Hi all,

I'm currently planning on going on exchange to the University of Amsterdam in Semester 1 next year (Sep-Feb). As part of our course at my home university in Melbourne, we are required to take "breadth subjects", i.e., those that do not relate directly to our course (in my instance, Commerce).
I'm interested if anyone had any subject recommendations that I could take in this area, I'm looking for something that would be more specific to Amsterdam and more broadly Dutch culture that would be really fun as an exchange student.

Cheers

Hello everyone!

I’m starting my studies at UvA next year and I want to be doing 2 degrees at the same time. I’m thinking of studying Media & Culture (which I know has a very lenient schedule) and I’m familiar with it but I’m also thinking of studying Cultural Anthropology but I was wondering if a first year student can show me their schedule so I could see if it’s doable with the Media & Culture schedule. Thank you :)

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student at the University of Amsterdam with a passion for musical theater and a background in directing shows. I’m eager to start a musical theater production company focused on producing musicals. I have experience directing shows in the past, and I’m excited to continue that while managing my studies. I also have a few questions to help me get started: -Are there specific steps to register as a student association at UvA? -What are some effective ways to secure funding for this production? -As an international student, are there any additional steps or restrictions I should be aware of regarding starting a company or earning income in the Netherlands? I appreciate any advice or experiences you can share

Are there any American students that go to the University of Amsterdam that can share their experience? I'm 17, from about an hour outside of NYC, and just got conditionally admitted to the Global Culture Arts and Politics program. I am very interested in attending UvA but don't know a lot. Any help is appreciated!!

one of our housemates is subletting their room has up to like 4 people from what we’ve seen in the room at once & they are called ‘friends’ but its now obvious what really going on and it’s starting to annoy everyone; they are in the common areas kitchen and bathroom/shower which is meant for just two students and with 6 people already it’s just a lot. what advice do you have for us, should we directly contact UvA?

Hey everyone,

I am seeking a PhD position at the University of Amsterdam, and I have learned that it comes with a monthly salary of €2782 (gross). I’m trying to understand the cost of living better.

1. Accommodation: Does the university provide free or subsidized on-campus accommodation to PhD students? If not, what is the general rent in or near the city center or other livable areas for an international student?
2. Monthly Expenses: What should I budget for rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, and other essentials in Amsterdam? Could you share a realistic monthly breakdown for a single student?

I want to know if €2782 per month will be enough to live comfortably, considering that I won’t be sharing an apartment. Any insights from current or former PhD students at UvA would be super helpful!

Thanks in advance! 😊

Hi, I was wondering if there are any jazz musicians here that host jam sessions or go to jazz bars, or if there is a community like groups about it :)

Also I would be very happy if someone could drop some jazz bar names that they enjoyed visiting!

Hello does anybody know if I can get an exclusion for my minors, I am studying Fiscal economics at UvA at the moment and like to start with philosophy at the vu next year. I know you don't have to do a minor when its at the same university but is that also possible between two universities?

I'm a looking for a research group for my PhD. I'm interested in the field of chemistry (especially organometallic chemistry) applied to catalysis. The Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences seems to be a nice workplace, conducting cutting-edge research and promoting a good work-life balance for PhD students.

Is it true? Any advice/experience you can share will be deeply appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Hi all,

I’m currently taking a compulsory course in Period 1, but the instructor’s teaching style is really not working for me. A lot of students feel the same—it’s hard to follow the lectures, and important concepts aren’t being explained clearly. Unfortunately, this same instructor will also be teaching the course in Period 2.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is it possible to switch to a different instructor or section for the next period, even if it’s a compulsory course? What steps would I need to take, and who should I contact to discuss this? Any advice or insight would be really helpful!

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I am incoming next September as a MSc student in Information Systems. I have a couple of fruit living in in Amsterdam but except from them I know none. I would love to ask for tips for making friends. My Dutch is very basic as well.

Thanks!

I was wondering if there are any student communities within or outside the university that go hiking, camping, or trekking :)

Can I apply to two bachelor programs as a prospective student?

This is not a question, just a PSA:

Yes, there is a chess club at the UvA! We meet every Thursday at CREA on Roeterseiland for some chill games. Follow us on Instagram to find out more (and join our gc)

https://www.instagram.com/asca.nl?igsh=bGE2eDVta3kxMm15

We play 11 a side and are looking for people to join us. Experience wanted! The team is a mix of local people and expats

Hi, I'm a 2nd year student at TUDelft and I'm looking for a minor for my 3rd year. I came across this offering by UvA and I find it interesting. If you've taken this minor, I'd really appreciate if you could share your experience of it with me (if you liked it, the workload, etc.)

hello, i’ve recently completed my undergrad in applied psychology and wish to apply for the msc psychoplogy: social influence track in University of Amsterdam.

The course appeared extremely interesting to me in terms of curriculum however, as an international student i have a few queries:

1. what are my career perspectives after the course? It mentions a lot of fields and opportunities on the website but on ground will i be able to secure a job without knowing dutch?
2. Does the university career services aid in job placements after the course? how good are the placement opportunities provided by them?
3. Would this degree be a financially viable option considering it will cost me a lot (especially with the extremely high rents), im concerned about being able to get the return on investment with the job i might get through the degree.
4. Would i still have the option to achieve a Phd Position after this course? How competitive is that?

It would be really helpful if alumna and seniors in the course could answer this questions!

Bots can create summaries of chapters. When you create chapter pdf and drop it to bot and prompt the bot lets say: "Can you give me a summary of this chapter 5. I'm preparing for exam. You can go a little bit more indent in your summary, with examples." you can have nice summary. Easy to read. I learned this method from friend. Have you tried this?

I'm interested to learn have you tried this, and what experiences you have so far?

Also, would you recommend not doing this? And lastly

Does VSPA summaries tend to be better or worst compared to Ai made?

hi hi everyone! (hope everhone is having a good day (: !)

school just started about a month ago and im entering my second year in psychobiology. for some reason it's insanely hard for me to make actual / real friends, despite going to hoorcolleges, werkcolleges, etc., and trying to click w people. somehow, i do feel like an absolute outsider, with having no people to always "standard' hang out with with. it always seems okay, but then end up not hearing anything outside of school from anyone or i just end up feeling lonely during hoor-/werkcolleges, since they already have other friends to sit with. (aka just, feels like I end up talking to classmates, rather than friends?) so i feel like im just missing a form of actual connection ig, or just missing having actual good friends.

does anyone have any tips in regard of making friends here at campus? as far as I know we don't really have clubs or some stuff, but I'd love to know anything that can help (: even outside of my own major

(also sorry for the rant !)

Hey! I'm a second-year master student in Women's and Gender Studies and for my thesis project I'm focusing on the impact of new digital subcultures on gender and sexual identity. I'm determined to pursue my academic career and I'd love to study in Amsterdam, so I was wondering if anyone here was doing a PhD somehow related to my field of interest and could provide me with more information!

Hello, I have just moved to the city and started my master's degree. I love playing chess and basketball so I was wondering if there is a chess club or a gathering at UvA where people just play chess against each other?

Also, if there is a basketball club or a pick up basketball at the Uni's gym?

PLEASE HELP!!!

Hi guys,

Soo, i've been a real goof.

I was very busy during the summer and just forgot to deal with my re-registration for the upcoming acedemic year.

I got an official and agressive mail saying i my request for re-registration will be denied. The whole e-mail looks like this (dutch):

Ondanks een of meerdere herinneringsmails is je inschrijfverzoek voor de bachelor (REDACTED) per 1 september 2024 niet afgerond. Op sis.uva.nl kun je in je checklist inschrijving zien aan welke inschrijfvoorwaarden je niet voldoet.

Je kunt hierover contact opnemen met de Central Student Service Desk.

Je verzoek is afgewezen

Je verzoek tot inschrijving voor de bachelor Filosofie is afgewezen en je UvANetID zal worden geblokkeerd. Je kunt hierdoor geen gebruik meer maken van de voorzieningen van de UvA en behaalde studiepunten vervallen. Daarnaast kunnen rechten bij DUO vervallen, zoals je recht op studiefinanciering en een studentenreisproduct.

Met vriendelijke groet,

namens het College van Bestuur,

Funda Tutucu

Hoofd Centrale Studentenadministratie

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Tegen deze beslissing kan binnen zes weken na dagtekening een gemotiveerd bezwaarschrift worden ingediend via het digitale loket voor klachten, bezwaar en beroep. De link naar het loket en meer informatie kan je vinden via: student.uva.nl/onderwerpen/klacht-bezwaar-beroep.

So they're basiclly telling me I can make a fuss about their decisicion to kick me out of the UvA.

My question is: how realistic is it that I can still sign up for the upcoming acedemic year (AKA, how realistic is it that my letter of complaint will be accpeted)? What should I mention in my letter of complaint? Does anyone have experience with this bafoonery? I will pay a visit too the central student helpdesk once its monday again.

PLEASE HELP!!!

On the website there is a toefl score required, but there is nothing about grades, just a diploma from my home country. I know I need to write a motivational letter too, does it really count? I have a great international experience, but will it be enough with an average diploma? I don’t have excellent grades. Also is it worth it to study Media and Information? What is your experience and opinion about it?

Hi everyone, I'm currently a bachelor student in Communication Science. However, I feel like I have a better interest in Computational Social Science, so I'm preparing to apply for the Computational Science master. I have learned a bit of python myself and I had algebra and possibility classes before, but I'm not so confident in my previous background, hence the post.(EDITED : I have another bachelor’s degree which made sure that I fit all the requirements for computational sciences, I have 10 credits on Python and data structures, and at least 15 credits on math courses, however I didn’t graded well in those…) I have a few questions about the programs, and it would be very nice if you guys can help me out. My questions are: 1. How difficult can this master possibly be for a social science student who had never systematically learned computer science before? 2. Would a master degree in Computational Science make things easier for finding a job compared to a mphil in communication science?

Hi all, I recently started a research assistant position in the university. I will be working approx. 10hrs per week and will follow the system of logging and reporting my hours every month or so. I have enquired about a contract, staff card, staff email address, etc. but my supervisor has responded just that I need to log my hours and not to worry about it...

Is this normal? In previous RA positions I've held in Ireland, there has always been a formal employment contract and recognition as a member of staff. What should I do? Should I double down and ask again about the contract? (this is what I currently feel is the most likely approach)

Anyone that has any experience with this, your advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hey guys I’m gonna be starting my studies next year at the UvA as a 23 year old. Is that an unusual age? Will I be surrounded by 18-19 year olds and won’t find people close to my age? I feel really ashamed and embarrassed about it. I certainly hope there are a lot of people in their early and mid 20’s who are just starting university such as myself. I don’t wanna feel left out or like the oldest one surrounded by a bunch of 18-19 year olds.

I did my undergrad in visual communication and worked 6 months as a content curator for Netflix!

I quit the job to write some scripts but I'm based out of India and no one reads scripts in Bollywood. At this point in life, I want to upskill and connect with like-minded people who are just as interested in storytelling, media & communication!

So, Alumnis of entertainment communication, what was your experience learning this course, what should I expect from it and how has your life turned out after the course!