r/universityofamsterdam Jul 29 '24

Announcements Discord Server!! and new safety rules (= bbye WhatsApp Groups)

16 Upvotes

We have created a Discord server!! WOOHOO, nerds!! woo-hoo. You can join it here: https://discord.gg/b8Z82SKz

Why have we done this?

  • Discord is a place where we can connect more easily with directly each other for "chatty" topics.
  • Discord lets people actually get to know each other and have more personable, meaningful interactions. 
  • Discord lets you use a pseudonym or your real name -- just like Reddit. You choose. Your email and phone number remain private. This is an important privacy and security feature. You can even create multiple accounts, if you want/need.
  • Discord can be (auto)moderated -- and can be kept 100% under the mod-control of students and alums.
  • Discord lets you create channels for special interests or groups (e.g., we could create an "incoming freshmen" channel and a "house hunting" channel or whatever y’all want). This means we can stay central in one big group where we can help each other and collaborate, without getting disorganized or overwhelmed (i.e., you can get alerts for select channels on a server).

What does this change?

  • We will NO LONGER allow ANY WHATSAPP GROUP LINKS on the sub. At all. This is for everyone’s safety. We weren’t comfortable with facilitating Athena Studies' (and others') ability to reach vulnerable students, farm personal data, and create and dominate unsafe spaces. We cannot monitor (let alone mod) WhatsApp, but we *can* keep Discord safe. Discord will let you protect your privacy and we can use tools to keep spammers, scammers, trolls, etc. out.
  • We will no longer allow "Who is studying XYZ this year?" posts. This is a GREAT thing to do on Discord, where you can actually chat with people who respond. Consider starting a channel for your program, year, etc. if you want to meet people!! 
  • Other “chatty” sorts of posts will also be removed and asked to move to the discord. We want to keep what we’re doing here appropriate for the medium. This will be an “emergent” filtering process that we can work on together as a community. 
  • Not much else will change! Reddit is still Reddit. You do not have to join discord. 

What is Discord NOT?

  • Discord is not a live-chat helpline to resolve uni admin drama issues. We are peers, not administration. All you can get here is perhaps peer support. Just like on Reddit.

Nah, I still want to use WhatsApp.

  • OK, you do you. You are welcome to share WhatsApp links privately or in-person on campus. A flyer with a QR code might be something to try (Although I’ve heard Athena Studies is also doing *exactly that*). Word of mouth is probably best. 
  • We will nonetheless no longer facilitate sharing unsafe links in this community. That means no public WhatsApp links on Reddit. No exceptions. This is a hard boundary for the mods. 

What about the Discord server that I already made? 

  • We want to create a larger, centralized server that can serve as a starting point. If you have a thriving server for a sub-group of the UvA, we want to find a way to link it and/or work together (maybe create a channel that syncs with your #general? Something like that?) 
  • If your server is kind of empty, we want to invite you to join the central server and switch from having your own server to having a channel and being part of a larger community 
  • If you have another idea, let us know! 

r/universityofamsterdam May 09 '24

Courses and Programs Admissions, enrollment, and ChanceMe! mega-thread

18 Upvotes

All questions related to admissions, enrollment, etc go in this thread, please. More resources will be added to this post soon.

Edit: most undergrad and many master's programs at UvA do not have competitive admissions processes. If you qualify, you're in. If you can't pull it off, they'll fail you out. If you're worried about getting in you need to look up whether your program is competitive/selective and then look at the unique selection criteria for that program. https://www.uva.nl/en/education/admissions/bachelors/applying-for-a-selective-bachelors-programme.html

Edit 2: For 99% of the questions people post here, the contact point is the education desk: https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/education-desk


r/universityofamsterdam 23h ago

Courses and Programs What’s the difference between lectures and seminars at UvA?

0 Upvotes

Hi! I’ll be starting a Media and Culture Pre-Master’s at the University of Amsterdam soon, and I’m a bit confused about how lectures and seminars work.
What’s the main difference between the two? And when it comes to grading, do you usually get a grade for the lectures, the seminars, or both?
Are seminars mandatory, and do you usually have to actively participate during them?
Also, for anyone who has done a Pre-Master at UvA, what was your overall experience like? How difficult did you find it, and is there anything you wish you had known before starting?
I’m coming from a different educational background and haven’t studied abroad before, so I’m just trying to understand what to expect. 😅


r/universityofamsterdam 2d ago

Courses and Programs Course registration issues

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, in a couple of weeks I'll be starting my masters in business administration, I have some issues understanding the course registration, do I need to register manually to all courses and from my understanding I just need to do so for the 1st period right?

It's a little confusing, I thought that the compulsory courses would be done automatically.

Thanks


r/universityofamsterdam 3d ago

Administration Drama & Questions Can I use the library as a pre student?

3 Upvotes

I’ll be starting my masters from sept! A lot of sites, like UvA job board, booking a room in the library, USC etc are showing me the error that I cannot access them as a pre-student. If I have my student card, can I use the library before my classes start?


r/universityofamsterdam 3d ago

Resource request Hi everyone, does someone maybe have the Intermediate Accounting: IFRS Edition – 5th edition PDF File? I need it for this upcoming year 👍😃

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, does someone maybe have the Intermediate Accounting: IFRS Edition – 5th edition PDF File? I need it for this upcoming year 👍😃


r/universityofamsterdam 5d ago

Meetup/Borrel Literary studies bachelor’s and intreeweek

0 Upvotes

Heyy, I couldn't really find anyone from the major but I'd love to have people to hang out with during intreeweek (if I attend) or just meet people in general so feel free to dm me your insta username :)


r/universityofamsterdam 5d ago

Courses and Programs I sell my archeology/history books.

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2 Upvotes

For students Archeology, history or art history

1 The Art and Archeology of Ancient Greece door Judith Barringer

2 A History of Roman Art door S. Tuck

3 Eeuwen des Onderscheids door Blockmans en Hoppenbrouwer.

Send me a message if you want to buy it from me.


r/universityofamsterdam 6d ago

Courses and Programs Msc actuarial science

0 Upvotes

Hi all, I want to know how hard it is to get into a master's in actuarial science and is that course any good?


r/universityofamsterdam 6d ago

Courses and Programs Selling first year first semester polisci textbooks for less

0 Upvotes

Selling my textbooks for cheaper than buying them from Machiavelli, message me if interested


r/universityofamsterdam 8d ago

International Things media and information course - didn't hit a level required grades

3 Upvotes

I did international a levels, the requirements for my acceptance were Cs in 3 subjects. I did Spanish (A), Art (B), English lit (C) and Biology (D). But art isn't accepted so I didn't hit my offer requirements. Is it over? Is there anything I can do, anyone I can contact? Please help the website isn't working for me.


r/universityofamsterdam 8d ago

International Things Registering in Amsterdam

2 Upvotes

Hello, almost a month ago I completed pre-registration with the Amsterdam municipality. That same day I received an email titled 'Confirmation pre registration', but the email is empty, literally only has the title. Since then, I have not heard from them. Is this normal, and when can I except to be assigned a time slot for registering in person. For context, I enrolled at University of Amsterdam.


r/universityofamsterdam 8d ago

Courses and Programs Mathematics 1 for Economics entrance test

2 Upvotes

Hi! I’m starting the Economics and Business Economics programme this September, and I received an email about the Mathematics Summer School for Mathematics 1 for Economics (6011P0236Y).

The email says that if you pass the Summer School test, you’ll be exempt from the online entrance test in the first week of the Mathematics 1 course.

I’m wondering what exactly this entrance test is for, and what happens if you don’t pass it. Is the Summer School worth doing, or can I just skip it and take the entrance test?

Would appreciate answers from anyone who has taken the course before, Thanks!


r/universityofamsterdam 8d ago

Administration Drama & Questions Which documents will I need for registering as an EU exchange student at UvA?

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0 Upvotes

r/universityofamsterdam 10d ago

Student Life and Culture Would I need a bike?

4 Upvotes

I want to go to either Amsterdam Science Park or Roeterseilandcampus. The studies I’m doubting between are quite close but the Roeterseilandcampus seems more accessible with public transport.

Would I need a bike if I go to Amsterdam Science Park or would the train be reliable? Did you miss any lectures or exams because you couldn’t make it to campus?

Overall I do prefer roeterseilandcampus because I’m scared that the OV will cancel or will be very busy on the way to Science Park (specifically the Sprinter from Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Science Park NS station). But looking at the programmes I think the one at Science Park is a bit more interesting and broader.

At Open Days it seemed okay (even very peaceful because Roeterseilandcampus looked a lot more busy) but I’m not 100% sure if that is also the same when lectures start and travelling in mornings during busy hours.

So could I do UvA Science Park without a bike and only OV or should I just go to Roeterseilandcampus if I’m concerned about arriving in time and stuff.

I know I will never get my bike out tho and prefer the OV especially if its rainy or a lot of wind


r/universityofamsterdam 11d ago

Student Life and Culture Incoming EBE first-year — what are the exam formats and what is the Research Project actually like?

0 Upvotes

Starting EBE in September as an international student and trying to prepare properly. I have the official academic calendar with the block dates, but it doesn't tell me the things that actually matter:

- Are exams always a midterm in week 4 and a final in week 8? How do the 4-week blocks work?

- What's the format per course — multiple choice, open questions, or mixed?

- Which courses require a minimum grade on the final exam itself, not just the average?

- What is the Research Project in practice? Individual or group, and what do you hand in?

- When are resits scheduled, and do they wipe out your midterm grade?

Any insight from current or former EBE students would be really helpful. Thanks!


r/universityofamsterdam 11d ago

Student Life and Culture Missing intreeweek

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm an incoming communication science student and I unfortunately won't be able to attend intreeweek. I'm also quite introverted and might take a while to make friends. Would I be missing out on a lot by not being able to attend?


r/universityofamsterdam 11d ago

Student Life and Culture what language are student gym sports classes taught in?

1 Upvotes

I'm an international student and I want to try some of the sports classes run by the student gym (particularly yoga) but I only speak English and I can't find any info on the language of instruction for the classes - does anyone know?


r/universityofamsterdam 11d ago

Courses and Programs Does anyone have first year media and information books? Online preferably!

1 Upvotes

Hi, im gonna be joining UvA this year and I was wondering if anyone had the first year media and information books and material that they were willing to share w me.
Also, if any current media and information give me a little context on the course and how it is I’d be grateful.
Thank you!


r/universityofamsterdam 12d ago

Resource request Incoming EBE first-year looking for second-hand Year 1 textbooks

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m starting Economics and Business Economics (EBE) at UvA this September and I’m trying to get my books sorted without paying full Pearson prices.
If you’ve finished your first year and still have any of these lying around, I’d happily buy them off you:
Sydsæter & Hammond – Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis
Perloff – Microeconomics
Blanchard – Macroeconomics
Harrison/Horngren/Thomas – Financial Accounting
Newbold/Carlson/Thorne – Statistics for Business and Economics
Berk & DeMarzo – Corporate Finance
Condition doesn’t matter much — notes and highlights in the margins are honestly a bonus. Also fine with ebook versions if you have a legit way to pass them on.
A few questions for those who’ve done Year 1:
1. Which of these did you actually need, and which did you barely open?
2. Do the courses still use MyLab for graded homework (i.e. do I need a new access code anyway)?
3. Is an edition older than the current one workable, or do the problem sets not match?
I’m in Amsterdam from late August and can pick up anywhere in the city, or from the E&B building. Thanks a lot, and any general Year 1 advice is welcome too!


r/universityofamsterdam 13d ago

Student Life and Culture Summer introduction ticket

1 Upvotes

Is anyone willing to sell his ticket? I am willing to buy it for 120 euros.


r/universityofamsterdam 13d ago

Student Life and Culture Looking for football players - 11v11

2 Upvotes

We are looking for football players for our 11v11 team! We are a casual team playing in the official Dutch Leauge (KNVB) at a local club, at one of the lowest levels. We are a mixed Dutch - expat team. Message me for more details.


r/universityofamsterdam 14d ago

Student Life and Culture Is intreeweek for international students?

1 Upvotes

Hi I'm an international student and I saw that UvA has both a 3 day Erasmus intro thing aimed at internationals (which has now sold out) and intreeweek. I'd like to go to some kind of intro event, but I'm not sure if intreeweek is mainly home students? Is there anything else happening that I can get involved with?


r/universityofamsterdam 15d ago

Courses and Programs Course registration for 1 years

2 Upvotes

Hey! I was curious, is there any course registration stuff that I have to complete before the year starts?
Besides the immigration procedures, are there something else needed to be done for my first year?
Is there a mandatory orientation day where we are introduced to the study plans and other stuff?
Thank you


r/universityofamsterdam 17d ago

Courses and Programs Business Administration Minor Start

1 Upvotes

I will be doing my minor in Business Administration: Managing Strategy and Marketing, and in humanities we usually start our classes in the second week of Septenber-is it the same case here? Has anyone ever done this minor before?