The student room: ‘A barrel of memories!’
A whole week dedicated to the topic of moving into a student room? That’s the Zot van mijn Kot week at the University of Antwerp. Alums Debby Vriens, Filip Coenen and Pieter Snyers were also crazy about their rooms back in the day. They spent their student years in one of the former student residences of the University of Antwerp. ‘It may be a cliché, but that time at the student residence was wonderful,’ they say in unison.
A modern student residence recently opened its doors on Campus Drie Eiken. A few years ago, the student residence on the Stadscampus was given a complete makeover. Both buildings are now managed by a private company. The university used to manage several residences itself. Those who lived there still talk about it years later.
‘I lived with 150 students from different backgrounds and from all kinds of disciplines. That created a unique dynamic and close friendships. Many of them are still my friends today,’ says Filip Coenen, a former student of applied economics and former resident of the Ten Prinsenhove student residence on the Stadscampus.
Debby Vriens studied medicine and lived in the student residences of both Campus Middelheim and Drie Eiken. ‘The rooms were small, but that limited space ensured that you ventured outside those four walls and participated in life at the residence.’ Pieter Snyers studied computer science and also lived in the residence on Campus Middelheim. He then spent a few years in a normal student room, so he’s in a perfect position to compare. ‘In a student residence you really live together. You share the kitchen, the bathroom and the TV room, so there’s automatically a lot of contact with others. In a student room you’re more on your own.’
I didn't know anyone when I arrived, but I never felt alone, not even on the first day.
The open door
Smartphones, social media, online gaming: they certainly have an impact on the life of today's student. Getting a message or a like is cool, but is there still room for unexpected visits or chance encounters? These aspects coloured life in a student room in the past: in the residences, the door to your room was usually open to everyone, literally and metaphorically. ‘If you didn't feel like studying or didn't know what to do, there were always friends you could pay a visit to,’ Coenen and Snyers recall. No one from Vriens’ environment had any experience with student residences. ‘I didn't know anyone when I arrived, but I never felt alone, not even on the first day.’
What was life like at the student residence? That question brings a sparkle to our alumni's eyes, immediately making clear that this was a memorable time. For Vriens, the day usually began with breakfast in the cafeteria. ‘You never knew who’d be there, but you always knew someone. And if not, it was the perfect opportunity to meet new people.’ Snyers immediately laughs: for him, the day didn’t start with breakfast, but ended with it. ‘On Thursday mornings they’d always serve bacon, and we rarely skipped it. Sometimes, after partying, we would go straight to breakfast and only sleep afterwards.’ Thursday night was the regular night for going out at Ten Prinsenhove. ‘But actually, it was party night every night with us,’ laughs Coenen.
The student room as a second home
The cozy atmosphere of that time is reflected by the stories of the alumni. ‘When you come from secondary school, you basically have zero life experience. You know nothing, but suddenly your whole life changes. That’s why it was important that the student residence was more than just a place to sleep. It had to be a second home for everyone,’ emphasises Vriens. ‘The introverted housemates may not have said much, but their presence was just as important.’
As president of PTP, the student club of Ten Prinsenhove, Coenen felt it was even more important to create that homely atmosphere. ‘Many students only knew the people in their hallway. But by organising activities, you gave everyone the chance to get to know the whole building.’
Making new friends wasn’t something that came naturally to me in secondary school. But when you suddenly find yourself in a group like that in the student residence, you have no choice. I really flourished there.
Living together in diversity
Living together with so many people also meant dealing with many different personalities. ‘Making new friends wasn’t something that came naturally to me in secondary school. But when you suddenly find yourself in a group like that in the student residence, you have no choice. I really flourished there,’ Snyers says. ‘My parents noticed this too, so they were less angry about the resits I had to take.’
‘There were many international students at the student residence. They were often more mature, having cultural baggage from their native country and all, so you had to have a certain amount of empathy to talk to them. But I managed. The togetherness was all-encompassing.’
All for one and one for all
Even during exam periods, time was made to be together. ‘We’d take a break every day at 4 p.m. We’d go for a walk or, if the weather was bad, drink tea together,’ says Vriens. ‘We didn't really study together, because during such a stressful period everyone needed to do things at their own pace.’
This is a remarkable difference compared to today, as current students often do study together. Vriens: ‘Towards the end of my studies, I really started to see a revival of studying in the library. I think many people like being able to concentrate on something in the company of others.’ Compared to the past, there are more opportunities for distraction nowadays, and the social control of the library presents an important advantage over studying in your room.
If I had to describe my time at the student residence in one sentence, it would be: a barrel of knowledge and fun. With the emphasis on barrel.
The end of an era
Living with so many people almost guarantees legendary stories. The door was always open, but sometimes that was also because there was no door to begin with. Vriens immediately starts to chuckle. ‘We used to steal each other's doors. One door even ended up in the square opposite the building for a few days.’ Switching rooms was also a well-known phenomenon. First, photos were taken of everything, after which the rooms were completely switched: from the textbooks to the underwear. Coenen has another fun fact, his eyes lighting up with the memories of the mischief: ‘If you put cress seeds in water and pour it under someone's door, after a week they’ll have a small lawn on their carpet.’
The years at the student residence have had a lasting impact. ‘My personal development, social contact, becoming an adult, all of that really happened at the residence,’ emphasises Snyers. The knack for organising that Coenen picked up at the student residence led him to work in the events sector for a while. And the idea of living together also stuck with him: today he runs luxury cohousings.
‘If I had to describe my time at the student residence in one sentence, it would be: a barrel of knowledge and fun. With the emphasis on barrel’, Coenen says with a wink. Now that most of the student residences have been torn down, an iconic piece of student life has also disappeared. It marks the end of an era, but the memories of the spontaneous encounters, wild nights and open doors that led to lifelong friendships are timeless.