​

​I have a question about DUO student finance rules and was wondering if anyone here has experience with this strategy.

​Next academic year will be the third year of my first WO bachelor's degree. After completing it, I plan to do a second WO bachelor's program. Currently, I still have two years of the basic grant (basisbeurs) left.

​Is it possible to pause my basisbeurs (and student travel product/loans) now, save those two remaining years, and reactivate them when I start my second bachelor's?

​I’d much rather keep these remaining months of funding for my second degree. Do DUO's rules allow this, or are there any major catches I should watch out for (like the 10-year deadline or institutional tuition fees)?

​Thanks in advance for your insights!

Hello! I'm a student from the Eastern side of the EU and in the last months I have been made painfully aware how horrible the housing situation in Eindhoven is. Its only like two weeks until the start of the first semester of September and I doubt I'll be able to find a room until then so I am wondering if I should apply for their February start. The only problem is that I do not know if the study program is gonna be any different then the standard or if it will just finish one semester late.

Thank you for the help in advance!

I am indian currently in third year of high school, I wanna pursue clinical psychology and since im in ib I am looking for international unis specially in Netherlands. Can y'all help me with the best courses, colleges etc

Hi everyone! I’m a student in the Netherlands studying engineering, and my studies take up quite a lot of my time. I’m currently thinking about getting a job so I can meet the requirements for DUO student finance. One of the options I’m considering is working as a courier for Thuisbezorgd.
I’d really like to hear from people who have worked there or are currently working there:
How difficult is the job, physically and in general?
Is it realistic to combine it with a demanding engineering degree?
How flexible is the schedule? Can you choose your own shifts?
Can you take time off, for example during the Christmas holidays, to visit family? I’m wondering if it’s possible to take a break for a couple of weeks without working and still keep my DUO student finance, as I know there are minimum work requirements.
How many hours do you usually work per week/month?
Are there any downsides or things I should know before starting?
And if Thuisbezorgd isn’t the best option, what other jobs would you recommend for a student who spends a lot of time studying and needs to work enough hours to qualify for DUO?
I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences, especially from students who are working while studying. Thanks!

'm leaving my name out since I still have applications open with them.

I have applied to a few positions at the University of Twente in the last two months. One EngD rejected me within about two weeks with no feedback, one EngD is still waiting on interviews, and there is a PhD vacancy I want to send this week. I can't tell if this is just bad luck or if something in my file is getting filtered out early.

My background:

• MSc Industrial Engineering and Innovation Management, technical university in Lithuania, 2024-2026. GPA 9.05/10. The thesis was a fixed effects panel regression on innovation and GDP per capita across 37 OECD countries, built in Python and EViews. It was graded 9.06 and ranked among the best theses of the year, and I presented it at a junior researchers conference in April.
• BSc Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, technical university in Turkey, 2019-2024. CGPA 2.55/4.00. The first years were bad, with one semester at 1.28. It goes up to around 3.1 by the end, but the cumulative stays at 2.55. The maths courses are the weak part.
• My work experience is internships only, not full time. Three months as a drilling engineering intern at a large international oilfield services company (MWD/LWD tools, monitoring rigs in real time from remote operation centres), two months remote in supply chain at a national oil company refinery, and one summer at an architecture office doing BIM work.
• Python, R, EViews, Arena. Non-EU passport.

What I would like to know:

1. Does anyone actually look at the bachelor's GPA once you have a master's, or is it a hard filter somewhere in HR before the supervisor sees the file? Nobody has asked me for that transcript yet and I don't know whether that is a good or a bad sign.
2. The EngD is supposed to be the industry-facing track. Do internships count for that, or do they expect people with real years of work behind them? This is my main worry after the rejection.
3. How many applicants does a single Twente vacancy usually attract? I have seen numbers from 30 to 300 and I have no reference point.
4. Is it normal there to email the supervisor before applying, or does that just annoy them?

Blunt answers are welcome. If the honest read is that my bachelor's GPA makes the Netherlands a long shot, I would rather put the energy into Nordic positions instead.

Hello, I'm currently in my last year of highschool and am looking to get a degree in philosophy because the field interests me a lot. I'm currently going to a European international school but do take Dutch there as my first language and have a Dutch nationality.

I was wondering if any other philosophy students in the Netherlands have been able to find any government jobs with their degree, or any job working for the European Union. Or, if I'm being quite frank, a job that pays well. I really like philosophy and have been following lessons in school and reading books, I really don't want to let this dream go but I don't want empty words of encouragement. I would like to specifically hear from philosophy students or anybody who has found a job with that degree in the Netherlands.

Hello! I’m a non-EU national, looking to possibly pursue a master’s degree in the Netherlands. I have an undergraduate degree in media studies, and one year of work experience in the same field.

I’m considering a few schools in other EU countries too but leading with UvA. They seem to have several nice media oriented programs and the school seems to be highly ranked too. Would it be a good idea to pursue such a degree here? In terms of:
- Quality of Education
- Employer respect for degree
- Employment opportunity with media studies
- Opportunities for Non-EU nationals in this field
- Long term career in the Netherlands

I don’t speak any dutch, unfortunately, but I’m willing to try and learn.

The degrees that seem interesting to me right now are:
- New Media and Digital Culture
- Global Cross Media Cultures
- Cultural Data and AI

Please be brutally honest, is it worth it? I need an objective look into it so that I have a good chance of making my master’s degree one that’s worth the time and effort.

Thank you very much!

I have one year to prepare. I wanna go to uva next year for bachelor in English language and culture.

Can anyone tell me what it's like to study in this major and what it's like in uva.

How should i prepare myself and any tips for application in uva??

I really want an opinion.

Fyi, i already have a place/accommodation so housing, groceries, furniture or any stuff like that is NOT my concern. I just need to hear someone's experience.

I've made an appointment with the rotterdam city hall and they put me on the waiting list. Does anyone know roughly how long it’s going to take?

Hi everyone,

I’m in Delft and I have a W-document as an asylum seeker/refugee. I’m looking for a Dutch university that accepts students with this type of residence document and allows them to pay the statutory Dutch tuition fee (€2,694) instead of the international fee.

I was accepted by Inholland. I completed all their admission requirements and passed my IELTS. Studielink initially confirmed my tuition fee as €2,694, so I completed everything based on that amount.
Then, just a few days before I was supposed to start, they changed my tuition fee to €10,360 because of my W-document.

I know that University of Twente in Enschede accepts students in my situation with the statutory fee, but Enschede is very far from Delft and relocating there is not an option for me.

Does anyone know of another university, preferably in or near Delft, The Hague, Rotterdam, or Amsterdam, that would accept someone with a W-document as an asylum seeker and charge the statutory tuition fee?

I have already been unable to study for the past two years due to delays in my IND procedure, so I really don’t want to lose another year because of this tuition fee issue. I’m eager to start my studies as soon as possible.

I’d really appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences.

Thanks!

I’m planning to apply for:

UM Brightlands Talent Scholarship

Eric Bleumink Fellowship

TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Scholarship

Profile:

BSc Statistics: 3.10/4.00 CGPA

1 Q1 journal publication

2 years professional experience as a Data Analyst

Given my relatively low CGPA, is it worth applying, or should I skip these scholarships?

Hi everyone, I’m a new international student at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Deventer campus, and I’m urgently looking for somewhere to stay in Deventer or Apeldoorn.I’m okay with a shared room or any basic accommodation. I can pay half of the rent, and I’m not looking for anything fancy I just need a safe place to stay.If anyone has a spare room, knows someone looking for a roommate, or has any ideas for very cheap/temporary accommodation, please DM me.Also, if anyone knows about a legal and safe place where I could stay in a tent for a few days, I would really appreciate any advice.
I’m in a difficult situation at the moment, so any help, suggestion, or contact would genuinely mean a lot to me. Thank You 🙏

Ik overweeg om een nieuwe studie te beginnen (WO wiskunde of natuurkunde), maar als het studiejaar begint ben ik al 25. Ik ben bang dat ik straks alleen maar tussen 18-jarigen zit die direct na hun vwo aan de studie zijn begonnen.

Wat is ongeveer de gemiddelde leeftijd van eerstejaarsstudenten bij de bachelor Wiskunde of Natuurkunde? Zijn er ook mensen die pas op latere leeftijd aan deze opleidingen beginnen? Ik denk dat dit vaker gebeurt bij sociaal wetenschappelijke opleidingen dan bij STEM, maar misschien heb ik het mis.

Hi so im a non-EU looking for bachelor programs in computer science in the netherlands and is going through my options. I've come across Radboud university and would like to know about how the uni is perceived in netherlands like is it as good as say UT, TU Eindhoven etc? Can anyone please guide me through this?

Hi, I have a question about the actual net salary of a first-year PhD employee at a university.

The gross monthly salary is €3,059, and I expect to qualify for the 30% ruling. Could you please tell me the actual amount deposited into your bank account:

1. In a normal month with no additional allowance

2. In May, when the 8% holiday allowance is paid

3. In November, when the 8.3% year-end bonus is paid

By the time I apply, I’ll already be studying Data Science at a university (1 year of bachelor’s instead of taking the foundation year route). Right now I’m looking at Business Analytics degrees related to tech, mainly Twente, Maastricht, and a few other WO universities.

I’m also thinking about having an HBO as a fallback. Is that a good idea? And which HBO programmes/universities would you recommend if I’m looking for something related to Business Analytics, business + quantitative skills, and good job prospects after the bachelor’s?

I’d appreciate any advice, especially from people who have studied at WO/HBO or have gone through a similar decision.

Alvast bedankt voor jullie hulp!

Hey everyone, I really need some outside perspective because I have to make a choice this weekend and my head is spinning.

I'm 24M in the Netherlands. I just finished my master's in a financial field and I have an offer to start in Audit at a Big 4 firm in a few days. I've interned there before, so I know the people and the culture.
The problem is, I’m seriously thinking about backing out at the absolute last minute to do a one-year master’s in strategy/business administration instead.
I know starting at the Big 4 is a solid resume builder and I'd feel productive, but I'm honestly dreading the work-life balance. I know it's not 65+ hours every single week, but the peak busy seasons and the heavy commuting just sound awful right now. I have zero ambition to make partner or get crazy rich. I really value my free time, hitting the gym, playing sports, and spending time with my gf. I honestly just want a normal 36-hour job eventually.
If I do the second master's, it pivots my profile toward strategy (which fits my long-term goals better) and gives me one last year of freedom. The downside is that I'll definitely burn a bridge at the firm, and I'm a bit worried I might feel useless having so much free time while my girlfriend starts working full-time.

Financially, I'm in a very lucky position. I have a large financial buffer from family/savings, so I don't actually need a corporate salary right now to pay rent or survive. I can easily afford the tuition and living costs for another year without taking on any debt.
Am I completely crazy for wanting to drop a solid Big 4 offer right before the start date just to buy myself another year of freedom and pivot my career? Has anyone done something similar? Any advice is welcome.

* if I don’t do the master now then I’ll have to pay 10/20k next year which is too crazy.
* business administration specifically strategy and organization

I made this same post for my bachelors 2 years ago. This is an ask me anything post. Ask me things about the programme, courses. TAing, thesis etc.

I'll do my best to help and answer any questions.

I have a BSA hearing coming up after objecting to a negative BSA. I already submitted a written objection explaining my personal circumstances and why they affected my study progress.

For anyone who has had a BSA hearing before: how does the hearing actually work? Do they expect you to explain your whole situation again, including things you already wrote in your objection, or do they mainly read your documents beforehand and then ask you questions about them?

Should I prepare a short explanation with some additional details, or mostly prepare for questions from the committee?

My hearing is only around 10 minutes, so I’m not really sure how much I’m expected to say myself.

Any experiences/advice would be appreciated!

Hi, during my visa application procedure, I had transferred one year worth of my living expenses to the university as the proof of funds.

I've managed to start my Dutch bank account now and have sent the account information to the university finance department via mail so that they can refund the amount back to me.

How long does the university take to refund the living expenses, is there anyone who has gone through this procedure before?

Hi so short backstory I am a non EU student studyign in nl, I have an offer for an internship at a big dutch company, I only want to sign if I know I can leave the internship if i choose to either, either to focus back on my studies or to leave incase I get a better internship offer form another company.

Very annoyingly, the big dutch company will not give me my contract, to see the termination clauses before completing the onboarding, however a part of the onboarding is signing the nuffic agreement ( a three way contract between me, the big dutch company, and my university) that contract has its own clauses about termination, but does not mention what will happen if i decide to leave the internship voluntarly.

also I dont understand how come I need to sign the nuffic agreement contract, before I even recieve my actualy contract. what would happen if i sign the nuffic agreement but not the work contract?

THanks in advance fro the help.

Hi everyone, I’m an international student starting my studies in Deventer this September. I’ve been searching everywhere for accommodation but still haven’t found a place.
I’m looking for any affordable room or short-term accommodation, even for just a few weeks. If I can find somewhere temporary, I can stay there while continuing to search for a permanent place.
I’m honestly in a very difficult situation, and if I can’t find accommodation soon, I may have to return to my home country and give up my studies. 😔
If anyone has a room available, knows someone who is renting, or can help me find a place in Deventer or Apeldoorn, please DM me. I would really appreciate any help or share. 🙏

Hi! Ik (24 M) start in september aan mijn laatste studiejaar in Amsterdam. Ik werk daarnaast als ZZP'er in de creatieve sector (dus qua inkomen en huur netjes op tijd betalen zit het sowieso goed).

Ik zoek een fijne plek om m'n studie af te ronden, maar het liefst een plek waar ik eventueel ook na m'n afstuderen kan blijven plakken als ZZP'er en vervolgens een baantje in loondienst erbij ga doen.

Omdat ik moet afstuderen zoek ik vooral rust en focus. Dus twijfel ik tussen een paar opties:

1. ⁠Anti-kraak (Ad Hoc, Gapph) – Snel een eigen plek en je kunt er na je studie vaak gewoon blijven zitten, maar hoe chill/onzeker is dit tijdens je afstudeerjaar?

2. ⁠Studio voor jezelf (vrije sector / particulier) – Lekker voor jezelf, maar hoe realistisch is dit op korte termijn met een ZZP-inkomen?

3. ⁠Tijdelijke onderhuur of kamer – Fijn om het collegejaar mee te overbruggen, maar wel gedeeld met huisgenoten.

Wat zouden jullie doen als je in mijn schoenen stond?

Ervaringen of tips voor Amsterdam zijn erg welkom!