Tilburg’s Fake Student: ‘I Thought Everything Would Fall Apart’

For two years, Sam kept up appearances: to his friends, his family, and even himself, he pretended to be a student. A story to ease his parents’ worries, he justifies his lies. But soon, Sam finds himself caught in a web of deceit. ‘If people no longer trust me, I understand that.’

Relaxed, with a glass of water in hand, Sam sits at a large table. He’s ready to share his story with Univers as openly as possible. Years of lying have left him eager to finally tell the truth.

It all began in December 2021, when, in a moment of panic, Sam told his parents, ‘I passed my thesis.’ The reality was quite different. ‘There was a lot going on at home, and I didn’t want to add to my parents’ worries. Ironically, my lies only made things a thousand times worse.’

Plagiarism

Sam hadn’t passed his thesis. In fact, he’d plagiarized so much that the examination board barred him from submitting a new thesis for a year.

‘I’d put too little time and effort into my thesis because of a move,’ he explains. ‘I was only allowed a resubmission if I handed in a complete thesis. Out of panic, I plagiarized.’

After telling his parents he’d passed, Sam decided to let his friends believe the same. ‘I created an elaborate story so no one would find out I was lying.’

Sam tried to get through the year he wasn’t allowed to write a thesis. ‘I had one course left and told everyone I was working on it. Then I claimed to be taking some master’s courses on the side.’

Convenient Excuses

A medical procedure in March 2022 gave Sam the perfect excuse to maintain his story. ‘I had a legitimate reason to stay home for a few weeks, which meant I didn’t have to go to university or attend lectures.’

To keep his lies believable, Sam kept up with every detail of the master’s program he pretended to follow. ‘I even registered for the master’s program I actually wanted to take. But after a month and a half, my registration was checked, and I was removed. By then, I knew when all the exams were, which books I needed, and what time the lectures were.’

Fake Internship

Sam also invented a fictional internship. ‘I claimed to be graduating at a major Dutch company. Luckily, their website had plenty of information, so I knew every detail about the company,’ he says with a laugh.

He even avoided leaving his room or stepping outside during the day. According to his story, he was supposed to be at his internship. Living above a supermarket, Sam ordered groceries online to keep up appearances. Delivery drivers were instructed to call him directly so his housemates wouldn’t suspect anything.

Because he was still officially enrolled at Tilburg University, Sam survived on student loans. But his fear of being caught prevented him from working.

Panic Sets In

In February 2023, Sam thought freedom was near. He could finally start writing his bachelor’s thesis again. But after enrolling, he realized the university published a list of students, topics, and supervisors.

This couldn’t happen—he was supposed to have already graduated. Panic took over. He withdrew his registration and lost his sense of direction.

‘That’s when I knew: this is never going to work out. I’d been working towards a goal, but that goal was suddenly gone. I had no plan anymore.’

Sam faced a tough choice: come clean or continue lying. Fear pushed him to the latter. ‘I thought that if I told the truth, no one would want to talk to me anymore, and everything would fall apart.’

Delaying the Inevitable

Living day-to-day, Sam used more excuses to delay the inevitable for another year. ‘I told my parents that my thesis supervisor had COVID during the defense, so it had to be online, and they couldn’t join.’

‘Each excuse bought me two more months. It gave me more time to keep going—whatever kind of life this was. But deep down, I knew: this is just delaying the inevitable.’

On the Run

By early 2024, the night before his supposed master’s graduation, Sam was overwhelmed. ‘I’d convinced myself that my secret couldn’t come out, because something terrible would happen. Now, that “terrible thing” was right in front of me. I didn’t know what it was, but I felt it.’

Exhausted from lying, Sam fled Tilburg by train. ‘I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. Once I was far away, I texted my parents to tell them the truth.’

He left his laptop behind, filled with evidence of his fake life, for his family and friends to discover. With physical distance between them, they couldn’t confront him immediately.

But during the journey, something unexpected happened. ‘I’d always feared that people would think I was an idiot. Instead, my family and friends were mostly sad that I didn’t feel like I could be honest with them sooner.’

Learning to Be Honest

Now, in December 2024, Sam is completing his bachelor’s at Tilburg University. His relationships with most friends and family have been mended.

‘If people don’t trust me anymore, I understand. I can’t change that. But I’m doing my best to be as honest and open as possible.’

Looking back, he reflects with mixed feelings. ‘I always knew I was wrong, but the fear of being honest was stronger. A series of circumstances made my lies spiral out of control. I understand that now, even though my choices were wrong.’

Why share his story? ‘I want to inspire others in similar situations to be honest and not face everything alone. People don’t react the way you expect. You don’t have to solve everything by yourself—those around you are willing to help.’

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