Question regarding first year.

Hello everyone,

I am currently very keen to applying to a couple of Dutch universities, but there is still one point that confuses the hell out of me.

This point is about the first year for all Dutch universities as it clearly states if one fails the first year he or she will be excluded from the course. However, there is not much more clarification on the matter, what does fail actually mean? Obtaining below 50%?

Also generally speaking is the first year at a Dutch university much more brutal than at a British one?

And if one was to pass the first year, if he or she fails the second one (god knows why) then could the person still be excluded?

These issues really bother, I am very motivated and I intent obtaining the best possible grades but still it would be nice to have some sort of guideline on this matter!

Thanks in advance for any help and advice! :biggrin:

Reply 1

Kittiara

16

Grades in the Netherlands are slightly different than in the UK (though easy to figure out). They use a grading system from 1 - 10. The minimum pass is a 5.5. If you score 5.4 or below, it classes as a fail. That's generally speaking, at least - some universities require a 6, some a 4, so it's worth asking about.

I don't think that your first year at a Dutch university will be any more brutal than at a university in the UK. Apparently, it's very difficult to score a 9 or a 10, though, but once you know that, it's not something that should really bother you.

I don't know the answer to the question about the second year, sorry.

I'd recommend contacting the universities to clarify their expectations of their students. It never hurts to ask questions, and I am sure that they will understand - it's only to be expected that there are some differences and that you want to know as much as possible before making your decisions!

Good luck! :smile:

Reply 2

Jemy

OP

11

Original post by Kittiara

Grades in the Netherlands are slightly different than in the UK (though easy to figure out). They use a grading system from 1 - 10. The minimum pass is a 5.5. If you score 5.4 or below, it classes as a fail. That's generally speaking, at least - some universities require a 6, some a 4, so it's worth asking about.

I don't think that your first year at a Dutch university will be any more brutal than at a university in the UK. Apparently, it's very difficult to score a 9 or a 10, though, but once you know that, it's not something that should really bother you.

I don't know the answer to the question about the second year, sorry.

I'd recommend contacting the universities to clarify their expectations of their students. It never hurts to ask questions, and I am sure that they will understand - it's only to be expected that there are some differences and that you want to know as much as possible before making your decisions!

Good luck! :smile:

Thanks for the reply! It does help, when I first saw the at least 42 out of 60 ECTs in the first year I was shocked and thought I'd have to achieve in every exam 70% at least which in fact would be crazy. But this did calm my nerves a bit haha and I will soon contact the Universities soon as well for absolute clarification.

Reply 3

ExpatLou

What Kittiara says above is correct. To clarify a bit more: your first year you will have to obtain your foundation degree (that's the full 60 credits). You can continue to the second year if you have 42 credits or more (amount may very per uni). However: you need to gain all 60 credits from the first year within two years (and thus obtain your foundation degree). So if you continue in your second year while not having obtained all your credits, you need to make sure you redo the missing first year courses to complete the foundation within the two years. Once you have obtained your foundation they cannot kick you out anymore.

Reply 4

University of Groningen

7

The universities in the Netherlands call this a 'Binding Study Advice'. For the University of Groningen you'll need a minimum of 45 credits out of 60 to go through to the following year, however for those studying the Liberal Arts and Sciences programme you'll need to attain all 60 credits in the first year to proceed to the second year.

As mentioned in an earlier reply it would be recommended to double check with the institutions as it can vary however the universities are normally very open about this and work with students who need support to get through the first year.

(edited 9 years ago)

Question regarding first year.

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