University College Utrecht

Hey I'm applying to UCU this year! I'm so lost and my teachers keep asking me about it but I can't give them any straight answers! I feel underprepared :frown:

Reply 1361

Breward

9

Where are you applying from? (Country) And what track are you hoping to follow?

Have you visited the college?

Reply 1362

Akanai

9

Original post by aimeestephanie

Hey I'm applying to UCU this year! I'm so lost and my teachers keep asking me about it but I can't give them any straight answers! I feel underprepared :frown:

Heya, if you have any questions that you would like answered feel free to ask them, I'll do my best to answer them!

Reply 1363

Roux___

Hi, I'm looking to do a year abroad at Utrecht and wondered if there was anyone that could answer some of my questions please?😬

Reply 1364

Akanai

9

Original post by Roux___

Hi, I'm looking to do a year abroad at Utrecht and wondered if there was anyone that could answer some of my questions please?😬

Hey Roux! UCU does take exchange students, what would you like to know?

Reply 1365

Roux___

Original post by Akanai

Hey Roux! UCU does take exchange students, what would you like to know?

Hey! Thank you for answering my questions, I have a lot so sorry in advance 😅

1. What is the general atmosphere at the uni? I go to quite a small uni know and it's quite relaxed and laid back
2. What are the differences between the two colleges because I'm a little confused?
3. What is the teaching like? Are the lecturers generally relaxed or quite strict?
4. Since I would technically be going into my 3rd year, am I expected to take level 3 courses or is it completely dependant on how much you know the subject? I'm having a really hard time working out what levels I should choose.
5. How integrated are the international students with the rest of the students?
6. Is the university more social or academic?
7. And lastly, is it essential to have a bicycle because I don't even know how to ride one😅

Thank you for your help!

Reply 1366

Akanai

9

Original post by Roux___

Hey! Thank you for answering my questions, I have a lot so sorry in advance 😅

1. What is the general atmosphere at the uni? I go to quite a small uni know and it's quite relaxed and laid back
2. What are the differences between the two colleges because I'm a little confused?
3. What is the teaching like? Are the lecturers generally relaxed or quite strict?
4. Since I would technically be going into my 3rd year, am I expected to take level 3 courses or is it completely dependant on how much you know the subject? I'm having a really hard time working out what levels I should choose.
5. How integrated are the international students with the rest of the students?
6. Is the university more social or academic?
7. And lastly, is it essential to have a bicycle because I don't even know how to ride one😅

Thank you for your help!

No worries! I will try to answer as best I can.

1. The atmosphere at the uni is pretty chill, Dutch students tend to be very chill compared to what I know of foreign universities.
2. So the university is a whole university in its own right, where UCU is one of two liberal arts colleges that are part of the university.
3. Teachers at UCU are pretty relaxed, depends greatly on the teacher, but with small classes comes a lot of room for small adjustments for deadlines. They are not relaxed about attendance, you are expected to attend almost all of your classes and not be absent without reason. The university (I have taken only a handful of courses at the university, and only at one other faculty, the school of economics) is different, where they don't care whether or not you attend but it is not done to, say, take five minutes extra on a test, or to ask for an extra day on your assignment deadline.
4. This will depend on your institution and their agreement with UCU / UU (Utrecht University), some exchange students here at UCU are required to take subjects outside of their major, some are required to take at least a certain amount inside their major, some don't have restrictions. What level you have to take also depends on your own universities requirements.
5. We all live on one small campus here at UCU, and the internationals and Dutch students also do all their social activities together. At the university, I am not sure, I have occasionally seen groups of international students hang out but it seems there is less integration there.
6. In general, I would say that Dutch universities at the Bachelors level are way more social than academic. This is not necessarily true, as it is of course your own decision whether to study or go do something social. The same goes for UCU.
7. Everything Dutch people see as "biking distance" is usually "walking distance" to internationals. If you don't know how to ride a bike, there is no better opportunity to learn than when you are over here!

Reply 1367

MohamedHamid.123

Hi there.
Apart from you worries, I would like to ask about the international master degree's application. Having applied and done the interview, barely 10 minutes via phone as long as the Skype did not work well, how long should I wait for the result taking into account that I am from middle east ! Appreciate your valuable feedback on either 10-minutes interview by phone or when should I receive a reply!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1368

Akanai

9

Original post by MohamedHamid.123

Hi there.
Apart from you worries, I would like to ask about the international master degree's application. Having applied and done the interview, barely 10 minutes via phone as long as the Skype did not work well, how long should I wait for the result taking into account that I am from middle east ! Appreciate your valuable feedback on either 10-minutes interview by phone or when should I receive a reply!

Hi Mohamed Hamid, I am not sure which masters program you mean and won't be able to tell you anything about those. I am only a bachelors student right now :smile:

Reply 1369

kheiio

1

Hi!! I hope this page is not totally dead

I'm having my interview for the admission in a few days and I dont exactly know what to expect. Do you have any advice ? and after the interview, when should I expect to get a response ?

Reply 1370

cenunaut

1

I had my interview a while ago and it was pretty chill, we just talked about my past and my future and how I would see myself at UCU, nothing to worry about. Also I heard from them after 2 weeks or so? Pretty quickly actually. Let me know if you get in, we'll meet in august then (:

Reply 1371

Anonymous #1

Is anyone applying for the 2019 fall term? I had my interview couple days ago, and I'm preparing for AUC's interview. Love to hear from anyone applied this year as well.
So my interview was pretty standard I think. A German lady interviewed me, she was really nice. All the questions she asked pretty much have appeared in this thread before, but I was really nervous. I don't think I presented my points very well even though I prepared for them...but I can't do anything about it now, so hoping for the best.
(Btw, I am from China but I went to and graduated from an American high school.)

Reply 1372

dfvbjoksdofkv

3

Original post by Anonymous

Is anyone applying for the 2019 fall term? I had my interview couple days ago, and I'm preparing for AUC's interview. Love to hear from anyone applied this year as well.
So my interview was pretty standard I think. A German lady interviewed me, she was really nice. All the questions she asked pretty much have appeared in this thread before, but I was really nervous. I don't think I presented my points very well even though I prepared for them...but I can't do anything about it now, so hoping for the best.
(Btw, I am from China but I went to and graduated from an American high school.)

I got offers from both AUC and UCU, and I accepted UCU's one, I'm pretty sure I'm going there next year

Reply 1373

Anonymous #1

I've got offers from both schools too, but I am still waiting for scholarship decisions. Can I ask you why you chose UCU?

Original post by dfvbjoksdofkv

I got offers from both AUC and UCU, and I accepted UCU's one, I'm pretty sure I'm going there next year

Reply 1374

dfvbjoksdofkv

3

Amsterdam:
+ big city = lots of stuff to do, better transport, etc
- ugly modern building
- course choice is very restricted (so many compulsory courses, especially in first year)
- in a kind of industrial-looking part of town (too much grey) though city center is not far away, buildings are spaced out = so much ****ing wind
- they seem to put a lot of emphasis on rules and values and stuff, UCU seems a lot more chill but maybe that's just the impression I got...

Utrecht:
+ most reputed university college in the Netherlands (and oldest one: founded 1998) (also, first university in the Netherlands on the shanghai ranking, if that is relevant at all?)
+ nice buildings
+ campus is quite close to city center
+ you have a lot of freedom in choosing your courses (only 1 compulsory in first year against 5 in AUC)
- smaller city, less things to do

Basically that is what i got from comparing AUC and UCU

Original post by Anonymous

I've got offers from both schools too, but I am still waiting for scholarship decisions. Can I ask you why you chose UCU?