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