Campus Life

Name: Thomas Groot
Age: 22
Study: Bachelor Business Economics (Bedrijfseconomie)

Knowledge is the most important, but without a network it is more difficult to work yourself up to the top. You should invest as well in your knowledge as in your network. The most effective will be a combination of both. You need your knowledge to maintain yourself within your network and without knowledge your network adds little value. Imagine you have your degree, but not the knowledge (because of free-riding or cheating), then people will start to see you are not capable for certain positions, even though you have your degree. However, a network offers opportunities that you do not get offered with just knowledge.

Name: Josien van Diesen
Age: 22
Study: Bachelor Psychology (Psychologie)

When I look at my family, I would say that a network is more important than knowledge. My grandfather had a company and transferred this company to my aunt. She immediately sold it, and became rich. However, this was not due to her knowledge. If you finished vocational education, you will probably do not end up in the same network as someone who has earned a university degree. I think the importance of a network has changed over time It used to be easier to work yourself up with a network, but nowadays your degree is more important. Remember: you can always trust and build on your own knowledge, but your network may change over time.

Name: Daan Snellen
Age: 22
Study: Master Private Law (Privaatrecht)

I think the most important is your network, but I would never tackle it that way. I personally focus more on knowledge. I want to make it to the top, but regret that sometimes it seems networking is the only way to make it up there. You must have knowledge, however if you have the right network, I think it differs not much whether you really excel in something or whether you are just mediocre. Of course you unconsciously build your own network, but I do not purely focus on it. I would rather achieve something based on my own abilities than on the help of other people.

Name: Ebru Saka
Age: 27
Study: Pre-Master Law (Rechtsgeleerdheid)

I think it is a combination of both networking and knowledge. You must have certain knowledge to construct your network. I think that your network can absolutely work to your advantage when you have the right people in the right places around you. The certain knowledge that you have determines the composition of your network. If I am not interested in Law, I would never go to a jurisprudence conference or master class where you gain a part of your network. A network is very important, you cannot always end up in a certain place with just knowledge, the so-called nepotism. Though, in the end you have to prove yourself using your knowledge to stay at the top.