Vrije Universiteit - Welcome to the open day

CHANGE YOUR VIEW

TEXT VUWIFI TO +31 6 35 77 78 76

CHANGE YOUR WORLD

WELCOME TO THE OPEN DAY

Index Welcome to the Open Day

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Programme 4 Change your day 7 Information markets 8 Activities 11 How VU Amsterdam changes the world

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Community projects

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Change your world

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WELCOME TO THE OPEN DAY Students like you choose a study programme to develop their potential. Choosing a study programme is a chance to change the world around you and make it a better place. We hope that today you will get a good impression of your study programme at VU Amsterdam. Do not hesitate to ask questions, because that is what we are here for today - to give you a realistic and honest idea of what you can expect. But also to help you find a study programme that is right for you and for your world. A world you can improve, right here at VU Amsterdam.

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PROGRAMME Be surprised by our unique and educational activities. This programme guide describes all of the opportunities available to become acquainted with VU Amsterdam and its many study programmes. The information markets, stands, lecturers, students, and activities are all ere to help you discover which study programme is right for you.

In this guide, you will find an easy-to-read map to help you find where you need to be for the information sessions. And if you haven’t yet signed up for an information session, you can use the online registration form at the information desk. But don’t wait until it’s too late!

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Change your day Information sessions

During the information sessions, lecturers and (former) students tell you all about their study programmes. A handy overview of the study programmes and locations is provided in the flyer of the VU campus map. Also take enough time to visit the information market and ask students any questions you may have.

Taste VU Amsterdam

Throughout the Open Day, there will be kiosks where you can get free coffee and tea, or buy other beverages and snacks or a sandwich. The VU restaurant (mensa) is open from 11.00 am to 2.30 pm. To go to the mensa restaurant, take the stairway downstairs from the central hall of the main building.

Ask the students and lecturers

If you have questions about what it’s like to study at VU Amsterdam, you can approach any of the students and lecturers you meet at the Open Day. During the Open Day itself, you can also Whatsapp your questions to +31 6 82 54 83 67.

Questions? Whatsapp them to +31 6 82 54 83 67

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Information Markets The information market is located in five buildings on campus: the main building, the W&N building, Initium, the MF building and the VUmc building. The stands offer information about a wide variety of subjects. To find the information you need, simply consult the maps.

Make the most of your university experience

Money and travel

When you enroll at VU Amsterdam, you naturally expect to immerse yourself in University life. Joining a student association is one of the best ways to do that.

While you live your student life to the fullest, the Amsterdam Chamber of Associations (AKV) will look out for your interests and promote Amsterdam’s student life and its 25 student associations. For more information, come to the AKV stand.

Living in Amsterdam

When you come to study at VU Amsterdam, you will probably want to find a place to live. But what is the best way to go about that in such a crowded city? To find out, come visit the stands hosted by Project VoorUit and DUWO.

Going away to university means travelling by public transport as well as the expenses that entails. If you have any questions about the public transport chip card for students or student financial aid, come visit the stand hosted by the International Office or come to the Student Administration stand.

Support and guidance

If you have dyslexia, a functional disability, or a chronic illness, VU Amsterdam offers support and guidance in a wide range of areas. We even have an achievement scheme for top athletes and students who have made outstanding cultural achievements. As a student, you can also benefit from a range of financial programmes and facilities. Come visit the stand hosted by the International Office.

Check out the map

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Activities From workshops to guided tours experience what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam through a variety of activities organised specifically for you. If you have not signed up yet, make sure to do so via the online registration form or at the information desk. Some activities may already be fully booked.

Tour of the VU campus

Follow a student on a guided tour of the campus and discover how it is more than just a place to study.

Creative writing (Literature & Society)

Put your writing skills to the test with this practical Creative Writing workshop.

Learn how to write a concise and interesting piece of fiction in a short space of time.

Tour of the prayer room (Religion Studies) Did you know that VU has its own prayer room? Students of the Religion Studies: Islam study programme would be happy to show you how students with diverse backgrounds create their own space at VU Amsterdam. The prayer room has its own library, and prayers are held every Friday.

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HOW VU AMSTERDAM CHANGES THE WORLD At VU Amsterdam, you learn how to improve your own world as well as that of others. Here are a few of the social projects that VU students devote their time and effort to.

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Community projects Project VoorUit

Would you like to contribute to society in an easy, accessible manner? More than 70 students do social work in their own neighbourhoods in exchange for housing. By organising community activities focused on issues such as language and talent, and by visiting families at home, they help enhance social cohesion in their neighbourhoods. Would you like to know more? To find out, come visit the stand hosted by Project VoorUit.

A Broader Mind for Students

Use your knowledge to help solve social issues. In A Broader Mind for Students you will learn how to collaborate across borders, debate effectively, reconsider your own perspectives, and deal with stress. During the A Broader Mind course for Bachelor’s students, you will work together with researchers and other students to study a variety of issues, such as sustainability, poverty, and success. Your collaboration with other disciplines will help you approach these issues from new perspectives.

Community Service Learning

Using your academic skills to solve urgent social issues: find out how using the Community Service Learning (CSL) teaching method. Together with the Amsterdam Nieuw-West urban district, you will work on issues related to loneliness and health. In the process, you will hone your academic skills, build a network, and prepare for your future career. CSL is also part of the A Broader Mind for Students programme.

See the programme

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CHANGE YOUR WORLD Throw outdated ideas out the window, and let some fresh air into your brain. Are you curious? Do you think things could be done differently? Then enroll at VU Amsterdam. A degree at VU Amsterdam is about more than just earning credits. Much more.

Because the world is rapidly becoming more dynamic, diverse, and international. VU Amsterdam is a chance to change the world around you and make it a better place. Students at VU Amsterdam are unsatisfied with the status quo. They research, analyse, and ask questions. Every day. Your world improves when you study at VU Amsterdam.

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Study at VU Develop your potential

Students like you naturally choose a study programme to develop their potential.

That is why we encourage our students to study abroad, gain administrative experience in a student association, and participate in the debates and many other activities on campus.

Contribute to society

Would you like to actively contribute to social issues? Then VU Amsterdam is the place for you. Study the health effects of nutrition, for example, and discover how our food production is organised and why we seem to prefer to eat food that makes us ill. Or find a way to encourage the use of new sources of energy. Through the many projects offered at VU Amsterdam, you can research, analyse, and come up with a better way to treat our planet.

Study and relax on campus

Around 26,000 students from every study programme come together at the VU campus. It is a great place to get to know other students and their disciplines. And just around the corner, you will find student housing, a coffee corner, a supermarket, a caférestaurant, and a well-equipped sports complex. The VU campus is the ideal place to study and to feel at home.

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A student association for everyone

What would student life be without student associations? At the Open Day, VU Amsterdam’s student associations will be on hand to tell you all about their many opportunities and benefits.

International experience

Many study programmes offer you an opportunity to study abroad. But we also host a large number of exchange students, whom you will meet in the English-language courses. That way, you will be fully prepared for the rapidly internationalising job market.

Studying in a global metropolis

From the campus, it is just a 15-minute ride to the bustling centre of Amsterdam. With its many cafés, shops, museums, and parks, you will be studying in the Netherlands’ premiere university town. VU Amsterdam’s location on the Zuidas is surrounded by leading businesses and organisations offering a wide range of fascinating internships and jobs. Plus, their close contacts with VU Amsterdam enables you to become familiar with your future career even before you finish your studies. In fact, there is a good chance you will not want to leave the city after graduation!

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PLEASE REGISTER BEFORE 1 MAY! Would you like to start a course in September 2020?

Then register via Studielink no later than 1 May 2020, and take part in VU Matching.

Come to a Taster Day

After the VU Bachelor Day, you will have a better idea of which courses suit you and which ones do not. So come and get better acquainted with your favourite study programme(s) during a Taster Day. You will learn more via an in-depth programme, so you can make an even better study choice. For more information, visit bachelors.vu.nl/en.

VU Matching: Check your study choice!

After registering in Studielink, you can use VU Matching to check whether you have made the right study choice. The right choice of study gives you a better chance of success, both during and after your course. The first step is to fill in a digital questionnaire. Then you do a course-specific matching activity that gives you a realistic view of your course.

More questions? Drop by the Student Administration stand or visit bachelors.vu.nl/en.

Any more questions after the Open Day? Contact us on working days between 10:00am and 4:00pm at contact@vu.nl, telephone: +31 (0)20 598 50 00 or WhatsApp: +31 6 82 54 83 67.

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