Enjoy Your Stay


Study Spots

Coffe and coconuts

A former cinema built in the roaring ’20s, Coffee & Coconuts is now home to a relaxing and easy-going environment. A great place to study, especially if you feel anxious about your workload. It will make you feel like you’re on a holiday getaway, you’re even allowed to walk around bare feet!

Cafe de Yaren

Cafe de Yaren is a Cafe located near Oudemanhuispoort campus. It is right next to the canal with an amazing ‘Amsterdam’ view. A lot of students go there to study for its spacious layout, great coffee, and views. You can also connect to UvA Wifi from there which comes in very handy.

Rum Baba Cafe 

They call themselves “your happy eclectic home away from home”. The place is undeniably cozy, located a few doors down from their bakery. There’s plenty of seating, including a long wooden table perfect for groups. Work outside on sunny days and enjoy some banana bread with your coffee.

Bocca 

Bocca has a school of coffee, sells coffee beans wholesale, and even has an online shop. Basically, they’re coffee experts. Their coffee shop in Amsterdam has a minimalist vibe, perfect for a focused study session.

Bagels and Beans Waterlooplein

Bagels and Beans is a chain with delicious bagels and coffee. The Bagels and Beans in Waterlooplein is very spacious and you can study while enjoying your bagel.

Prisma Coffee Bar 

Prisma coffee bar is located near Oudemanhuispoort campus, is incredibly cozy and ‘gezellig’. You can enjoy your cup of coffee, interact with the very friendly staff during your study breaks and enjoy the delicious snacks they have. It has a very relaxing environment if you feel stressed about your exams.

Coffee Company Waterlooplein

The coffee company is another chain that is very famous in Amsterdam. They have great coffee and reasonable prices. The coffee company on Waterlooplein has a bigger area compared to other coffee companies so if you need to study for a few hours and don’t know where to go, you should stop by at Waterlooplein.

Coffee Bru 

The perfect coffee spot for socializing, meetings, and alone time. They have comfy chairs and a spacious table to work alone or in a study group. On top of the amazing coffee, they have an amazing white chocolate cheesecake.





City Transport

Within Amsterdam, it is easy to travel quickly by bike, but also by public transport. The tram, bus, and metro are a good means of transport to travel throughout the city. The infrastructure in Amsterdam is so good that the trams, buses and metros follow each other in quick succession.

To pay for public transport it is important to buy a public transport chip card. With this card, you can check-in when you arrive at the means of transport and check out when you disembark. No more cash is accepted in Amsterdam.

Regular public transport OV-chipcard (personalized)

Only Dutch students can get free public transport. International students can buy a public transport chip card. The card is valid for 5 years.

With this link, you can fill in your details and request a personal chip card (OV-chipkaart).

  1. Then you have to upload a personal photo which can be seen on your personal chip card.
  2. Then you can indicate the function to automatically upload the OV-chipkaart. This means that when the amount of money is lower than a certain value, the OV-chipkaart will be charged with money from your bank account. This action takes place automatically when this threshold is reached.
  3. Then you check everything and fill in your payment details.
  4. You can only pay with iDeal and PayPal.
  5. Within a few working days, you will receive the OV-chipkaart at home.

Anonymous public transportation OV-chipcard

There is also a possibility to travel with an anonymous OV-chipkaart. When people don’t travel much with OV or don’t want to share their personal information, you can choose to travel anonymously. You can share the card with the whole family (but not at the same time). For example, you travel to the library by metro with the anonymous card and your flatmate uses the same card one day later to go to football by bus.

  1. The card is available at railway stations, metro stations, tobacco shops, and service desks.
  2. If you load a balance on it, the card can be used immediately.
  3. The card is valid for five years from the date of production.
  4. disadvantage of the card is that you can use prices that are not related to age. So a child will cost the same price as an adult.

Deals and discounts

NS is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. This company offers plenty of discounts and package deals for student public transportation, which are called ‘Flex Subscriptions’. These deals are structured in such a way that you pay a monthly rate and in return have access to many advantages for example a 40% discount on public transportation during the weekend or a 20% of discount during peak hours.

For more information, you can visit this website and decide which deal is best for you.

Night buses

Night buses also run between 01.00 and 05.00 hours in the Amsterdam region. The OV-chipcard can also be used or you can buy a separate ticket on the bus. The prices are a bit more expensive and there are fewer buses at night.

The University of Amsterdam: public transport

The University of Amsterdam also wrote information about public transport in Amsterdam. For more information, check out their website.





Clothing Stores

The Kalverstraat is the biggest shopping street in the center of Amsterdam. Here you can find all the most popular (mainstream) stores. If you cross the Dam you can also find more stores at the Nieuwendijk. When you walk in the direction of Leidseplein, there are some more stores in the Heiligeweg and in the Leidsestraat as well.

If you’re more interested in small boutiques, vintage stores, and less known clothing the 9 Streets (9 Straatjes) and Haarlemmerdijk are great places to shop.

And lastly, when you’re into high-end fashion and money isn’t an issue, the P.C. Hooftstraat is your perfect shopping street!





Groceries

Albert Heijn – This is by far the most expensive but also the most convenient supermarket in the city since there are over 60 stores in Amsterdam alone with a large number spread throughout the city center. Their blanket coverage means you will never be far away from one of their stores. The largest branches can be found at the rear of Dam Square’s Royal Palace as well as Jodenbreestraat 21. You will find a fairly broad range of products in these larger stores but expect a massively reduced selection in the smaller outlets and the tiny ‘To Go’ stores. Alcohol is also available in the larger stores but again the selection is fairly limited to basic beers and wines. Most stores close at 22.00 daily however one branch in Central Station is open until 00.00 which is always good to know for life’s little emergencies.

Aldi & Lidl are recognized economy stores in the Netherlands. Selling a broad range of international products at cheaper prices than the likes of Albert Heijn, they remain very popular with Amsterdam locals.

Jumbo & Vomar – With regards to pricing, they are somewhere in between Albert Heijn and Aldi/Lidl. If you need to hunt out stores local to your apartment check out the following websites and click on the ‘Winkels’ or ‘Filiaal-zoeker’ buttons which mean ‘shops’ and ‘branch finder’, respectively, in Dutch. Simply type in the name ‘Amsterdam’ and hit the search button. Move the maps around to locate the nearest store.

 

Gall & Gall – If you are looking for alcohol other than basic beer or wine then head to this: the city’s major chain-store off-license. These outlets are often located next door to Albert Heijn stores or in shopping centers.





Food

Every area has loads of nice and good restaurants. That is why the different restaurants are described depending on the area you are in. Making a reservation is recommended.

Restaurants in Amsterdam West:

Amsterdam West has many diverse restaurants and bars. Click here for a list of 48 amazing restaurants in Amsterdam West.

Restaurants in Amsterdam East:

Amsterdam East is also a very diverse area with lots of nice restaurants and bars. Here is a list of 35 diverse restaurants in Amsterdam East.

Restaurants in De Pijp:

De Pijp is a very popular area amongst tourists as well. It is way more touristy than Amsterdam West or East for example. However, it has many nice restaurants. You can find a list of 23 restaurants here.

Restaurants Amsterdam North:

To go to Amsterdam North, you have to take the ferry. There are a few ferries to different areas of Amsterdam North, so make sure you take the right one to go to the restaurant. You can find a few here.

Restaurants Amsterdam Centre:

Finding nice restaurants in the city centre is quite hard since this is the most touristic area of Amsterdam and therefore very focused on tourism. However, there are very nice restaurants here as well, you just have to look a bit harder. To make it easy for you, here is a list of restaurants in Amsterdam City Centre.

Different kitchens

Amsterdam is a very diverse city and therefore has a diverse range of kitchens. Every kitchen links to a website with a list of restaurants with that kitchen.





Nightlife

A nice part of the experience of being a student is of course going out, and thankfully Amsterdam has a lot of places that cater perfectly to this need! The most popular locations for bars and clubs are Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein, and the Dam.

Clubs

Under this list, you can find the most fun clubs of Amsterdam to enjoy the nightlife to its full potential!

  • The Chicago Social Club is one of the most fun clubs in Amsterdam! They organize different events that you can check out on their website.
  • Jimmy Woo is a worldwide famous club because of its strict door policy and many celebrated guests! The club is also famous for its interior and sound system.
  • Disco Dolly is open 7 days a week and with a varied program intended for everyone: disco, funk, soul, boogie, house, hip hop. It is music for everyone!
  • Bitterzoet does its best to offer as varied a range of music styles as possible. These music styles vary, for example, from rock, punk, ska to hip-hop, funk, and soul. Always check their agenda to see if it’s your kind of music.
  • Paradiso is a venue in a former church in the heart of Amsterdam. They organize many events so always make sure to check their agenda.
  • AIR Amsterdam is one of the 100 best clubs in the world and due to its diverse and international program, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
  • Club Escape is one of the most popular clubs in the Netherlands and abroad and has been around since 1986! After 3 major transformations, it’s still on pace with the newest technologies in sound, lighting, and visuals.
  • Chin Chin Club is the one and only place where Amsterdam’s hottest in-crowd goes to socialize, flirt, and party on their all-time favorite hits. It is open every Thursday to Saturday.

Bars

Under the list of bars, you can find all the best locations to grab a drink during the day but be prepared to dance as they turn into clubs at night!

  • Coco’s Outback is one of the most popular bars in Amsterdam. You are in the right place when you fancy a cocktail or a delicious burger. At night the Pub turns into a club and you are allowed to dance on the tables!
  • De Heeren van Aemstel is the borrel location for the VSPA and our all-time favorite bar! ;) From drinks to weddings, from concerts to confetti, from lager to pub quiz, from beer pong to bitterballen and from shots to silent disco… It’s all possible in De Heeren.
  • The Kopstootbar hosts a varied program with DJs, live music, game nights, and much more. Keep an eye on their socials for all specials. ,
  • The Cooldown Cafe is open every night of the week to give you an unforgettable time. Music ranging from Rock and R&B to Dutch pop and House is played.



Teaching Assistance Programmes

Would you like to work with first-year students at economics and business? Would you like to help them in improving and optimising their study, Excel and presentation skills? And would you like to work on your own facilitation and presentation skills?

Then the following vacancy might be just for you.

We are looking for new tutors for the upcoming academic year (you can apply if you are a 2nd year, 3rd year or Master student in the upcoming year, you need at least 60 ECTS by 1 September).

Skills & Connect is a course spread over periods 1,2 and 4 and you will guide first-year students through study methods, Excel skills and presentation skills and you’ll act as their mentor in the first semester. Check the application here.

If you have any questions, send an email to p.r.stastra@uva.nl.





Honors Program

If you are looking for a way to challenge yourself further, the Honors Program is the right place for you. You can take extra courses next to your Bachelor’s and graduate with an Honors degree.

Application 

In order to get into the Honors Program, you need a GPA of 7.5 in your first year. If you fulfill this requirement you will receive an email from Max van der Linden (Honors coordinator for psychology) towards the summer break. You will need to write a motivation letter to apply. The Psychology honors program has a big capacity so you would most likely get in.

Workload 

In order to stay in the honors program, you need to maintain your 7.5 GPA. In addition to that, you have to get an extra 30 EC’s in the second and third-year combined. The Honors courses are not affecting your GPA (it is calculated only from the Psychology courses), however, you need to pass them to get the credits. You need the 15EC by the end of your second year, meaning that you approximately need to take 2 extra courses per semester. It is a high workload but you can always decide to stop doing the honors program and there are no consequences.

Honors Courses

In the first semester of the second year, you can take any elective you want. You can also take current topic courses from the third year. However, you need to make sure the additional courses you take do not clash with your own schedule. In the second semester, you have to take one (or two) of the Interdisciplinary Honors modules (IIS). For an extensive list of all the courses offered you can check out this link. You can also take electives from different universities like the VU or AUC. However, in order to obtain the honors degree, you need to take at least 2 IIS courses overall. In the first semester of the third year, there is a mandatory course for all psychology honors students called ‘Breaking Borders’. Other than that you can shape your third year however you want.





Studying Abroad

During your studies at the UvA, you can also join one of the many exchange programs that the UvA offers. Studying abroad is a great way to meet new people, gain an unforgettable international experience and improve your CV in a fun way.

The UvA offers two main exchange programmes. The first one is the Erasmus programme, which allows you to do exchange within Europe. The second one is the Global Exchange programme if you would like to do an exchange outside of Europe. Both exchange programmes have different application procedures and deadlines so make sure to check the websites for further information.

For more general information you can check out this link or contact the Office of International Student Affairs (BIS) by sending an email to studyadviser-psy-fmg@uva.nl . These study advisors are specifically for exchange and they can help you fit in exchange in your study schedule.





Co-curricular Activities at the UvA

International Student ambassador 

The International Student Ambassadors share their first-hand experiences of the degree programs, teaching style, living in Amsterdam, and more. Would you like to connect with your fellow international students and play an important role in representing the University of Amsterdam? You can join the international ambassador program through this link but you need to check when they open their applications.

Student Delegate

There are different student delegates for each specialization, you check them out through this link. There are two responsibilities of student delegates. Firstly they are responsible for giving a summary of all the Evaluations forms of all the courses which are part of their respected specialization and then also discussing it with the course coordinator. The second part is organizing events related to their specialization.

There is no application process for being a student delegate. Anyone who is interested and motivated can join! You can just send out an email to the student delegates that you would like to join. The recruitment starts at the beginning of every semester.

Program Committee

In the Programme Committee, lecturers and students can jointly influence the teaching offered in the Psychology degree program. The committee is made up of an equal number of lecturers and students. Each program group is represented by one of its lecturers. The committee’s student members work in close communication with the ombud student, the VSPA, the Student Council, and the student fractions of the program groups. Program committee members usually serve a two-year term. The PC is an important advisory organ, and therefore a great addition to your resume. For more information, you can check out this link

If you have any questions about the PC, you can always send an email to: ocstudentenfractie-fmg@uva.nl

Focus group

The education and the evaluation reports are discussed with the teachers and students of the Focus Group. The Focus Group students help the teachers with the interpretation of the reports and they advise the teachers and policy officers on how to improve the education and the educational environment. Therefore, the Focus Group is an easy way to contribute to the quality of the education, without taking too much of your time.

If you have any questions or want to register for the focus group, you can send an email to: ec-psy-fmg@uva.nl





VSPA

The VSPA also offers a lot of opportunities to improve your resume, e.g. by doing a board year or joining certain more serious committees. Below we have gathered all the information you need!

P.S. If you are interested in doing Work & Organisational Psychology, joining one of these committees may be perfect for you since they contribute to your critical thinking and experience within the field!

If you are interested in any of these committees, you can always contact one of the board members for more information, keep an eye on our social media, or send an email to info@vspa.nl.

Board Year

Every year the VSPA is run by a new board. This board consists of 6 highly motivated Psychology students that get selected by the Application Committee and the members. They are responsible for the association as a whole and for all of her committees, members, and activities. They work full-time throughout the entire academic year. A board consists of a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Committee Affairs Officer, Study Committee Affairs Officer, and Officer of Sales & Acquisition. All of these functions have different roles within the board, but all of them are indispensable to the functioning of the board.

Doing a board year is a big commitment, but it is also something that looks great on your CV and is a lot of fun to do. But, most of all, you are able to contribute to making the student life of psychology students at the UvA even better. Consider a board year, because you acquire knowledge that is useful for the rest of your life.

Applying for a board position starts in February. You will go through an application process in which you do interviews and matching days, to make sure the best combination of applicants get selected.

The advisory organs: SB and CAC 

The treasurer of the board keeps track of the financial part of the association. However, on behalf of the GMA, the treasurer of the board will always be checked by the Cash Audit Committee (CAC). Members of the CAC will also attend board meetings to give their critical opinions on financial matters. The CAC often consists of old treasures or students who are interested in the financial side of the association, but it’s not necessary. The members of the CAC will be elected by the GMA.

The Supervisory Board (SB) checks, on behalf of the GMA, whether the board is keeping to their policy and the charter (official statutes/rules of the association). In addition to this controlling function, the SB plays an advisory role in the decision-making of the board and will be elected as the private contact persons of the board. If a board member would like to discuss professional or private issues, which has an influence on the quality of their performance, the SB-members could be helpful during that period. The SB members attend board meetings and often consist of old board members or members with a lot of experience in the policy process of the VSPA. Like all of the other administrative bodies, members will be elected by the GMA.

General Members Assembly (GMA) Committee

Every new plan or idea of the board, with a big enough influence on the association, has to be approved in the General Members Assembly (GMA). In addition, all the administrative bodies are elected during GMA’s. During a GMA, at least 1% of the members of the VSPA must be present. As a member, you can express your opinion, contribute to the thinking process, ask questions and decide whether proposals should be accepted or denied. This way, all of the members have a significant influence on the current situation and the future of the association.

During a GMA you get a little more insight into the serious side of the association. The committee that organizes the GMA’s, thinks about the policy, and prepares the agenda for the GMA’s is the GMA-Committee (GMAtee)

The committee consists of a chair, a secretary, and possibly general members. The chair leads the assemblies and the secretary writes everything down that is discussed during the GMA’s. The general members help with the preparations and promotion of the GMA’s.

Lustrum Coordination Committee (LCC)

On the 14th of May 1941, the VSPA was founded by Marie (Mia) Rijk van Ommeren. This means that every five years, we are looking for a special committee to help us celebrate this milestone. As a member of the Lustrum Coordination Committee (LCC), you will have a lot of freedom in what kind of activities you choose to organize. During our 75th anniversary, this committee organized a pool party for instance. There is more than enough room for creativity in this committee! This committee will take you around an hour per week, but this will increase to approximately five hours a week as the event(s) near. The next LCC will be chosen at the end of the academic year 2024/2025.

First Year Weekend Coordination Committee (FCC)

The First Year Weekend (FYW) takes place at the start of the year. This is the weekend where first-year psychology students spend a great weekend together in the south of The Netherlands to get to know each other and older VSPA-members. For many students, this is one of the most enjoyable VSPA-activities of the year! The weekend is full of fun activities, games, food, and parties: the perfect place to make some friends. The committee always starts in April and will finish after the first year’s weekend. The workload of the committee is pretty high so be aware of this. Every spring, around five coordinators will be elected at the GMA, who will work together to create a weekend that will never be forgotten. In addition to the First Year Coordination Committee (FCC), many people are still needed to make the FYW a success. Would you like to become a FYW volunteer mentor next year, keep an eye on the VSPA-platforms for more information.

Application Committee (AC)

The Application Committee (AC) is responsible for finding the perfect next board of the VSPA. The AC holds interviews and organizes the assessment day with the psychology students who apply for a position in the new board. During this process, you analyze the interviews, the personal characteristics, the competencies, and the possible pitfalls of the applications. After the procedure, the AC presents its board with its motives to the GMA. The GMA then votes on whether to accept this future board.

The AC consists of multiple members, who all have a different connection with the association. Around December the AC will be elected during a GMA. Do not underestimate the hours you will be spending interviewing the applicants and analyzing them afterward, together with the rest of your committee.




Sports

Working out is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but as a student you do not always have the time or the money to do so. Besides joining a sport association (see above) you can also sign up for a gym!

First of all there is the USC. USC is the student sports center in Amsterdam, focused on improving sports facilities for students in Amsterdam. They have multiple locations throughout the city, for example on Science Park, and close to Roeterseiland. They offer group or solo training, ranging from tennis, basketball and football, to fencing, pole dancing, and diving. Trial memberships are available, and their gym membership starts at only 16 euros a month!

https://uscsport.nl/en/

Next to that there are multiple (big) gyms you can sign up for, these are the most popular ones in Amsterdam:

  • FitForFree
  • BasicFit (also offers Lady Only gyms)
  • SportCity
  • TrainMore
  • VondelGym




CREA Courses and Workshop

CREA is the UvA’s cultural centre. It is situated on the Roeterseiland Campus opposite the G-building. CREA offers a wide variety of courses and workshops in the fields of music, theater, dance, film, digital media, photography and literature. Learn how to play ukulele during an 8-week course or dive into improvisation theatre during one of their week-long summer courses! As a UvA student you get a 50 percent discount on these courses and workshops.

For more information on the different courses that CREA has to offer you can head over to their website: https://www.crea.nl/cursussen/?lang=en





Student Parties

UvASociaal

Description:

Diversity, sustainability, accessibility and transparency, these are UvASociaal core pillars. We were founded in the year 2006 and have worked tirelessly to have the voice of the average student heard in the decision-making process of the university since then. Our goal in UvASociaal is a university that exists as a democratic and inclusive community with equal opportunities for all. This community is ideally one where accessibility of higher education and the quality of education is and will always remain the priority. Our members believe that we have a vital role to play in improving the university and we welcome everyone who believes they can help us in representing the students and to let their voice be heard.

Some examples of what we stand for:

  • The ability to study regardless of one’s socio-economic background
  • Proposals such as the Green Commitment to reduce the ecological footprint of the
  • University and its student associations
  • Smaller number of students in tutorial groups
  • A higher budget for teaching and the improvement of its quality
  • More blended learning incorporated into our education (lecture recordings, online tests)

020

Description:

Student politics has to change, fundamentally. 020 believes in a democratic system capable of truly representing the students, while effectively holding the UvA accountable. Our University is both bureaucratic and slow in enacting any form of change—something we all have become familiar with.

Therefore, within one year, we have established ourselves as the party that fruitfully acts both within the Student Council and also outside of it. You can think of our Project Major event and booklet series that helped hundreds of students decide which academic and professional field to pursue, but also of the policies––such as blind grading and mid-course evaluation, among many others––that our representatives have passed in the Council.

What allows us to be so active and successful is our unique approach to student politics. Instead of a few candidates scattered over faculties, 020 has grown to become an organisation with soon almost a hundred members, all working towards the same goal of making the University simply a better place. This means that every vote cast for an 020 candidate is a vote for our whole organisation to keep growing and enacting the change we need.

Inter UvA

Description

We are a student party at the University of Amsterdam working to increase transparency in decision-making at the institution and improve your student experience. We are diverse, curious, ambitious, and determined to bring these values to university politics. We believe in more student involvement in university politics to create a more interconnected, interactive university. We strive to close the gap between university governance and the student community through direct and transparent democracy. We aim for solutions benefiting all students at the University of Amsterdam. Five goals of Inter are: transparent and democratic decision-making, quality of education and academic flexibility, diversification of backgrounds of the student body, improved student welfare and sustainable policies and practices.

De Vrije Student

Description

De Vrije Student (The Free Student) puts students in the first place. That means that all lectures should be available online, that there should be more space in the university to study and that we are in favour of a higher teaching level in international classes. We find it important that you can evolve yourself to the utmost level during your time in college. Being a student is more than just study: it also comprehends the possibility to become a board member of your study association, to have a job next to your study or enjoy your free time in Amsterdam! We want you to be able to make use of these possibilities by giving you online lectures.

At the same time, we stand for a realistic university: of course, we are not against gender neutral toilets or vegan food in the cantina, but can the university’s money not in the first place be spent in another way? We say: first the study spaces and online lectures, and after that we can look into other subjects. That is how we distinguish ourselves from other parties.





Sport Association

Sport associations are the perfect combination of playing sports and the ‘gezelligheid’ of a student association. You will meet a bunch of new people and have a lot of fun, while also staying in shape! What more could you ask for? Amsterdam offers around 25 sports associations, varying from badminton to cricket, and volleyball to rowing. Whatever sport you prefer, there is always something that floats your boat!

Most sports associations are open to registrations at the beginning of the academic year (Aug/Sep), and halfway through the academic year (Jan/Feb)

You can find all the sports associations on the website of the UvA, go check it out!





Student Association

Besides study associations, Amsterdam also has a lot of different associations you can join! A student association focuses on student life in Amsterdam.

Student associations are separate associations for students from all different programmes. Most student associations have a hazing system. This is a period in which students have to prove themselves with all sorts of crazy assignments before they belong to the student association. Think of being dropped somewhere random in the Netherlands without a phone or money. The aim is to get back to the city you came from. In addition, student associations are mainly about having fun and getting together. For more information, go to the student life page on the UvA website!

Next to the ‘basic’ student associations, there are also some student associations with a specific focus on for example theatre, art, politics or music!

  • International associations

There are international associations, these associations focus mostly on the internationalization of young people and offering them opportunities for e.g. cultural integration, international internships or housing! For more information, click here  

  • Cultural and ethnic associations

These associations that focus on specific cultural or ethnic groups. For example, there are associations specifically for Moroccan/Dutch students, Asian students, Jewish students and Surinamese students! For more information, click here

  • Religious and spiritual associations

These associations have a religious or spiritual focus. For example, there are reformed Christian associations, Hindu associations or meditation associations. For more information, click here 

  • Gender and sexuality associations 

Then, there are also student associations that focus on gender and sexuality. For more information about these associations, click here

  • Creative arts and media associations

You can also find associations that offer opportunities to take part in arts, music or media! Want to know more about orchestra, TV or art association? Click here




Grading System

The dutch grading system is on a 10-point scale, from 1 til 10, with at the UvA, a 5.5 meaning a pass. Grades are rounded (usually) by the .5, expect at the pass-fail point, where either you get a 5 or a 6.

The grades at the UvA are weighted, using Testvision, there is usually a ‘guessing chance’ counter-measure. More information can be found under the Exam Regulations of each course, on Canvas or via Studiegids.

Something that especially new students find difficult to realize, that equivilant to UK and US grade, an 8.5 is usually already a 1st/A, and receiving a 10 is extremely rare due to the grades being weighted. Therefore, a realistic expectation should be held for yourself, to balance student and study life.





Roeterseiland

The UvA has different buildings and campuses located in different parts of Amsterdam. The psychology department is located on Roeterseilandcampus, Roetersstraat 11. This is the center of Amsterdam, and the place you will have most of your lectures and tutorials. However, your exams mostly take place at another location, mostly at IWO, Meibergdreef 29, Amsterdam.

The different buildings at Roeterseiland Campus:

  • A, B, C: you will have most lectures in these buildings. These are the bordeaux red, light orange and lila buildings on the map. Big chance that your tutorial groups will take place here as well.
  • D or “De Brug” (the Bridge): De Brug is a canteen on a bridge over the canal on the 4th floor and has an amazing view over the campus. It is the green building on the map. So, for a nice view during your lunch, you should definitely go there.
  • E: Faculty of Economics & Business
  • G: the Psychology Department. The VSPA room is also situated in this building. This is the place to get your summaries, ask your questions about extracurricular activities and meet fellow psychology students. This is the orange building on the map.
  • H: In building H, the red building in the top left corner, is the general canteen. Here you can buy sandwiches, soup, and a changing assortment of warm meals, such as vietnamese, indian or mexican food. Building H also has workspaces, a library and computers to work on.
  • JK: there is a chance that your tutorials will take place in the purple JK building.

For a nice study break, a good lunch, some coffee or a beer, CREA is the place to be. CREA is a cafe and a cultural student center, where you can do a lot. You can do courses in music, dance, film & photography, theatre, creative skills, fine arts and much more. And everything with a discount for UvA students. For more information about CREA go to their website, (https://www.crea.nl/?lang=en) or see the topic down below.

For other food around campus, you should go to “De Brug” or the canteen in the H building. Luckily, the buildings are very well marked on campus with their letters. And you can always ask someone at the service desk of a building. Furthermore, the campus has practical facilities as well. There are computers in the library, you can print on campus, and you can book your own rooms via https://uva.mapiq.net/.

Around campus, there are loads of facilities. There’s a supermarket, Albert Heijn, around the corner. There are tram and metro stops close by, what makes the campus easy to reach. Moreover, there are bars, cafes and restaurants in the streets around campus as well.

For a tour around Roeterseilandcampus, see this video:





Canvas

Canvas is one of the main websites you’ll be using when studying or planning your courses. This is the website where the UvA puts all the information about your courses, they call it their digital learning environment. The course syllabus, your lecture slides, course announcements, assignments, etc. will all be posted here.

Go to canvas.uva.nl and log in with your UvAnetID (this is your student number and password). If you’re logged in, all your active courses are placed on the Dashboard. For help, you can click “Help” in the toolbar on the left of your screen.

If you scroll down in the Help section, there are five tips posted for using Canvas. Also, more information can be found on the UvA Website(https://student.uva.nl/en/content/az/canvas/canvas.html). Hopefully this will help you further!





Who to Contact at UvA

The Ombuds student

The Ombudsstudent is an independent contact person, this year that is Elin Swaan. If you ever find yourself in a situation in which you feel that you are being treated unfairly, or if you disagree with something and you don’t know how to solve it, she is your contact person!

Contact: 

Email: psyombudsstudent-fmg@uva.nl

The study advisors

The study advisor’s primary job is to help you go through your studies without hiccups. For study advice, guidance and planning you can contact one of the study advisers. So, all study related questions are for them! You could come to them for information about a specific course, or any personal issues you might experience, that influence your studying.

Because of the corona restriction, the study advisers work mostly form home, and it’s only possible to visit (Nieuwe Achtergracht, 129-B, rooms G0.23 and G0.24) by appointment.

You can send the study advisors an email and ask for a telephone or zoom appointment if you like. You could also call them during the telephone consultation hours for short questions.

The study advisors are:

  • Rebeka Rotter
  • Rosemarijn Franses
  • Irene Luth
  • Sarah Plunkett

Contact:

Email: Studyadviser-psy-fmg@uva.nl

Open office hours
Monday to Friday 13.00-15.00, REC G0.23 and 0.24.

Make appointment online
Students can make a personal appointment online. An appointment is set for twenty minutes.

Telephone consultation hours

Tuesday              10.00-11.00 T: +31(0)20 525 5855
Wednesday        10:00-11:00 T: +31(0)6 3927 0562
Friday                  10.00-11.00 T: +31(0)6 1893 8247

The VSPA

The VSPA is always there for you, for whatever questions or issues you might have. Both personal and study related questions are always welcome! We will try to help you or send you to the best person to contact.

This year we have two appointed trust persons, Heleen and Irmak. They are the specific people in the VSPA to contact when you have personal troubles and you don’t know who to contact. Heleen or Irmak will then help you out, either directly or with finding the right person.

Contact:

You can contact us via Instagram by sending us a private message, or you can send an email to info@vspa.nl.  You can of course also always stop by at the VSPA room (GS.25)

Trust persons: heleen@vspa.nl and Irmak@vspa.nl

Teacher

You can always contact your teachers, the people giving the lectures, for questions that are related to the study material.

Contact:

Their contact information is course (and teacher) specific, but you can always find them on canvas or by googling: ‘their name, UvA’.

Tutorial teacher 

Your tutorial teacher is there to help you with your study material and studying in general, but they’re also your mentor! You can always contact them with your personal and study-related troubles, don’t be afraid to ask them for help.

Contact: 

Every semester you get a new tutorial teacher, you can always email them via canvas and they usually also share their other contact information in one of the first tutorials.

The education desk

If you have other questions about your application, admission or selection, you can contact our education desk. You may experience difficulties reaching the Education Desk via telephone. If you send them an email, they will reply to you shortly.

You can contact the education desk for:

  • Your (certified) grade list, which includes your GPA
  • Requests about general study information
  • To pick up your propaedeutic and bachelor’s degree (after notification)
  • Information about test viewings and reassessment requests (1st and 2nd year bachelor)
  • Contract education
  • Colloquium doctum (21+ tests)

Contact: 

Educationdesk-psy@uva.nl

Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, room G0.22

1018 WS Amsterdam

Telephone: +31(0)20 525 6770 (between 10:00 – 14:00)





Course Registration

Course registration for second and third-year students 

Course registration is easier than you think, but because the first time can definitely be a bit stressful, we’ll give you a step-by-step plan to complete.

The study advisors always sent you an email containing a very useful document, which explains everything very clearly. So be sure to check out that document in case you haven’t.

General information 

As you may already have gathered, the upcoming course registration period for the bachelor of Psychology will take place via a new pilot system called GLASS. From Thursday 25 November 10:00 up to and including Tuesday 30 November 23:59 you can register for the courses you want to take in the next semester.

With GLASS, the idea of ‘first come, first served’ no longer applies: it does not matter when exactly you register, as long as it is within the given course registration period. In addition, you do not choose groups, but only indicate which courses you want to take and what your time preferences are. After registration closes, we will place you in courses and groups, taking into account as much as possible your schedule and time preferences. On 3 December you will hear to which groups you have been assigned and you can access your schedule.

PLEASE NOTE: Because the results of SSR and first-year resits will not (all) be known on 3 December, there will no check on entry requirements after this course registration round. The check will follow at the end of December and January. This means that registration can still be reversed on the basis of this check.

Step-by-step plan

Registering for courses works as follows:

  1. Go to the Course Catalogue, find the course for which you want to register and select ‘Add to course registration’
  2. You will be redirected to GLASS. Please log in there.
  3. You will see a pop-up indicating whether the course is open for registration. If it is, add thecourse to the course registration.
  4. The course will appear in the ‘Registration’ column.
  5. Repeat these steps for all courses. Your registration for these courses will be processed on 3December.
  6. You will receive an email when your registration has been processed. Please log into GLASSto find out in which tutorial you have been placed.

Time preferences

You will be able to use the clock icon in the registration column to designate up to 2 half days when you would prefer not to take any classes. Where possible, this will be taken into account when assigning students to courses and tutorials.

Unsubscribing from courses

To deregister from courses in GLASS, simply click on the course you have registered for and click the deregister button in the window that opens.

Questions

Do you have questions about GLASS and the technical side of course registration? Then please fill in this form. Do you have questions about your study programme or planning? Please contact the Education Desk or the study advisers.





Where can I study?

Volkshotel  

  • This is probably the most well-known study spot for students in Amsterdam. The hotel has a ‘werkplaats’ (workplace) area, with indoor and outdoor workspace, and even work-cabins available. You can book meeting rooms for work or group projects. Usually the ‘werkplaats’ is open until 1AM (2AM on Sundays), but with COVID-19 these opening hours can vary, so make sure to check before you go. https://www.volkshotel.nl/en/werkplaats/

UvA

UB singel

UvA Campus

  • Of course, every UvA campus has a lot of libraries as well. You can always visit these libraries, but in times of COVID-19, make a reservation first!

Cafes

  • Cafes are a great place to work if you don’t like to study in silence, some examples are Coffee Company, Bagels and Beans, CREA, House of Watt, and many more!

OBA

  • OBA stands for Public Library Amsterdam, the main library is located near the Central Station and has seven floors, but there are a lot of different OBA locations all over Amsterdam, so there is always one close to you! https://www.oba.nl/oba/amsterdam-public-library.html

Stedelijk Museum Library

  • The Stedelijk Museum Library is accessible for free and without a ticket to enter the museum.

The Student Hotel, West & East Amsterdam

  • The Student Hotel provides the perfect place to work, there are a lot of students and it acts as a networking hub as well. There is a lot of space and the chairs are comfortable. There are two locations on opposite sides of the city. https://www.thestudenthotel.com/amsterdam-city/



Teaching Assistance Programmes

Would you like to work with first-year students at economics and business? Would you like to help them in improving and optimising their study, Excel and presentation skills? And would you like to work on your own facilitation and presentation skills?

Then the following vacancy might be just for you.

We are looking for new tutors for the upcoming academic year (you can apply if you are a 2nd year, 3rd year or Master student in the upcoming year, you need at least 60 ECTS by 1 September).

Skills & Connect is a course spread over periods 1,2 and 4 and you will guide first-year students through study methods, Excel skills and presentation skills and you’ll act as their mentor in the first semester. Check the application here.

If you have any questions, send an email to p.r.stastra@uva.nl.





Education Programme

During the year you follow several courses. For each course, an exam takes place at the end of each month. This ensures that the first two weeks of the month are fairly quiet, then the third week is hard work required, and the fourth week you will be locked in the library to learn.

European Credits 

For each completed course a student will receive credits, called ECTS, but they’re better known as EC’s (European Credits). It is an international European credit system and it emphasizes the study load of a course. An easily achievable course with a very short longitude will probably earn you 3 points, while a difficult course that takes 4 months will earn you 12 points for example. Students need to earn 60 points per year to receive their Bachelor’s degree in three years. All together, the courses in the first year are worth 60 points. Of course, it can happen that you don’t pass a course, in that case, you can retake the exam at the end of the year. If students fail the exam again, they will not receive any credits.

Binding Study Advice 

Students are issued with a Binding Study Advice (BSA). This means that students must obtain sufficient study credits in the first year of their Bachelor’s programme to be permitted to continue studying in their second year. This BSA is 48 points for Psychology at the UvA. So this means that if you have not obtained a 12-point course or two 6-point courses, you can still move on to the second year! However, in your second year you will have to make up for the shortfall. If you haven’t obtained the 48 points,  you sadly have to stop studying Psychology at the UvA, except if you have specific personal reasons that have prevented you from working optimally on the course.

Year 1, semester 1 (September until January)

– In the first four months you follow the course Introduction to Psychology & Cognitive Psychology. Cognitive Psychology deals with mental activities and the acquisition of knowledge for observations and information processing. Research Methods & Statistics will be followed during the same period. It covers what science is, what scientific research is, how you do your research and finally you will be introduced to statistics.

– In the last four weeks of the semester (January), the course Developmental Psychology discusses the development of humans from birth to death.

– Throughout the first semester you will also learn how to write a scientific piece. This will also take place during the second semester.

– The Christmas holidays are the first break during the year. It takes place from December to January, specific dates depend on the year.

Year 1, semester 2 (February until June)

– In the second semester everyone will start with Social and Work & Organisational Psychology for 8 weeks. During Social Psychology you will learn mainly about group processes and in W&O you will learn about the psychology behind the employee in a company.

– You will then have Clinical Psychology & Brain and Cognition for 8 weeks. Clinical Psychology treats mental disorders and in B&C you learn about the substances and parts in the brain.

– The May Vacation is the second break in the year, it lasts a week and usually takes place around the beginning of May.

– As the last course of the year you will have Professional Orientation. This course helps you choose a specialization for the second year.

For more information, check out the link of the UvA-website for the Psychology Bachelor.





Your Schedule

The UvA Schedule is the website where you can find your courses, the lecture and tutorial times, the locations of the lecture or tutorial and your lecturer/teacher. For your information, the website is called www.rooster.uva.nl. Rooster is the Dutch word for schedule. The UvA schedule is quite a difficult one to find out, so do not hesitate to ask other people if you do not get how it works. I hope we can give you enough information about how it works to make sure you know where to be when. I will explain it step-by-step, so hopefully, you have your schedule in your timetable after these steps.

Step 1: go to www.rooster.uva.nl and log in with your UvAnetID (your student number and password) in the top right corner.

Step 2: To see your schedule, you have to add your schedule to the timetable. You can do so by clicking on “Add timetable”.

Step 3: To see a shared programme, click on “Programme of study”. For first year students your whole first year is a shared programme. For second years, most of your year is a shared programme.

Step 4: search for “Psychology” in the search bar

Step 5: click on “Bachelor’s in Psychology year ….” and then your year and click on “Add timetable in the bottom right corner”

→ now you will see a lot of classes in your schedule. These are all of the classes there are, so now you have to specify your own tutorial groups. I will explain this for the first-year classes.

Step 6: On the right of the screen, you find a list of all timetables comprising your personal timetable. Hover your mouse over the Tutorials Academic Skills/Reading and Writing of Scientific Texts – 7201620PXY_Sem1_Blok_1en2en3  timetable and click the button. Because it says Sem1_Blok_1en2en3 you know it is for semester 1, blocks 1, 2 and 3. Now click on “Filter Activities”.

Step 7: click on the tutorial group that is assigned to you and you will see your schedule!

For more information about the timetable, go to https://rooster.uva.nl/help.





Roeterseiland Campus

The UvA has different buildings and campuses located in different parts of Amsterdam. The psychology department is located on Roeterseilandcampus, Roetersstraat 11. This is the center of Amsterdam, and the place you will have most of your lectures and tutorials. However, your exams mostly take place at another location, mostly at IWO, Meibergdreef 29, Amsterdam.

The different buildings at Roeterseiland Campus:

  • A, B, C: you will have most lectures in these buildings. These are the bordeaux red, light orange, and lila buildings on the map. Big chance that your tutorial groups will take place here as well.
  • D or “De Brug” (the Bridge): De Brug is a canteen on a bridge over the canal on the 4th floor and has an amazing view over the campus. It is the green building on the map. So, for a nice view during your lunch, you should definitely go there.
  • E: Faculty of Economics & Business
  • G: the Psychology Department. The VSPA room is also situated in this building. This is the place to get your summaries, ask your questions about extracurricular activities and meet fellow psychology students. This is the orange building on the map.
  • H: In building H, the red building in the top left corner, is the general canteen. Here you can buy sandwiches, soup, and a changing assortment of warm meals, such as Vietnamese, Indian or Mexican food. Building H also has workspaces, a library, and computers to work on.
  • JK: there is a chance that your tutorials will take place in the purple JK building.

For a nice study break, a good lunch, some coffee, or a beer, CREA is the place to be. CREA is a cafe and a cultural student center, where you can do a lot. You can follow courses in music, dance, film & photography, theatre, creative skills, fine arts and much more with a discount for UvA students. For more information about CREA go to their website, or head over to ‘Enjoy Your Stay’.

For other food around campus, you should go to “De Brug” or the canteen in the H building. Luckily, the buildings are very well marked on campus with their letters. And you can always ask someone at the service desk of a building. Furthermore, the campus has practical facilities as well. There are computers in the library, you can print on campus, and you can book your own rooms via https://uva.mapiq.net/.

Around campus, there are loads of facilities. There’s a supermarket, Albert Heijn, around the corner. There are tram and metro stops close by, which makes the campus easy to reach. Moreover, there are bars, cafes, and restaurants in the streets around campus as well.

For the campus tour you can watch the following video:





Who to Contact at UvA

The Ombuds student

The Ombudsstudent is an independent contact person, this year that is Elin Swaan. If you ever find yourself in a situation in which you feel that you are being treated unfairly, or if you disagree with something and you don’t know how to solve it, she is your contact person!

Contact: 

Email: psyombudsstudent-fmg@uva.nl

The study advisors

  • Mascha Kraak
  • Irene Luth
  • Rebeka Rotter
  • Sarah Plunkett

Email

Email: studyadviser-psy-fmg@uva.nl

External link

Please be so kind as to include your full name and student ID number in your email.

Open office hours

Monday to Friday 13.00-15.00, REC G0.23 and 0.24.

Make appointment online

Students can make a personal appointment online

External link. An appointment is set for twenty minutes

Telephone consultation hours

Tuesday              10.00-11.00 T: +31(0)20 525 5855
Wednesday        10:00-11:00 T: +31(0)6 3927 0562
Friday                  10.00-11.00 T: +31(0)6 1893 8247

The VSPA

The VSPA is always there for you, for whatever questions or issues you might have. Both personal and study related questions are always welcome! We will try to help you or send you to the best person to contact.

This year we have two appointed trust persons, Heleen and Irmak. They are the specific people in the VSPA to contact when you have personal troubles and you don’t know who to contact. Heleen or Irmak will then help you out, either directly or with finding the right person.

Contact:

You can contact us via Instagram and Facebook  by sending us a private message, or you can send an email to info@vspa.nl or  you can of course also always stop by at the VSPA room (GS.25)

Trust persons: Heleen@vspa.nl and Irmak@vspa.nl

Teacher

You can always contact your teachers, the people giving the lectures, for questions that are related to the study material.

Contact:

Their contact information is course (and teacher) specific, but you can always find them on canvas or by googling: ‘their name, UvA’.

Tutorial teacher 

Your tutorial teacher is there to help you with your study material and studying in general, but they’re also your mentor! You can always contact them with your personal and study-related troubles, don’t be afraid to ask them for help.

Contact: 

Every semester you get a new tutorial teacher, you can always email them via canvas and they usually also share their other contact information in one of the first tutorials.

The education desk

If you have other questions about your application, admission or selection, you can contact our education desk. You may experience difficulties reaching the Education Desk via telephone. If you send them an email, they will reply to you shortly.

You can contact the education desk for:

  • Your (certified) grade list, which includes your GPA
  • Requests about general study information
  • To pick up your propaedeutic and bachelor’s degree (after notification)
  • Information about test viewings and reassessment requests (1st and 2nd year bachelor)
  • Contract education
  • Colloquium doctum (21+ tests)

Contact: 

Educationdesk-psy@uva.nl

Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, room G0.22

1018 WS Amsterdam

Telephone: +31(0)20 525 6770 (between 10:00 – 14:00)