2021 entry applicants - Netherlands universities
Hi!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. While it is true that Maastricht university has 50% of internationals students, it can be a bit misleading. Due to its location, lot of these students are from Germany and Belgium, so it is not as diverse as it may look at the first glance. However that doesn't mean that there aren't lots of students from other countries as well, just not as much as it may seem. Bear in mind that i don't have exact numbers, and the numbers of non-dutch, non-belgian and non-german students may actually be higher at Maastricht than at other universities.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. While it is true that Maastricht university has 50% of internationals students, it can be a bit misleading. Due to its location, lot of these students are from Germany and Belgium, so it is not as diverse as it may look at the first glance. However that doesn't mean that there aren't lots of students from other countries as well, just not as much as it may seem. Bear in mind that i don't have exact numbers, and the numbers of non-dutch, non-belgian and non-german students may actually be higher at Maastricht than at other universities.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
(edited 4 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Can you tell me what you know about TU Delft and scholarships from the government for non-EU / international students?
Original post by Catsarepurrfect
Hi!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. Don't be fooled by Maastricht university claiming to have 50% of internationals. It is true, but just look at the location of Maastricht. It is full of students from Germany and Belgium, so not so international as the numbers claim.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. Don't be fooled by Maastricht university claiming to have 50% of internationals. It is true, but just look at the location of Maastricht. It is full of students from Germany and Belgium, so not so international as the numbers claim.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
If anyone else on the threads wants to know anything later, when more people post I'm happy to help and report during the year.
I've just finished my undergrad at the University of Nottingham and will be doing my Master's at the University of Groningen (MSc B&M: Change Management) moving August 12.
Though I'm not sure why OP your upset with (5) Maastricht, they aren't lying... They could everyone non-dutch as international and that's totally far. They are from a different country and that's the stipulation....or do you personally due to some biases only consider people from Asia or some distance international? 🙄. Might I add if your from the UK... None of those students hold your nationality..... And soon you won't even all hold EU nationality.
Original post by Realitysreflexx
If anyone else on the threads wants to know anything later, when more people post I'm happy to help and report during the year.
I've just finished my undergrad at the University of Nottingham and will be doing my Master's at the University of Groningen (MSc B&M: Change Management) moving August 12.
Though I'm not sure why OP your upset with (5) Maastricht, they aren't lying... They could everyone non-dutch as international and that's totally far. They are from a different country and that's the stipulation....or do you personally due to some biases only consider people from Asia or some distance international? 🙄. Might I add if your from the UK... None of those students hold your nationality..... And soon you won't even all hold EU nationality.
I've just finished my undergrad at the University of Nottingham and will be doing my Master's at the University of Groningen (MSc B&M: Change Management) moving August 12.
Though I'm not sure why OP your upset with (5) Maastricht, they aren't lying... They could everyone non-dutch as international and that's totally far. They are from a different country and that's the stipulation....or do you personally due to some biases only consider people from Asia or some distance international? 🙄. Might I add if your from the UK... None of those students hold your nationality..... And soon you won't even all hold EU nationality.
Sorry, i didn't mean it that way, but yeah, i can see now what you see wrong with it
. Probably since i am a not a native English speaker - i actually said where i am from in the following point. But i will reword the thing about maastricht, diversity will describe what i wanted to say better 
thanks for pointing it out. Actually, UK is why i have a bit screwed the meaning of international. I was looking at universities in UK before it became obvious i would have to pay international (see?) fees. They sometimes say International, but actually mean outside EU. On intellectual level i can understand why they do it, but on subconscious level i got a bit divided between two meanings.Original post by V1ct0r
Can you tell me what you know about TU Delft and scholarships from the government for non-EU / international students?
I don't know much, but i found information about their scholarships
https://www.tudelft.nl/en/education/practical-matters/scholarships/
Their website is well structured and has a switch to English, so i think you can find a lot there. Also check the studiekauze123 webside i mentioned in number 12, for specific subject. Good way of gaining information may also be youtube - i am sure they will have university account and i am sure some student films his/her experience on his/her own channel
Edit: sorry, i didn't notice you said from the government. Here is something i found, but it probably isn't all the government has to offer. https://scholarships365.info/netherland-government-scholarship
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Rawen
Hi,
Can you join TU Delft university after AS-levels ? Or you must finish A-levels ?
Can you join TU Delft university after AS-levels ? Or you must finish A-levels ?
Sorry, i don't know much abou TU Delf or AS-levels, so the best i can do is to redirect you to their admission page. As i said in a previous post, they have very well structured website, so i think you will be able to find everything you need about admissions
https://www.tudelft.nl/en/education/admission-and-application/bsc-international-diploma/admission-requirements/
Good luck to all of you. I did a language course at Utrecht Summer School a few years ago and found it a lovely experience. Have since been to Leiden and Groningen to visit and they are lovely places.
Original post by barnetlad
Good luck to all of you. I did a language course at Utrecht Summer School a few years ago and found it a lovely experience. Have since been to Leiden and Groningen to visit and they are lovely places.
Thank you
Could you tell me a bit more about what was Groningen like? I think it is currently my top choice but i am bit worried because it is not as big as for example Rotterdam and Amsterdam... So every bit of information about groningen is appreciated Original post by Catsarepurrfect
Thank you Could you tell me a bit more about what was Groningen like? I think it is currently my top choice but i am bit worried because it is not as big as for example Rotterdam and Amsterdam... So every bit of information about groningen is appreciated
Could you tell me a bit more about what was Groningen like? I think it is currently my top choice but i am bit worried because it is not as big as for example Rotterdam and Amsterdam... So every bit of information about groningen is appreciated Groningen is a smaller place, there are bars and cafes plenty, but there appeared limited nightlife other than that. I was not at the university so cannot offer any thoughts (I visited to go to the seal sanctuary at Pieterburen in early September one year). It is a distance from anywhere else, and so if any friends of yours are at other universities in the Netherlands, be prepared for the time and cost of train journeys if you wish to visit.
Original post by barnetlad
Groningen is a smaller place, there are bars and cafes plenty, but there appeared limited nightlife other than that. I was not at the university so cannot offer any thoughts (I visited to go to the seal sanctuary at Pieterburen in early September one year). It is a distance from anywhere else, and so if any friends of yours are at other universities in the Netherlands, be prepared for the time and cost of train journeys if you wish to visit.
Ok, thank you
Thought I'd just pitch in that Liberal Arts&Sciences at Amsterdam University College sounds great, but isn't. I'm currently a student at AUC and obviously ranting, but I believe the following point still stands. We just got out our course registrations confirmed for the fall semester and a substantial amount of people are not getting the courses they want and need. Many courses have prereqs, and when those prereqs are popular courses, there is a likely chance you won't be able to follow the track of courses you came to AUC for: Liberal Arts&Sciences be more like Random Arts&Sciences. If you're good with that, by all means, apply, but if you're heart academically already lies somewhere, be prepared to be disappointed.
Original post by Catsarepurrfect
Ok, thank you
Groningen has about 60K students though, it's kind of like the Nottingham of the Netherlands imo. Not a massive city... But alot of life! Also considered one of the happiest places in the Netherlands... Your also close to Germany there so you could always go party in Bremen for a weekend to mix it up. I'm from the region (Bremen myself) and I'm heading to Groningen for my master. It doesn't appear there is a shortage of Nightlife if you look on Google maps!
Original post by Realitysreflexx
Groningen has about 60K students though, it's kind of like the Nottingham of the Netherlands imo. Not a massive city... But alot of life! Also considered one of the happiest places in the Netherlands... Your also close to Germany there so you could always go party in Bremen for a weekend to mix it up. I'm from the region (Bremen myself) and I'm heading to Groningen for my master. It doesn't appear there is a shortage of Nightlife if you look on Google maps!
Thank you! But i have never visited Nottingham
i am going to visit Netherlands during the year with my family, so i will check all the cities out!Original post by Catsarepurrfect
Thank you! But i have never visited Nottingham i am going to visit Netherlands during the year with my family, so i will check all the cities out!
i am going to visit Netherlands during the year with my family, so i will check all the cities out!Sounds like a smart plan!
Original post by Catsarepurrfect
Hi!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. While it is true that Maastricht university has 50% of internationals students, it can be a bit misleading. Due to its location, lot of these students are from Germany and Belgium, so it is not as diverse as it may look at the first glance. However that doesn't mean that there aren't lots of students from other countries as well, just not as much as it may seem. Bear in mind that i don't have exact numbers, and the numbers of non-dutch, non-belgian and non-german students may actually be higher at Maastricht than at other universities.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
I decided to make big thread for people who want to apply to university in Netherlands. Especially for people who are going to apply now (so for 2021 entry), but generally for everybody who is interested.
We can swap information about universities, cities in Netherlands, housing, courses, application process, finance etc. Basically about everything. You can start by saying where are you from, what you want to study, where you want to study and why. Or just ask question. I look foward to virtually meeting you!
Here is some information i gathered from my search, but bear in mind that i got most of the information from researching University of Groningen, University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, so it can be different for other universities. (or even for these universities - for example number 7). Also, i am not an expert
1. There are three types of universities. First is normal research university. They are best for people who want to continue their education afterwards (for example university of amsterdam, erasmus uni rotterdam, groningen University etc.) Then there are University colleges, which are usually part of a research university. They offer more American/British style of education. They are prestigious, but also really different and personally i decided it is not for me (each of the research uni mentioned before has uni college). The last type are university of applied sciences and these are more focused on practical education and prepare you for specific job, from what i gathered. I choose research university right away, so you should research this topic bit more.
2. Almost all universities are similar in terms of prestige. Sure, not on international level, but otherwise it doesn't much matter which one you attend. They don't have bad universities. But every university is prestigious in different area. For example Rotterdam for business, Amsterdam university for Psychology (15th in the world) etc. So you have to do a bit of digging to find out which university has the reputation as being the best in Netherlands for your subject. But at the same moment bear in mind that best in Netherlands does not necessarily mean best for teaching or best for you. As i said, even though some unis are better than others in some area, it is really hard to choose bad university in Netherlands.
3. Usually you have to arrange housing yourself. They usually have agreements with some accommodation companies or landlords to help international students find accommodation in first year, usually with other students, but they usually offer no guarantee. In this case, it is on first come first served basis. Sometimes people from outside the EU can register earlier because they need accommodation for Visa or something.
4. In Netherlands, some programs are Numerous Fixus. This means that they admit only certain number of students. Numerous fixus is for example Psychology, Medicine, International business, Economics etc. They are the programs with excessive demand. When a programme is numerous fixus it means that the university chooses who is admitted, usually through selection process which is different for each university and programme. You can apply to 2 numerous fixus programs maximum
5. While it is true that Maastricht university has 50% of internationals students, it can be a bit misleading. Due to its location, lot of these students are from Germany and Belgium, so it is not as diverse as it may look at the first glance. However that doesn't mean that there aren't lots of students from other countries as well, just not as much as it may seem. Bear in mind that i don't have exact numbers, and the numbers of non-dutch, non-belgian and non-german students may actually be higher at Maastricht than at other universities.
6. They work on the same basis as universities here in czech republic. That means, they take lots of people in the first year and then they wait for majority to drop out. That means that the hard part is not getting into university but staying here till second year. The dropout numbers may seem harsh, but at least this way even people with worse final grades get the chance to prove they have what it takes to study at university.
7. They have 4 blocks of teaching per semester and each block is followed by exams. That means that it does not all cumulate at the end of the semester. This is not the case for University Colleges (viz. number 1). UPDATE: Apparently it is different at each university. For example university of groningen has only 2 blocks every semester.
8. It is hard to find much about student life, but they usually have sports clubs, cultural societies, social societies and study societies. Some of them are in English, but lot of them are in Dutch (especially the sports clubs). Study society is specific for subject or faculty and other people (from different subject/faculties) cannot join. Depending on how international is the subject/faculty, these can be run entirely or mostly in English.
9. Usually every city has ESN society. This is International student society. They organise their own introductory days/week (anywhere from 3 days to week long, depending on the city). They also regulary organise social events for international students.
10. Every univesity has its own welcome week. Usually it is week which you spend with 10-15 other freshers with 2 older students. Together you will participate as a group in various activities, workshops, parties, picnics etc... You will discover the town together and you will be introduced to all societies, clubs etc. the university has to offer. Your faculty may also have a introduction weekend prior or after this.
11. The introduction days/week/weekends usually happen in August with the year officialy starting in September.
12. You can find lot about the rating of the programme you want to study here: https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/
It is only in Dutch, but you can easily translate the website to English if you are using google chrome
Feel free to ask here if there is something you don't know, maybe i or somebody else will be able to help!
Hi, I'm 25 years old law graduate from a non-EU country and I'm interested in shifting to Psychology but that also means I have to opt for Bachelor level because my degree is totally different. I did some brief research on courses in Europe and found those in the Netherlands have all the criteria I look for:
- budget-friendly for international students like me
- taught in English
- top ranking regionally and internationally
I'm interested in Bachelor Psychology in University of Amsterdam, Erasmas University Rotterdam, Maastricht University and University of Groningen. But since we are only allowed to apply for 2 numerus fixus programmes I'm picking which 2 would be best to go for (actually EUR is already my top choice, so I'm picking another one).
That's all about me, how about you @Catsarepurrfect, which programmes are you interested in?
Original post by Maismerising
Hi, I'm 25 years old law graduate from a non-EU country and I'm interested in shifting to Psychology but that also means I have to opt for Bachelor level because my degree is totally different. I did some brief research on courses in Europe and found those in the Netherlands have all the criteria I look for:
- budget-friendly for international students like me
- taught in English
- top ranking regionally and internationally
I'm interested in Bachelor Psychology in University of Amsterdam, Erasmas University Rotterdam, Maastricht University and University of Groningen. But since we are only allowed to apply for 2 numerus fixus programmes I'm picking which 2 would be best to go for (actually EUR is already my top choice, so I'm picking another one).
That's all about me, how about you @Catsarepurrfect, which programmes are you interested in?
- budget-friendly for international students like me
- taught in English
- top ranking regionally and internationally
I'm interested in Bachelor Psychology in University of Amsterdam, Erasmas University Rotterdam, Maastricht University and University of Groningen. But since we are only allowed to apply for 2 numerus fixus programmes I'm picking which 2 would be best to go for (actually EUR is already my top choice, so I'm picking another one).
That's all about me, how about you @Catsarepurrfect, which programmes are you interested in?
Hi! I am an EU student, and i will probably go to uni straight from high school. This is crazy, i am actually also interested in Psychology, however my top choice for now is Groningen, because living there is quite cheaper. I am still unsure about the second choice, i will visit netherlands before sending the applications and decide based on the city etc
i would choose rotterdam, but i am not sure if i will like the city, as i am not fan of big modern buildings... What makes Rotterdam your top choice? What will probably be your second choice?
Original post by Kayrovsky
Whatever you decide on doing (may the force be with you when making the decision) try and avoid Maastricht University at all costs.. its a horror-show with professors talking about "Allione Musk" whilst teaching Finance
I saw that too ;(
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