- Student
- 17/02/2026
Behind the scenes | Raphaela Gelbach, video lecture operator
From technicians to schedulers, and from IT specialists to catering staff—it takes many hands to keep TU/e running smoothly. But who are the people behind the scenes? Cursor puts them in the spotlight. This time: student Raphaela Gelbach, operator of video lectures.
Raphaela Gelbach is a third-year Biomedical Engineering student, and she watches more lectures than her curriculum requires. She mainly sees courses from Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, and Computer Science. Her side job is livestreaming lectures for students who are not on campus. She has a zero-hours contract with Euflex and works between six and ten hours per week. This academic year, she has already recorded about sixty lectures. When Gelbach—who is currently studying at the nominal pace—starts her master’s program, she hopes to continue the job.
What does your job involve?
“I make sure students at home can follow their lectures. And that they—and those who were present—can watch the recordings again if they want to. Not all lectures are recorded; the lecturer decides whether it happens. The lecturer is responsible for making sure the microphone works. If it doesn’t, I can call them using a landline in the lecture hall. When it suddenly rings, it definitely startles the lecturer, haha.”
“I have two cameras at my disposal. I have to make sure students don’t appear on screen because of privacy rules. I also open the chat. Recently, I used it to announce that a professor would start fifteen minutes late.”
Do you learn anything from it?
“It’s interesting to get a glimpse of other programs, but I don’t see it as taking extra courses. While streaming, I can do small things for myself, like sending emails, reading, or making a grocery list. But not assignments or studying—anything that requires real concentration.”
“One time, I had the ideal situation. In Q1, I recorded a course that I was taking as an elective: Electromagnetics 1.”
What time do you clock in?
“I’m in the studio fifteen minutes before a lecture starts. I mostly work in Auditorium and Atlas. Recordings also happen in Alfa and Helix, but I haven’t worked there yet.
I log in and set up the two cameras: one zoomed in on the board and the other showing an overview of the lecturer and the boards. If I don’t know the professor yet, I introduce myself and ask if there’s anything special to watch for. Should I pay attention to anything specific? Are there only slides, or will they mostly write on the board?”
How did you end up in this job?
“A friend already worked here, and her stories made it sound appealing. I’ve had other side jobs before. I was a tutor in BMT workgroups and worked in a bar on Dommelstraat. Being an operator at TU/e is a popular side job—there’s a waiting list. Luckily, I only had to wait six months.”
What do you like most about it?
“That I don’t have any commute. I can work where I already am. And it’s not until 2 a.m., like in hospitality. I also like that some of my friends do the same job. And the income is nice. With the money, I can do extra things, like going out to dinner with friends.”
And what’s the least enjoyable part?
“I have to think hard about that. Two small things come to mind: getting up early and when something doesn’t work. At the earliest, I have to be at the university at 8:30 a.m., which isn’t that bad. And if something breaks—like a switch button recently—I call the Audiovisual Service and they fix it right away. So not too bad either.”
What time do you clock out?
“Three minutes after a lecture ends. That’s very different from hospitality! Wrapping up means pointing the cameras at the ceiling and turning them off. I log out, shut down the computer, and say goodbye to anyone still in the studio. The recordings are saved automatically.”
What do you do when you're off the clock?
“Then I spend a lot of time with my dispuut mates from Amoreia. We eat together every week. All eleven disputen of SSRE cook once a week in the kitchen of Eunaia, our building on Vestdijk. I also work out—sometimes I take a BodyPump group class at SSC.”
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