Broad shoulders bear the heaviest load – while we have them.

As a new student at the big university, everything can feel big and empty. Life happens only in books and lectures, and existence quickly seems to become lacklustre and lonely. The permanence of this situation can be tempered by joining communities and associations which you quickly become a part of and which also slowly become a part of you. On the surface, this seems like a no-brainer, but in reality it is probably about as far from the truth as we can get. The countless initiatives are borne on the shoulders of hard-working volunteers who, instead of thinking only of themselves, choose to spend part of their already busy study years creating spaces for the sanctuary and well-being of the droves of students around them.

However, it should be noted that this University’s association activities are not permanently fixed to the shoulders of these enthusiasts; rather, they are precariously balanced on the ever-changing shoulders of different individuals, which makes it a very fragile existence to deal with. Especially when we remind ourselves that usually only a couple of the precious study years are actively spent on association activities because elements such as first-year exams, semesters abroad, writing bachelor projects and master’s theses take precedence when it comes to prioritising your time.

In many associations, some people bear a heavier load than others – because they want to, because they can, or perhaps because it is needed. I refer to these enthusiasts as the weight-bearing shoulders. Weight-bearing shoulders are one of the most valuable things for well-being at the University. They are the ones who establish associations, start initiatives or step into already existing associations and push the boundaries a little, which makes it possible to expand and do more for the members of the association.

But these individuals also quickly become the most dangerous elements for the associations, because what do you do when the weight-bearing shoulders leave the University, diploma in hand? If no supporting structure has been built around the weight-bearing shoulders in the meantime, or no new set of shoulders has been found to carry the weight, the association will collapse and the well-being that it used offer to the students will quickly slip through the fingers of those left behind.

The solution to counteracting this dereliction is not always money. The solution lies in support and backing. Human support. Not just a pile of money, but someone to talk to who takes the time to listen, takes the association seriously, and helps with the problems which even the smallest organisation struggles with. And structural support, so that you know that there will be a place to meet tomorrow and somewhere to hold your events. Without creating an organisational and financial burden for students who are just trying to do something good for their fellow students.

Association culture cannot be bought; it must be nurtured, supported and taken seriously. Because without the many weight-bearing shoulders, the communities will collapse. And without the communities, the well-being that makes the difference between a university where all you do is study and a university where you belong will disappear.