In short: I’ve had an upbringing that allows me to turn my ideals into words and action. Though I’ll be the first to admit that when you are brimming with principles, it’s unhealthy not to also be a bit hypocritical sometimes.
With that introduction out of the way, I’d like to give you a brief history of the Netherlands. We had it all figured out here. At some point. On paper.
In reality, the world - our country being no exception - is a bit of a work in progress. More recently, it hasn’t helped that apparently many people were doing so great, they kept voting mr. Rutte into office. But then I graduated at the TU Delft, where along the way, I caused a cultural landslide with my columns. With my degree and youthful energy, I became a government worker. Now it’s all fixed, happy end, roll credits, everyone can go home.
Not.
Nearly anyone can tell you that it’s a bit more complicated than that, that transitions are ridiculously complex, and that there will be some walls in your way. Some of those are ‘unwritten rules’ (as students, we called those ‘mores’ or AhB ‘always has been’). When I was approached to write this piece, my first reaction was ‘good’, a quick one: unwritten rules are bullshit. Write down your rules and be kind’.
Did you just hear a deep sigh emit from many a bar and living room? That’s the sound of people who know me, who had hoped to finally have a quiet beer without me around. ‘YES Noor’, they’re shouting by now, ‘But is there anything you think is not broken?’
Especially for them, for you, and mostly for myself, a bit of constructive advice. Four tips that have helped me:
- Personal style. If you wanna be taken seriously as an engineer, it might help to wear a blue shirt and carry a briefcase. If that’s you, go for it. Looking a bit more original is also fine. I would advise saving your crop top for the weekends (for now).
- Patience. Pick your moment, pick your battle, and keep it fun for yourself too. But when you have a thought, and you’ve slept and/or lost sleep over it, you’re allowed to express it.
- Respect and curiosity. You may know loads, but so does that one luddite boomer in your office, just different things. Same goes for the check-out-android, the nurse, and even the protest-farmer.
- Find your people. Obvious, but still: doing something you care about helps. I’ve never made contact as easily as when I started graduating at ‘Optical Smart Malaria Diagnostics’.
If we can do that, and manage to keep laughing through it all, the world might be better off.
Noor van Driel,
Alumnus TU Delft (systems & control )
