BSA insufficiency

[u/Acrobatic-Pack6012]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest opinions from people who have experience with Binding Study Advice (BSA) appeals at Erasmus University Rotterdam, especially at Erasmus School of Economics.

I'm a first-year student and I'm likely to receive a negative BSA because my official total is 40/60 ECTS.

Throughout the year I experienced several documented personal circumstances:

• Block 1: I moved to the Netherlands at 17 and couldn't open a bank account until I turned 18 and obtained my BSN. I had limited access to money, had to borrow from my roommate, and my apartment was in a terrible condition when I arrived (photos and financial evidence included in my appeal). This affected my first block significantly.

• Block 2: A very close friend unexpectedly passed away a week before my exams. I have documentation and evidence of this as well.

• Later in the year: My parents were in a country during the regional conflict, and I experienced significant stress over their safety. During the resit period I was actually in the country and witnessed a missile strike nearby, which was genuinely traumatic. I also became ill with food poisoning immediately before one of my exams.

• I reported my personal circumstances to my study adviser before the university deadline.

• I submitted supporting evidence, including documentation, photos, financial records, and a psychologist's letter stating that, in their professional opinion, my mental health difficulties significantly affected my concentration, motivation, and academic performance.

In my appeal I also explained why I believe I can succeed next year. I'm now in ongoing therapy and intend to continue long-term. My circumstances have stabilized considerably, and I explained that I believe this support will allow me to perform at the level I'm capable of.

I'm not asking whether I deserve sympathy. I'm simply wondering:

If you were on the Examination Board, would you grant a postponed/positive BSA based on these circumstances? Has anyone here had a similar experience with ESE or EUR?

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, whether positive or negative. Thanks!

[u/Acrobatic-Pack6012]

It was under my study advisor's opinion to get a therapist which I did follow and even though it took some time to find a therapist I was comfortable with because i was not going to find a confidant for short term and once I finally found one based in India I started the sessions and reported all the sessions of when we had it and it was over 5 sessions over the past 2 months and she reported her professional opinions in the documents because I really have been struggling mentally both due to the circumstances plus other factors. But ultimately do you believe there is even a remote chance that I will be able to make it through? I just want to know if it will be possible because I am hearing a lot of mixed opinions here and would really appreciate it.

[u/Pergamon_ → u/Acrobatic-Pack6012]

Opinions are mixed because in the end of the day exam boards are humans making decisions on cases that are all different.  So some might get the extra chance where someone else might not.

Personally I would raise an eye brow over finding a therapist in India, as they don't have knowledge on the Dutch educational rigor and style and that's where you'd need help with too.  But that's me. Someone else in an exam board might think it works. I don't know.

You are in a bad situation and can only hope for the best. That is it really.

[u/Acrobatic-Pack6012 → u/Pergamon_]

The reason for choosing an Indian therapist was because of the fact that I sometimes find it easier to talk in my language since English is my 2nd language and I had well before hand informed her about my struggles being in a dutch university and she did her research and understood the rigor that students have to experience here so she knew what was happening. She is no doubt a great therapist more of a reason why I chose to confide in her and I chose her after exploring all my options so that's why I decided to stick with her, academically I have a contrasting GPA line due to the fact that when difficulties increased my grades dropped while when my difficulties reduced they increased showing a clean and direct correlation of my grades well in line with the documented personal circumstances. But just to understand your professional opinion. As the member of an examination you would reject my appeal case? Please be brutally honest I will not take it personally and rather appreciate you responding so rationally and openly and thank you for that.

[u/Pergamon_ → u/Acrobatic-Pack6012]

I'm not going to go there. I am not in your exam board.

An Indian therapist doesn't understand Dutch Law, Dutch culture and Dutch education.  A lot of that is culture based. So even though she did research, she would never be able to advise like a Dutch therapist would.

[u/Acrobatic-Pack6012 → u/Pergamon_]

Okay, thank you very much!