STUDY VS. SOCIAL ASSOCIATIONS

Do you know the difference between study and social associations? Or did you not know there is a difference between them? Here you can find the main differences between the two kinds of associations!

Drinks

Study books

Activities with companies

Year club or fraternity/sorority

Activities aimed at the study programme

Travelling abroad

Can you have a great student time here?

IS A SOCIAL ASSOCIATION JUST TO HAVE FUN?

If you become a member of a social association, you will become part of a group with fellow students who you will continue to know for the rest of your (student) life. Next to this, there are also activities with companies, lectures are given and most associations even have a study area. They also organise distant trips and trips to other cities. Finally, there are also some sports teams or bands which are affiliated with a student association. So, a real addition to your student days!

IS A STUDY ASSOCIATION ONLY USEFUL FOR MY STUDIES?

Definitely not! Of course, you can go to your study association if you have a question or complaint about a study programme-related subject or for a discount on your study books. However, in addition, they also organise a lot of fun activities! These are both educational activities, such as lunch lectures and symposiums but also informal activities, like laser gaming, weekly drinks and travelling abroad!

WHERE CAN I BEST DO SOMETHING BESIDES MY STUDY PROGRAMME?

As you might have noticed, it is not easy to explain the difference between a study association and a social association, especially in Enschede. The best tip we can give you is to be open to all associations as you will meet them all during the Kick-In and see what fits you best! You will get to know your study association even better during the studyrelated programme on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! All social associations and most study associations will be present at the opening market, so why not drop by?

A ‘dispuut’, also known as a fraternity or sorority, is a close group of friends from different cohorts. Each year, a ‘batch’ of new members join the group. Disputen typically gather once a week in their local pub for drinks, but they also organise a wide range of activities such as sports, trips abroad, fancy dinners, and weekend getaways. There are three types of disputen: all-male, all-female, and mixed. Disputen can be affiliated with a study or social association, which allows people to join if they are also part of that association. However, independent disputen welcome members from all associations. To become a member of a dispuut, you must be invited by current members to join them for one of their regular drinks. During this evening, you’ll get to know the members, their interests, and hobbies. Before officially joining, you’ll need to complete an introduction period with your batch. This period involves completing assignments to get to know the dispuut and its rituals. Graduated members of a dispuut are referred to as “oud-lid” (former members). These members remain connected to the dispuut and often participate in activities such as weekend trips or the dispuut’s birthday celebration (Dies). On this page you can find some of the disputen in Enschede.

Het Genootschap BIT is an independent fraternity that comes together every Wednesday. Originally founded in 2007, we are a close group of friends where young and old members still regularly meet. You can usually spot us having a drink in the Beiaard where we all wear our iconic purple ties. Here we try to safeguard our core value to uphold the student-lifestyle. With annual parties and activities we are still proudly hanging on to that message. ‘Op de uwe!’

O.D. Xoun is an independent, mixed ‘dispuut’ that meets every Wednesday night in Café Friends. Having qualities we describe as being nice, frivolous and enthusiastic, ‘Xounianen’ (members of our dispuut) make the most of their time as a student with annually recurring events such as a sailing weekend, skiing, and our New Year’s weekend in the Ardennes. Besides this, we regularly meet up for sports, a cup of coffee or studying. You can recognise us by our bright orange or navy sweaters, flipped Unox-beanies and our cheer: ‘hoera, hoera, hoera!’

Dispuut Yorinf is an independent fraternity that comes together every Monday in café San Remo. We are a close group of friends who like to have a drink or chat together. Next to our weekly get-together, we also have various committees that organise all kinds of fun activities for the fraternity, such as board game nights or trips both within and outside of the Netherlands. Just recently, we went to Albania for our second lustrum! Altogether, our fraternity creates friendships that last a lifetime. ‘Met zulke vrienden, heb je geen vijanden meer nodig!’

Hi everyone, we are Aditi! Aditi is an independent ‘dispuut’ that comes together every Tuesday in Café Friends. Friends is located in the centre of Enschede near ‘De Oude Markt’. We are a close group of friends that likes to have a drink together, do a lot of (sometimes sporty) activities and go away on trips! We were founded in 2001 and have more than 70 members. But how can you spot us? We wear light yellow tops with a sun on the back! That’s in short our dispuut and we hope you will have a great Kick-in!