightmare?

Instagram hiding likes: A sweet

dream or a nightmare?

Ever imagined what it would be like to scroll through Instagram and not see the number of likes under the posts? Instagram tested this somewhat peculiar feature in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil and Australia in 2019.

“Always feeling prepared to be a lab rat for one of the Tech Giants” While reading the news, I was constantly thinking if and when the Netherlands would be taken in consideration for the grand experiment. Always feeling prepared to be a lab rat for one of the Tech Giants.

The aims of the no-likes feature: making people feel less anxious and reducing social comparison. This is what the CEO of Instagram said when asked about why this was being tested. We are living in a world

where mental illnesses are prevalent. Being offered such a positive statement, it was almost as if the update was changing Instagram into a quick fix for the wrongs that it has been previously been doing.

Studies have shown that there is a link in between social media usage and mental health issues.

Unsurprisingly, Instagram is one of the most detrimental social media for young people. Well, I truly think the world needs a social media app that would generate less pressure. But we do desire what we do not have – quality over quantity in the Information Age. The quantity problem comes in connection to all who make money through Instagram.

Nowadays, the number of followers is seen to have lost a bit of its importance. Other numbers matter, though. Posts from different pages can reach people that are not directly following them, engagement mattering more and more.

And, of course, engagement

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takes the like count into consideration.

favorable for Instagram than changing something for the wellbeing of its users. What a After all of this, some recently shame…We can only wait to published research has shown us see what else the platform has something thought provoking. prepared for us.

In a study by HypeAuditor it was found that the number Now imagine having fewer of likes generally dropped for metrics on Instagram - we would influencers that were not very probably see brands changing famous. Only when influencers their tactics, and we would were more popular (500k to 1 probably see us changing million followers), the likes went our “tactics” too. Maybe significantly up in Japan, and there would be more actual only a bit in the UK. Furthermore, self-expression through posts, likes not being visible improved topped up with less mindless the well-being of the user. scrolling and liking.

We were presented with a nightmare for the moneyColumn by Ioana Pintilie makers and a sweet dream for casual app users.

“We were presented with a nightmare for the money-makers and a sweet dream for casual app users.”

This feature did not come alive and the idea vanished in time.

What we do have though, is the new Instagram shop feature, which encourages direct buying. I guess a safe way to promote things has been more

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Netflix’ newest controversial eye-opener

/the social dilemma_ “This scares me to death” are the words of the U.S. senator of Montana when he talks about the future of social media in this world.

The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma discusses this topic and shows that together with the U.S. senator of Montana, many other people are worried about the effects of social media.

You might have noticed that social media can be quite addictive. The fact that people have a biological imperative to connect with other people is one reason for that.

Another reason, according to several ex-employees of big social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, is that most channels are designed to keep you on the platform for as long as possible.

All of the big companies fight for your attention, willing you to stay engaged with their product.

However, this has some bad downsides.

One of those downsides affects mostly youngsters. By the time social media became accessible to a lot of people, numbers showed that there was a rapid increase of depression and anxiety amongst American teenage girls of 10 to

13 years old. Even more shocking, suicide amongst girls in their late teens has increased by 70%, and by 151% amongst younger teens.

These numbers show some of the harsh consequences that are most likely caused by the introduction of social media.

“The experts say that social media has so much power over us, that it can sort of ‘steer’ our thoughts.”

Even though I would love to state something positive, the experts in the documentary were very serious (how can they not after what we already know). They have more big concerns about the future, a time where social media will probably play an even bigger role in our lives. The experts say that social media has so much power over us, that it can sort of ‘steer’ our thoughts. Companies of famous platforms state that the so-called algorithm was invented to show you things you want to see.

In reality, it is based on what the companies want you to see.

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To a certain point this is innocent.

However, when it comes to news or conspiracies, the platform is not able to tell the difference between facts and fake news. This can be dangerous whenever people click on a conspiracy theory item or fake news item, because often similar items will be recommended after that. This way, people might start believing things that are not true.

According to the documentary, something similar has happened in the American elections of 2016. Think about it: if you look at an item about the Republicans on Facebook once, you will get flooded with other articles about Republicans. Same counts for the Democrats. Therefore, making a fair comparison between the two parties is made very difficult.

Accordingly, numbers show that the number of people who fluctuated between the two parties has decreased enormously in the last couple of years. So even on a scale this big, social media influences us.

in the future. They worry that civil wars will come of it. Perhaps not the strangest estimate, after the recent incident at the Capitol in Washington. These are not very comforting prospects, but the experts say there are things to be done. We have built these technologies, and we have to change them. However, most of the responsibility to do this is in the hands of the big companies. They need to take responsibility for what they are doing and start taking our well-being and safety seriously.

If this article hasn’t scared you off yet, it is highly recommended to watch the documentary. It makes you aware of the world behind social media, and the exemployees of big companies tell some stories worth listening to!

“They need to take responsibility for what they are doing and start taking our well-being and safety seriously.”

Experts are worried that the influence of social media will have even bigger consequences

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The Five Creative recreation

As a university student, your calendar is so full that you barely have headspace left to reflect. That’s a clear sign that you need relaxation. Roll up your sleeves and get creative!

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Clay modelling Clay is a great way to focus on the here and now. It’s just you, your artwork and nothing else to worry about. And even if you don’t want to create something beautiful, you can just knead the clay and take out all your frustrations on it.

Wax crayons When you’re frustrated or angry, you can abreact it on paper by scratching it with wax crayons. You can do this as long as you want and it doesn’t have to be pretty or represent a figure! Or you can release your inner Picasso when you’re up for it.

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Coloring for adults When you want to reset your mind and relax, a coloring book for adults might really be something for you. It’s a very calming activity which is very simple because you only have to color within the lines. Get your pencils out of the drawer and add some color to your breaks when coloring your book.

Create a scrapbook You probably have many great memories with your friends.

Browse through all your pictures and print out the best ones. Get a photo album and sort all your photos. If you want, you can add a personal touch by adding text, stickers and other decorations. For example, you can decorate your scrapbook with yellow and blue when you want to look back at your Flow experiences.

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Finger painting The only things you need are a sheet of paper, paint, and of course your hands! This is a great way to reconnect with your tactile senses. Intuitively, you can immediately create whatever comes to mind. Feel free to mess around!

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Conspiracy Theories Where Elvis is still alive and the moon landing never happened Conspiracy theories are a topic

of daily conversation, now more than ever. In these uncertain times where we can do little different than browse through social media and search the internet for answers all day, these theories are more popular than ever before. But why is it that especially now these theories tend to appear, and gain more followers, and where do they originate? And more importantly, what roles do influential companies such as YouTube and Instagram play?

It is generally accepted that filter bubbles are a very fertile environment for conspiracy theories. An internet user, such as yourself, can find themselves in a filter bubble when your online environment is personalized to your own views and beliefs. Companies present information based on your past usage, which creates your own little world.

This adjusted online environment becomes your bubble, in which you sit comfortably and protected.

Once in your bubble, internet and social media will make sure that the information presented to you will fit into your personal views and therefore protects your bubble from bursting. Large companies such as

Instagram and YouTube make use of complex algorithms in order to recommend posts or videos that suit your taste.

Their primary goal behind doing this is to keep the audience entertained and spending more time on their platforms. It is quite simple; the longer you scroll through your For You page or watch cat videos, the more money these companies will make. But a side effect the use of algorithms may cause is that by making use of algorithms, social media platforms contribute to filter bubbles and give more room for conspiracy theories.

Worrying about being in a filter bubble yourself is however not directly necessary. According to different researchers, there are still lots of holes in our filter bubbles, which means that input which differs from our views will still be presented to us.

There has, however, been some critique regarding YouTube and its algorithm. It seems that the video that is recommended directly after the video you were watching is almost always a little more extreme of nature.

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In this way, were you to follow the route YouTube wants you to take, it would take only a few clicks to go from watching an informative video about 9/11 to a video about the staging of the moon landing, whilst bypassing a video of Elvis Presley playing a role in Home Alone after supposedly dying 13 years prior.

Once you find yourself in the algorithm of conspiracies, there almost seems no way of going back.

left side of the political spectrum is much thinner represented on platforms such as YouTube, and therefore creates less of a disruption.

“Elvis” in Home Alone.

As you might have seen in the teaser posted on Facebook, the yearly symposium is just around the corner. Flow organizes this symposium in collaboration with Studium Generale and this year’s the topic covers filter bubbles and the rise of conspiracy theories as a result.

Noteworthy is the fact that these extreme views presented in videos and recommended by the algorithm often originate from the right side of the political spectrum. Just think about all the conspiracy theories you might have heard about in the last few months.

It is here that algorithms and filter bubbles can become a little tricky.

The longer we spend online due to the coronavirus and the large uncertainty that we now face make for an excellent environment for conspiracy theories. It is at moments like these, when we have many questions to which simply no one correct answer can be given, that conspiracy theories can help fill up the gaps. The lack of trust in traditional media and consensus on topics can lead to a certain tension between groups and can even result in polarization.

So, did you become interested whilst reading this article and want This overrepresentation is mainly to know more? On the 14th of April, caused by the distrust among this three speakers will take the stage group of extreme right-wing people at Flow’s annual Symposium and towards the traditional media and discuss these topics in more detail. the government. YouTube gives Tune in to the live stream to learn them space and autonomy to rebel more about conspiracy theories against these traditional forms of and the filter bubbles surrounding media and present their ideas to an them from experts from all over the enormous audience. The extreme country!

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Robèrt’s savory support

INGREDIENTS (for two foccacia’s) • 500 g wheat flour For the spice mixture (if you want) • 350 g water • 25 g olive oil • 100 g sourdough • handful of mixed olives • 10 g yeast • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped • 15 g olive oil • sprigs of rosemary/thyme, leaves • 15 g salt finely chopped • a greased bowl • half a red chilli pepper, finely • 2 greased baking chopped trays or oven dishes • 15 g sundried tomatoes, in pieces • coarse sea salt

BAKING STEPS 1. Mix and knead all ingredients except for the spice mixture into a smooth dough.

2. Put the dough in the greased bowl and let it rise for about 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

3. Carefully fold the dough horizontally once and vertically once, roll out, and repeat this twice. This will create layers in the dough. Let the dough rise for another ten minutes.

4. Split the dough in two equal pieces and put these in the two greased baking trays or oven dishes. Fold the dough once more in the tray as described in step 3.

5. Mix all ingredients for the spice mixture.

6. Make small holes in the dough with your fingers and split the spice mixture over the holes.

7. Bake the focaccia at 200 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes.

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Because of COVID-19, people are predominantly sitting at home, which gives them the opportunity to bake delicious food. We thought it would be a great idea to share a recipe of a very delicious focaccia bread with you! It’s a great bread to have for lunch, for example with tomato soup. In addition, this bread is served with pasta as a starter or a side dish.

Robèrt van Beckhoven has a famous recipe for focaccia which he shared in one of his cooking courses. Luckily, we know Wendy Laheij who followed this course. She’s telling us about her experiences at Robèrt’s. On the previous page you can find the recipe!

How did you come up the idea to visit Robèrt van Beckhoven?

Actually, I was asked by a friend.

We had spoken about it earlier to do that sometime. She got the offer and immediately called me.

She likes to bake and I do too. We didn’t know that there were also specific classes for us. I thought you could only follow a course if it was your job. My friend got this offer from Dille & Kamille.

bread, chocolate meringue cookies and mini apple pies.

That sounds like the apple pie he designed. Very delicious!

Was it hard to execute those recipes?

I bake a lot, but these recipes were different from the things I usually bake, and I don’t do a lot of meringue. Actually, the difficulty was the time and speed. You got a couple of hours to bake the three things. The official baker did it first and then we had to imitate it quickly. Everything went at once, so at one point you were baking things through each other.

We started with the bread, because the dough had to rise a few times and while it was rising, you’d begin with the following recipe and so on. So, I’m happy I’m not in one of those tv-programs. This went well, but I think I couldn’t handle a program such as Master Chef. Then you are also really nervous.

Have you been there before?

Yes, for lunch and to grab a coffee.

What did you bake at Robèrts?

We made three different things.

We made delicious Focaccia

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bread more. There are different versions of Focaccia: with herbs in it or on it.

Is it easy to make the bread for us as students?

I think everyone can make it easily.

The only thing is that it costs some time and maybe there are some ingredients that you don’t have at home. So maybe you have to plan, but the good thing about focaccia is: the recipe from Robèrt had a typical filling, but actually you can fill it with whatever you want! Just some coarse salt with herbs and cheese is also fine!

And does it differ a lot from baking normal bread?

Yes, with normal bread you must knead it until it comes off of your hands. With this Focaccia bread it remains sticky, so you must constantly rub your hands with olive oil, because otherwise you can’t work with the dough.

What do you prefer?

I prefer the herbs in the whole bread. You get more flavor to the bread with every bite. Otherwise, you can only taste the herbs on the top of the bread.

Now that you know this recipe and have made it more often, have you already adapted it to your preferences?

Yes, I use the ingredients we like the most. The recipe gave a tapenade filling and in the course, we also put in some pieces of tomato and olive, so now I make a mix of those. You fill the bread by pressing little holes in it for the filling.

Do you have some tips for us?

Yes, something I didn’t know either, usually you kneed the dough and cover it to let it rise, but what they advise you at Robèrt’s, not just for the focaccia bread, but for all bread, is that you stretch the bread out and fold it in half while it’s rising to get a lighter bread.

By doing this I also like my normal

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Mental Health during the pandemic Insights from student psychologist Annelies Aquarius To find out more about how this stress is handled by students, I approached one of Tilburg University’s student psychologists, Annelies Aquarius. The following interview gives some insights and advice in relation to studying during the pandemic.

The pandemic has made being

a student a little bit different. In the Netherlands, but also in many other countries all over the world, there are little to no hours being spent on campus. Classes are mostly taught online, meaning that people would need to mix the coziness of their own home with university work.

This can have a negative impact in relation to paying attention to what is being taught. With all the distractions around us and without the support of peers that would normally be physically present, students are seen to be under pressure.

How was working as a psychologist this year in comparison to the past few years?

Because of the pandemic, I assume that things might be a bit different. What changed in terms of what people ask when they come to you, and how do you generally provide the help they need?

It has been very busy for all psychologists at our university, but also for university psychologists in the rest of the Netherlands.

We’ve started to work online from March 2020 and have been doing that ever since. Fortunately, students actively look for help.

They mention symptoms like lack of motivation and daily structure, feelings of loneliness, or mood problems. Some of them also worry about their family or health.

The help students need varies, depending on their personal

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situation. In general, it is important to look for daily structure, reach out for social interaction with others (also online, e.g. studying online together), and to take a walk outside to get some fresh air. In case symptoms are very severe, it is important to go to your general practitioner.

Some international students have chosen to stay in their home countries, some students came to Tilburg, and some Dutch people stayed in their home cities. Not having the opportunity to go to many classes on campus or to go out might have affected some students. How do you think that people who have a hard time adapting and making friends within university context should deal with their social lives, alongside university work?

Yes, this was definitely not easy.

It also depends a lot on your personal situation. Do you live with others or not? Are you able to stay motivated working from home, or not? Some students mentioned that, for the time being, they felt okay with this, because it made their life, for example, more flexible (not having to travel, for instance). However, other students told us that they felt more lonely and less motivated.

Try to actively reach out to classmates, or the student support team from Tilburg University.

Also, the Student Chaplain from Maranatha helps a lot of international students with feeling more welcome and at home in Tilburg. Contact the sports center and go to online classes. This helps to stay healthier and in balance.

How are students feeling about having classes online? Has the online environment affected people’s mental health and grades? If so, in what way?

I don’t have any information on the effect of online working on grades. However, I think it was, and still is, a challenge to work and study online and stay mentally healthy. It is important to go outside and walk or bike, so that you get fresh air and see different things than only your own room.

If you struggle with your own mental health or are worried about someone else, please visit the student psychologist pages on the Tilburg University website for sources and advice: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/ students/tutoring/psychologist/ help https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/ students/tutoring/psychologist/ mental-health

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Focus with Forest It’s 1 pm in the afternoon and

on. The application enables you you’re sitting behind your desk with to choose between two options: the Deep Focus Mode, and the your laptop in front of you, ready Plant together mode. Wait? Plant to do some schoolwork. Before together? Yes. Once you start your you start, you quickly respond to timer, a tree starts growing for you a text message from your friend in the app. If you choose to go in who’s asking to eat together this Deep Focus Mode, leaving the app afternoon. Once you’ve opened will cause the tree to wither. If you WhatsApp, you see another turn on the Plant together mode, message from your sister saying leaving the app would cause she needs your help on deciding if everyone’s tree to wither. So, the she should buy a stick insect. You app basically forces you not to give shortly reply that she should buy it, in to the many distractions of your and put your phone away to start phone. And the good news is that working on school. When you are when you don’t, the app actually just getting into that flow state, plants a tree! So you both boost your phone lights up again. You your motivation and contribute can not not look at it, and grab it again to answer. This happens once to a better world! Sounds like a profitable afternoon. more, twice, five times… Then it’s 5 pm and you wrote exactly three The Forest-app is number one on sentences for school. Great. the productivity list in the app store and gets rated a 4,7 out of 5 by Most of us will know the crappy the users. It’s free, but for €2,29 you feeling you have after a day like use the app unlimited. Good luck this. The day could have been so studying! much more productive. But what if we could use our phone to help us concentrate instead of letting it take our concentration? We could at least write thirty sentences instead of three!

There are actually apps made for this purpose. The app forest is one of those apps. If you download this app, you can set a timer for the period you want to concentrate

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Christianity on campus Dutch research of theologians Tempelman en de Bruijne (2014) states that Christian students live in two separate realities: the environment in which they grew up, and their student community.

These students struggle to unite these two realities. Next to this, it’s important for students with a religious background to realize that the content of their study may be contrary to their beliefs.

The question is: can they handle these dilemmas?

We asked Henkjan van Dijk, a religious Law freshman, about his experiences. Henkjan was brought up with Protestantism, a branch of Christianity.

I’m not super strict, not Reformatory, but I am someone who wants to follow the precepts of the Bible.

Are you an active part of a religious community? Or a religious student association?

Right now, not really, because of corona.

At first I did join the categesation at the church, but that all kind of got diluted over the years. I used to go to church every Sunday, voluntarily, because I’m eighteen now. So in that sense you could say that normally I would go to “I don’t church, if there was no really corona.

feel like a student at heart.”

How strict are you in your religion compared to others of your faith?

I always find that difficult. In some ways I’m very liberal, so I’m someone who might cuss someone out and just mean it in a funny way, but there are some things that I’m really strict about. It’s not like I’ve never once said something by accident, but basically I’m strictly against blasphemy.

How do you combine your studies and your religion?

I definitely don’t work on a Sunday. Studying is just something I don’t really see as work. On Saturdays I go running and work, so I often don’t have the energy to be busy with school.

This all has a reason,which I learned from a pastor and Paul also says it in the Bible: the Ten Commandments exist, but you don’t necessarily have to keep to them, because they’re guidelines.

Ultimately, a Christian has his conscience. And if a Christian knows ‘this is not good for me or for others’, then they shouldn’t do it.

But the moment I start imposing this obligation on myself and not doing myself any favors, then maybe I will start hating the faith and that would not be God’s intention.

faith and not something that can be known for sure and therefore, not something that is necessarily a truth. It’s also part of being tolerant of the other faiths and not saying ‘this is my faith, this is my truth, so everyone must adhere to it’.

How do you deal with it when things come up that conflict with your religious views?

It’s often the case that people do it by accident. Then they curse and then they say ‘oh yeah, you’re religious, so I won’t do that’, but I myself am not someone who will start correcting people. Maybe I’m supposed to be, but I’ll always continue to see Christianity as a

Do you comfortably tell your fellow students about your faith?

Yes, it may not be easy, because you become ‘the Christian’, and a label is put on you. But if people ask me if I am religious, I am not afraid to say yes. If you really are a Christian, you dare to say so, I think.

Other people may think differently about that, but I think it’s part of faith, that you carry it out.

Are your faith and traditional student life sometimes at odds?

How do you handle it when content Yes, but I don’t really feel like a in your studies or comes up that student at heart, because I’ve conflicts with your religious views? dated a girl for three years. 95% of Yes, it happens frequently. For all students might have lost their example, in European Legal virginity, but I’m still a virgin, to put History, there’s a lot about either it out there. The average student Pagan Law or Catholic Law and wouldn’t understand that. I’m Catholics, I always dislike a bit. If definitely up for small parties, but God is so all-powerful (that’s what that’s something else. I understand I believe) he doesn’t need people that people choose to do it and to play judge, but the Catholics that these things happen. As a thought so. This is contrary to what I student you want to reap the myself believe. I can separate it just benefits of your time as a student fine, because if everything about and live as if it were your last day, my faith went against it and I but that is not how a Christian wouldn’t want to learn it I would be should live. A Christian should able to leave out half the material always live with an eye on the sometimes. afterlife.

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