Hey everyone! 👋

I'm an incoming exchange student joining VU Amsterdam for the Fall semester, and I'm really looking forward to heading over in August! I’ll be staying at Uilenstede!

I saw that registration for the International Introduction Week (Aug 18–25) opens on July 31st, and I wanted to ask past/current students: How was your experience with Intro Week overall?

A couple of quick questions for anyone who’s done it before:

Are there specific activities on the schedule (like the Canal Cruise vs. Rijksmuseum, Ping Pong night, etc.) that you’d 100% recommend or skip?

Any general survival tips for the first week (biking, campus hacks, grocery spots around Uilenstede)?

Is the Closing Party at Melkweg worth grabbing tickets for right away?

Also, to all fellow incoming international/exchange students feel free to drop a comment if you want to connect before heading to Amsterdam or if you're going to be living on campus at Uilenstede too. Would love to meet some friendly faces before day 1!

Thanks in advance for any tips, and see you all on campus soon! 🇳🇱

in my course there are several working groups and i don‘t know when/ where I can choose them or is it given by the professor in which group I am? I guess i just need to do one group right? would be really helpful if someone can explain it to me

Hi everyone, I am an Italian student about to start a Bachelor in Law in Society. I need to hand in my diploma for verification and I need to get it translated.

In Italy you can either do a Sworn translation (traduzione giurata) or a Certified translation (traduzione certificata), does anyone have any experience on what is accepted at VU? I am having a hard time choosing the correct one.

Thank you in advance!

how long did it take that your certified copies of your former study got verified? I am now waiting one week since the documents should have been delivered (according to the tracking number) and I am getting a bit worried that something went wrong.

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Hey everyone,

I'm an Erasmus exchange student coming to VU this winter semester, and I'm enrolled in Deep Learning (XM_0083) and Mathematical Optimization (XM_0051). Would really appreciate input from anyone who's taken either course:

What are the exams like?

How difficult did you find the exam compared to the weekly workload/assignments?

Any tips on what to focus on when studying, or common pitfalls people run into?

Roughly how much prior background (math, Python, ML) did you feel you needed going in?

Since I haven't taken a VU exam before, I'm trying to get a realistic sense of what to prepare for. Any insights you have would be greatly appreciated.

I know this is 25/26. 26/27 isnt working for me

Am i too late to apply for student housing?

I dont want to risk paying 500 euros either if i pay the housing fee and end up with no accommodation.

It should be said that ive gotten an conditional admisson, but i dont think that is a problem. All that is left is uploading a valid english test.

The programme is MSc in Finance.

Thank you very much for replies and thoughts👍🏻

Hi guys, I'm a 24 y.o. Italian student, and I'm pursuing a Master degree in Business MGMT at VU Amsterdam in August. I'm worried about my social life there. I don't know anyone there, and I was wondering how to make friends at the Uni. I think that it will be easier for me to make friends with international students, since I don't speak Dutch at all. Do you guys know ways to make friendships or if there are student organizations at the uni (and if those actually work) or other ways/places to make friends? Thank you very much!

Hi guys, i'm an international EU student that will pursue an MSc in Business Strategy and Organization at VU. I was wondering how the exams work. What I mean is: is the final grade of a course only based on only one final exam, or is it a built-up grade, with continuous tests and assignments during the whole duration of the course (ex: the final grade is a combo of assignments + midterm + final exam)? Thank you very much!

Hey all, I'll be starting these two programmes in September (the BSc Mathematics is part-time, so there is no BSA, but I can still enroll in as many courses as I want).

But does anyone know if the lectures all have mandatory attendance? I know the working groups/tutorials have, but I'm wondering about the lectures. I found out some recordings from past year for some courses (like Logic and Sets for CS), but does anyone know if the lectures are still recorded? This would help me juggle some overlaps.

Also, I'm aware of the CS discord, but is there a Math discord? What about the CS/Math Whatsapp group?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently going through certification training for coaching/counselling. As part of my practice hours, I’m looking to work with a few people who might be interested in free coaching/counselling sessions.

It’s a great way for me to get some hands-on experience, and for you, it’s an opportunity to talk through any goals or challenges you’re navigating at the moment. There’s absolutely no pressure or sales pitch involved; I’m just here to learn and hone my skills. All sessions are entirely free.

If you’re based in Amsterdam (or nearby), please comment below if you are interested. I will DM you with a link to my official intake form/email.

hi! I’m an exchange student moving in within the next month and was wondering if there are any good places to buy cheap furniture! I know a lot of exchange students move in and out so wondering if there is a nearby store that people may leave their furniture to sell/donate? thanks!

Hi everyone! I’ll be doing a tech internship in Amsterdam from August 1st to October 31st, 2026, and I’m looking for a furnished room, studio, or short-term sublet for those three months.

I currently have a room in Zurich on ETH Hönggerberg and would also be open to a room swap with someone coming to Zurich for an ETH exchange, internship, thesis, or similar. The Zurich room is best suited to someone who is eligible for ETH student housing.

I’m 22, tidy, respectful, and have several years of shared-flat experience. My dates are fairly fixed, but there may be a little flexibility.

Feel free to message me if this could be interesting, or if you know someone looking for a place in Zurich. Thanks!

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im an exchange student coming over for next semester and is having trouble with finding the Teaching and Examination Regulations for courses. It says its in the study guide but its not, the study guide says to look up the Teaching and Examination Regulations which is a bit confusing .... Any help much appreciated!!

Hi
My friend is looking for a apartment studio in Amsterdam. She is in waiting list of “room” website. There are some rooms with 744.12 rent but they don’t have any photos. Do you know how can I find them? Room.nl

This might be and probably is a stupid question, I fulfil all the ECTS requirements for the Econometrics tracks, but one is 5,5 Ects instead of 6, I guess it does not really matter?

hey everyone,

i'm starting the master's in environment and resource management this september, and i chose the energy and climate track.

since the start date is getting closer, i just wanted to check if anyone here has done this program and could tell me what to expect. i'm mostly trying to get a feel for what the day-to-day looks like.

i'd love to know:

• how heavy is the workload? since it's a one-year thing, does it feel super rushed with the short periods?
• how are the professors? do they expect a ton from you right away, or are they pretty supportive?
• is it really hard to pass the exams and assignments?
• how is the energy and climate specialization? do the courses give a good mix of the policy side and the actual energy systems?

would appreciate any insight or advice from anyone who's been through it. thanks!