I have followed an Architecture minor if that has any help

Hi everyone!
Quick question regarding admission requirements for the Media and Culture program at the University of Amsterdam: The minimum required score for PTE is 65. If one of my sub-scores is 64, do they strictly enforce the cut-off, or is there any flexibility? Would appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experience!

So I’ve been in the Netherlands for about a month now and my study has officially started last week and I’m having a good time as an International student who was scared of moving to a new country new culture in the opposite side of the world. I’m very introverted and I was a bit scared that my social life will be doomed as I read Dutch people tend to stay in their close group of circle. But I was pleasantly surprised, there were so many people Dutch/international who would come up and chat. The orientation week was a big help tbh. We were a bunch of internationals and dutch people. the first day was a bit awkward but next day onwards the ice started melting and at the end of the orientation week I got pretty sad that I’m not gonna spend my entire day with these people anymore haha.

I’m not very good at biking but strangers on road would very kindly tell me with a smile if im making a mistake. I randomly said Hello to an old lady when I made eye-contact with her and we proceeded to talk for like 10 mins over what I’m studying what she used to study, even about her husband!

I’ve still not made a solid friendship but these little instances have made my day a lot brighter and I look forward to getting up from my bed and going out to explore the city everyday.

Hi everyone,
I’m an international high-school student planning to apply to a university in the Netherlands. I may need to fulfil deficiencies in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, and the university allows exams such as OMPT-D, CCVX and Boswell-Bèta to fulfil these requirements.
I’m trying to figure out which exams would be the most realistic option for me, especially because I’m planning to self-study rather than take a preparation course.
For anyone who has taken one or more of these exams, I would really appreciate your experience.
Mathematics
For Mathematics, I understand that I may have the option of:
OMPT-D
CCVX Mathematics B
Boswell-Bèta Mathematics B
Which one did you find the easiest to pass?
How would you compare the difficulty and question style of these three? Is OMPT-D actually easier than CCVX/Boswell, or is it just more convenient because it is online?
If you have taken both CCVX and Boswell-Bèta Mathematics B, which one did you find easier and why?
Chemistry
For Chemistry, I believe my options are:
CCVX Chemistry
Boswell-Bèta Chemistry
Which one would you recommend for someone who is self-studying?
Is one noticeably easier than the other? Is the syllabus significantly different?
Physics
For Physics:
CCVX Physics
Boswell-Bèta Physics
Which one is easier in your experience?
I’ve seen people say that Boswell-Bèta Physics can be quite difficult, while others say that CCVX is harder. I’d really like to hear from people who have actually taken both.
Preparation
For all of these exams:
How many weeks/months did you study?
Approximately how many hours per day/week?
What was your mathematics/physics/chemistry background before starting?
Did you self-study or take a course?
Is taking the official preparation course actually necessary, or can you realistically prepare using books, YouTube and past papers?
How difficult are the actual exams compared with the official mock exams/practice questions?
Where can I find free past papers, sample questions or mock exams?
Are there any specific books, websites, YouTube channels or other resources you strongly recommend?
Passing score
My university requires approximately 55% for OMPT-D (or the equivalent passing grade for the other exams). I’m not aiming for a very high score — I just need to reliably reach the required passing level.
For someone with an average/good high-school background but who hasn’t specifically studied the Dutch VWO curriculum, is 55–60% realistically achievable with a few months of focused self-study?
And if you’ve taken these exams, how much preparation would you personally recommend to have a comfortable chance of passing rather than just barely passing?
I’d especially appreciate answers from people who have taken more than one of these exams, since I’m trying to decide which exam board to choose.

Moet ik nu al stoppen met Data Science of gewoon doorzetten?

Hoi iedereen,
Ik zit een beetje te twijfelen over mijn studie. Ik ben altijd best ambitieus en een harde werker geweest en heb na HAVO nog VWO gedaan omdat ik mezelf wilde bewijzen dat ik meer kon. Achteraf denk ik dat ik vaker dingen moeilijk maak voor mezelf puur om te bewijzen dat ik het kan.
Ik heb jarenlang gezegd dat ik Computer Science wilde doen. Ergens wist ik ook wel dat ik het waarschijnlijk niet echt leuk zou vinden, maar ik wilde iets technisch doen omdat het me een soort gevoel gaf van: kijk mij, ik doe iets moeilijks en ik ben slim.

Na een best heftig jaar en een soort identiteitscrisis heb ik uiteindelijk Data Science gekozen. Nu is het letterlijk de eerste week en ik denk eigenlijk: ik vind dit helemaal niet leuk.
Niet alleen de stof, maar ook de sfeer, de campus en de manier waarop de opleiding is ingericht. Ik had juist voor Data Science gekozen omdat het een joint degree met Tilburg is en ik dacht dat er meer ruimte zou zijn voor dingen als sociology, law en ethics. Nu blijkt dat je maar een klein deel zelf kunt kiezen en het grootste gedeelte behoorlijk technisch/CS-achtig is.
En dat is gewoon niet echt wat ik wil.

Als iemand mij nu vraagt wat ik later wil doen, zou ik waarschijnlijk eerder sociology, law, humanities, politics of iets met arts zeggen. Dan vraag ik me dus af: waarom zou ik wachten tot een master om iets te doen wat ik nu al interessant vind?
Tegelijkertijd is het pas week één

Ik heb vandaag mijn eerste calculus toets gehad en heb op een gegeven moment gewoon gegokt. Ik denk eerlijk gezegd wel dat ik de studie zou kunnen halen als ik er 100% voor ga. Ik ben namelijk echt een harde werker. Het probleem is alleen dat ik mezelf afvraag: waarom wil ik dit eigenlijk halen?

Ik ben nu bijna 12 uur per dag met school bezig, kom laat thuis, moet vroeg opstaan en slaap soms te weinig. En ondertussen vind ik het niet eens leuk. Ik wil niet drie jaar lang tegen mezelf zeggen: “ja maar later wordt het leuk.”
Ik denk ook dat een groot deel van mijn motivatie om dit te doen komt vanuit het willen bewijzen dat ik slim genoeg ben. Vooral als Black girl heb ik soms heel sterk dat gevoel van: ik wil laten zien dat ik mezelf tot iets moeilijks kan zetten.
Maar stel dat ik drie jaar Data Science doe. Dan heb ik bewezen dat ik het kan. Aan wie? En dan?
Ik heb inmiddels ook al een paar mensen leren kennen, dus het is niet alsof ik compleet alleen ben. Maar ik heb niet het gevoel dat ik hier echt op mijn plek ben.

Het moeilijke is vooral wanneer ik zou moeten stoppen. Als ik nu stop, voelt het alsof ik opgeef. Als ik een heel jaar doorga en daarna stop, heb ik tenminste “doorgezet”. Maar dan heb ik misschien een jaar besteed aan iets waarvan ik nu al weet dat ik het waarschijnlijk niet wil.

Daarnaast hebben mijn ouders het collegegeld al betaald en heb ik een TU/e-laptop van ongeveer €2500 gekocht. Alles is dus al geregeld, waardoor stoppen voelt als geld weggooien. Maar blijven puur omdat er al geld in zit, betekent natuurlijk dat ik mogelijk nog meer tijd en geld besteed aan iets wat ik niet wil.
Ik heb trouwens vóór mijn keuze al meerdere gesprekken gehad met docenten, studieadviseurs, studenten en een study choice check gedaan. Dus ik ben hier niet helemaal blind ingestapt. Achteraf waren er eigenlijk al signalen dat de opleiding misschien niet bij me paste, zoals dat ik de campus en sfeer toen al niet echt leuk vond.

Maar again: het is week één. Misschien ben ik gewoon overwhelmed en wordt het beter. Misschien moet ik een paar maanden wachten en kijken hoe ik me voel.

Aan de andere kant merk ik dat ik ergens diep vanbinnen bijna hoop dat ik mijn BSA niet haal, zodat de universiteit de beslissing voor mij maakt. Terwijl ik waarschijnlijk best in staat ben om het wel te halen als ik alles geef.
Dus wat zouden jullie doen?
Nu al serieus andere opleidingen bekijken en eventueel stoppen, of minimaal een paar maanden doorzetten en kijken of mijn gevoel verandert?

En als ik uiteindelijk stop: kan je je in principe gewoon uitschrijven en stoppen met komen, of moet je eerst allerlei gesprekken/trajecten doorlopen?

Ik ben vooral benieuwd naar mensen die zelf ooit in zo’n situatie hebben gezeten.
Misschien hoef ik niet te bewijzen dat ik dit kan. Misschien moet ik gewoon uitzoeken wat ik daadwerkelijk wil.

Hi guys, i just start master in SCM from VU and i live in Rotterdam. I would like to find a friend to study and discuss together about the subject at school. For me i already live here around 5 years so if you need any advice to survive in NL i can share with you besides study.

Im planning to apply for Product Design (bachlors) there, I would like to know about how is the teaching in the uni, is it good or bad?, is it a good uni for a non - eu citizen and many more questions.. please dm me or text in the comment box, I would approach you privately..

I'm really disappointed with the UvA AI Master's so far. The head of the programme said that they accepted only around 20% of applicants, however, it seems that quite a few of my classmates lack some fairly basic maths skills.

As a result, lectures and seminars can become frustratingly slow because a lot of time is spent on questions like "What does unbiased estimator mean?" or "Why is (x+y)^\top = x^\top + y^\top?" These seem like concepts you would expect students entering a selective AI Master's programme to already be comfortable with.

The workload also seems surprisingly light. If you graduated from at least somewhat rigorous Bachelor's programme and already have a decent ML background, it feels like you could do nothing during the first semester and simply brush up on the material for a few hours before each exam.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed with what I thought was one of the stronger AI programmes in Europe. It also makes me wonder where the strongest European students actually end up. Surely they can't all be at ETH Zurich, and going to the UK is quite expensive.

For those who have attended selective or supposedly "elite" Master's programmes in Europe: what has your experience been like? Did the academic level and the strength of the cohort match your expectations?

edit: would be very interested to hear from people from ETH, EPFL, TUM, and top UK unis

Hi everyone, I’m planning to apply for the Hotel Management program at NHL Stenden.

I have an IELTS score of 6.5 and a high school GPA of 8.2/10. From what I’ve researched, besides academic requirements like IELTS and high school grades, the application also requires a CV, a motivation letter, and 2 interviews.

Is getting accepted particularly difficult? I'm honestly quite stressed about the interview and the whole screening process. Even though I’ve looked thoroughly into the curriculum and the school, I’m still worried about the possibility of getting rejected.

Any insights or interview tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hallo allemaal,

Ik ben 19 jaar en zit in het tweede jaar van mijn HBO-opleiding Finance & Control. Mijn propedeuse heb ik in het eerste jaar gehaald en inhoudelijk gaat de stof me goed af, maar ik voel me totaal niet op mijn plek in deze studie en zie mezelf later totaal niet een financiele functie vervullen.

Al van jongs af aan heb ik de ambitie om piloot te worden. Ik heb mezelf voorgenomen om eerst een diploma te halen voordat ik aan een selectietraject begin, zodat ik in ieder geval een back-up heb in het geval dat ik de selectie niet haal, of later medisch afgekeurd word. Het probleem is dat ik geen idee heb hoe ik de resterende (bijna) drie jaar van deze opleiding vol zal houden als ik er nu al met zoveel tegenzin heen ga.

Afgelopen winter ben ik naar een open dag geweest van de opleiding Aviation aan de Hogeschool van Amsterdam. De opleiding sprak me enorm aan op basis van wat ik die dag heb meegekregen, precies vanwege mijn interesse in de luchtvaart.

Nu twijfel ik tussen twee opties:

1. Doorbijten en Finance & Control afmaken, ook al doe ik dat met tegenzin, zodat ik in elk geval een (relatief sterk) diploma op zak heb als vangnet.
2. Stoppen met deze studie en me volgend jaar inschrijven voor Aviation.

Optie 2 voelt op dit moment als een slechte keuze, omdat ik dan een volledig jaar aan tijd, collegegeld en DUO-lening kwijt ben, en ik dit komende jaar bovendien een tussenjaar zou hebben. Ik bekostig mijn studie overigens volledig zelf, door er relatief veel naast te werken, dus die investering weegt extra zwaar.

Ik vind dit een lastige beslissing en zou graag wat perspectieven en meningen van jullie horen hoe zouden jullie hierover nadenken? Alvast bedankt!

Hi! In one of my classes, I have been assigned a mandatory textbook, but it costs almost 100 euros to purchase online. Ideally, I don't want to buy the book because my course is only 7 weeks. I was wondering if there are any other places or recommendations to look for my textbook. I'm not too sure what the system is here and I recently just started studying here.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student and I’ve been in the Netherlands for about 2 weeks. I currently have an EHIC but no Dutch health insurance yet. I do plan on getting a part-time job, at which point I understand I’ll need Dutch insurance.

I’ve had recurring tonsillitis/tonsil problems for quite a while, and they’ve recently flared up since I arrived in the Netherlands. I now seriously want to get my tonsils removed.

What would be the best course of action in my situation?
- Can I go to a huisarts and get referred to an ENT using my EHIC?
- Would the surgery be covered, and if not, roughly how much would it cost?
- Could I get the surgery as soon as I got health insurance?

Also, what kind of timeline should I expect from seeing the huisarts to actually getting the surgery?

Any advice from people who have dealt with something similar would be really appreciated!

Hoi allemaal! Ik ben van plan om Geneeskunde (GNK) aan de UvA te gaan studeren, maar ik maak me eerlijk gezegd een beetje zorgen over de wachttijd tussen de bachelor en de master.
Ik lees dat er momenteel een behoorlijke wachttijd is vanwege het beperkte aantal klinische stageplaatsen. Zijn hier GNK-studenten aan de UvA die hun bachelor recent hebben afgerond of binnenkort afronden?
Hoe lang moesten jullie uiteindelijk wachten voordat jullie aan de master/klinische fase konden beginnen? En hoe lang was de wachttijd voor jullie vanaf het behalen van de bachelor?
Ik ben vooral benieuwd naar recente ervaringen (2025/2026), omdat ik verhalen hoor over wachttijden die mogelijk richting 2028/2029 gaan. Klopt dat een beetje, of valt het in de praktijk mee?
Alvast heel erg bedankt!

Good evening everyone, I am writing this in regards to my current situation of my final stages of my conditional requirements at Radboud University for bachelor in Economics and Business Economics. So, I have a background in the international Baccalaureate in which I did math ai which is the main focus of this discussion. I applied to the university and they informed me I had a math deficiency so I had to take a math course/exam to fufil it. And on the website one of the options was the OMPT-A which on the website stated i needed a 55% and up and so I chose that. I began studying for it and took like a week and took my first exam which I had a low score of 30% and then a 2nd attempt a week later with a score of 38%, and then I took my 3rd attempt a week ago and got 57% which was the required score. Now I send my certificate in today and expecting to finally be fully enrolled, I get an email stating that only 2 attempts was allowed so my attempt does not count and I should cancel my enrollment on studielink by next week. And for more information I have fulfilled every other requirement, and this week I already got temporary access to my radboud email and other things. Now my question is what should I do, and also I'm just upset because nowhere through communication with the university was I informed that there were only 2 attempts. I am confused and don't know what to do, I have lectures and workgroup I am already in, but now this... Anyone been in such a situation and what process should I go through to fix this or what even are my options. Thank you for reading.

Update: I got the exception of the 3rd attempt

**not a housing offer** Hi guys :)
Are there any girls who wanna look for housing together? I'm an international student from Canada and im going into my masters at Leiden (Den Haag) starting in Feb. I know theres a huge housing crisis so a good time to start looking would be asap! :') Dm me if interested!!

I’m a Dutch 4th year Commercial Economics student studying at HvA and for October I’m looking for a graduation internship.

The HvA graduation process has changed quite a bit, we work now in so called “study-hubs” in which you will specialize in a certain topic. I chose sustainable marketing.

The new way of graduating isn’t by writing a thesis anymore, now you work project based for the whole year divided in two big projects, each focused on something else. Together with my partner, we will work two days at the company’s office, and two days we will be on campus to learn and implement the information right away in the company’s casus.

My interests lay in consumer psychology and the use of new innovative tools (AI) to do research on how company X could influence/stimulate consumers to make the sustainable decisions. I mainly want to focus on the marketing/commercial aspects. We would love to follow the internship in Amsterdam but if there’s no other options then Utrecht is a possibility as well.

I have mailed many companies, sent many in-mails via LinkedIn, made multiple posts on LinkedIn, sent private messages to talent acquisition managers on LinkedIn, but nothing. I need to find a company before October and now I’m a bit lost.

What have past alumni done? And are there any tips/tricks y’all can give me on how to find a company (the right company)?

Hi! I’m starting my first year of International and European Law at the University of Groningen. Does anyone have digital/used copies of the required textbooks, or know where I can access them legally for free or at a student-friendly price?

Im 19 years old and planning to study at Netherlands
I am Turkish and Romanian living in Turkey rn
I want to study in the Netherlands by using my European Union citizenship. If anyone isnt aware Turkey is not improving in any sense and students especially are not valued. Living conditions are extremely difficult also there is massive social decay thanks to our government.
I have been to lots of different European countries but Netherlands captured my mind and heart. I have been to Amsterdam, Nijmegen in Netherlands. Tbh amsterdam didnt captivate me but I liked Nijmegen so much. I want to ask you guys about the best cities to study. I have the Nijmegen in my mind first place but I want to look for other options as well. Ive heard about Groningen and Maastricht. Can you inform me about these cities,what is your recommendation?

I want a place with a large student population, but at the same time one where I can easily access other major cities—though thats a bit more of a secondary priority for me. The most important thing for me is a vibrant social life, including both day and nightlife. Im socially confident and successful, but to avoid crashing down from culture shock, I would prefer an environment where its easy to socialize. Im looking for a place with everyday spots like cafes and pubs to hang out in. Somewhere tailored to students, not lifeless, but right in the sweet spot between too hectic and too gloomy—a place I wouldnt get tired of living in for years till my graduation

If someone wants to speak in private im always open to make new friends (honestly i need so bad rn from netherlands)

Hi! I’m studying at Fontys and have a question about preferred names.

I’d like to use a different name and she/her pronouns at school, but I can’t legally change my name/gender at the moment.

For anyone studying in the Netherlands: does your university/hogeschool let you register a preferred/chosen name and pronouns separately from your legal information?

If so, how does it work in practice? Are things like Canvas, email addresses, class lists and student cards able to use your preferred name?

I’d especially appreciate answers from people who have gone through the process themselves. Thanks!

Me and my two roommates stayed in a very overpriced apartment in the hague for less then a year.

We tried to get reduction for the rent through Huurteam but at the end failed as we were signed with “short rental contract” which did not protect is with any tenant laws…

We moved out a month ago as our contract ended, and in total we originally payed the deposit of 3000€ all together.

I believe we kept the apartment in a very-good condition and cleaned it before moving out. (They even charged us for cleaning fees every month and some people came to clean once a month and they did a very bad job… i feel like they just chatted with one another and left).

Anywho, we got an email back today saying that they are going to take 1200€ of the deposit for the following reasons (see attached photo below).

No futher explanations or photos… i have sent them an email asking for explanations but is this normal…? What can we do about it.

I sent a request to open an account at ING Bank app in the Netherlands as an international student. Although about eight business days have passed, there is still no progress in the app. The result says "process may take some days", but I'm still waiting. There is no email, no nothing. It's getting very frustrating now.

Should I send an account opening request to another bank? I can't reach customer service in any way. I found an email, and sent an email to it, but there was no response. If the customer service and bank account opening process take this long, I don't want to do business with this bank anyway. What are your suggestions?

I'm a non-Dutch EU student looking at Dutch unis for September 2027, looking to study Chem/ChemE. I plan to get my masters and go into forensics, though I'm still exploring other paths in chem. I know education in NL is quite standardized across universities, though I know Eindhoven and Twente are technical unis so they might cater more to this subject. I mainly have questions about the city, social life, resources, etc. I currently do IB and I have all the qualifying subjects to get into all of them.

Utwente is probably the one I'm leaning towards the most rn. I kinda like the concept of an all-contained campus and the huuuuuge variety of student associations they have. That's something I really like about US unis and I like how UTwente tries to replicate that. I think the more contained campus makes it easier to make friends as well. They also seem to have a much better study abroad program with more options than the other two, which is definitely something I wanna try. The main issue is how "far" it is from the rest of NL, and I just heard about how lame Enschede is. For current students, what is it actually like? Like I mentioned before, I'm interested to getting a masters, potentially phD, abroad, so building relationships with professors and gaining research experience is important for me. I was wondering how current students have found their professors and research opportunities. Help for internships as well. I've gone to intl american schools my whole life so I know doing internships during your studies is quite common there, but not so much here (I think they integrate it into the curriculum) but IDK if it's still common for students to pursue internships during their studies/during the summer. Does UTwente provide support for this? Is it easy to get internships in/near Enschede?

Groningen is incredible too. The location is obviously incredible since it's a student city. The university also seems to provide a lot of support for internships/CV review. I'm guessing it's not super hard to find internships either. Tons of student associations as well. Not as compact as a campus, but with the student city vibe, I don't mind. Negatives are that it's also "far" from the rest of the Netherlands, the winters seem quite brutal, and their study abroad program isn't as great as Utwente. It's also not a technical uni, so it leans more into the social sciences.

TU Eindhoven is technical as well, and the area seems to be the best to get experience and it's also more integrated into the rest of the Netherlands. The area seems good for a student as well, but it definitely gives more city vibes. Research opportunities seem strong as well. The study abroad program seems better than Groningen but not quite as good as Twente. I couldn't find a website that states the paartner unis so if anyone could link it I'll be very grateful!!!

Any current students can give more input on the university, city, campus, internships and research opportunities, student associations, social life, etc for each of the unis? Also how international are each of them for students/staff? I think Twente and Eindhoven are roughly equal and Groningen is a bit less diverse, but I'll be great to get input from current students. I grew up in an intl environment, so I think it'll be great to have that in college. TYIA for all the advice! It's still quite early in the process so I'm not considering housing availability yet but I def will soon, mostly looking for advice for the other factors I mentioned.

Hi guys,

I’m a high school student planning to apply for Computer Science / AI bachelor's programs in the Netherlands (targeting TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, UvA, and UTwente). I’m on track to graduate with a high GPA and AP credits for VWO equivalence.

I have a few practical questions regarding the student experience for Non-EU students:

1. English in daily life & academics: Since these CS programs are fully in English, how feasible is it to manage daily life, academics, and student tech communities relying only on English initially? Do you strongly recommend learning basic Dutch before arriving?
2. Working while studying (Non-EU): What is the realistic situation for Non-EU students finding part-time jobs or tech internships during their Bachelor’s? I know there is a 16-hour/week work limit and a work permit requirement—how difficult is it in practice to secure a job or a company willing to handle the permit?
3. Working after graduation (Orientation Year / Zoekjaar): How smooth is the transition into the Dutch tech job market after graduation using the "Search Year" visa? Is English sufficient to land an entry-level software/AI engineering role in hubs like Brainport Eindhoven or Amsterdam?
4. Housing: Any reality check or advice regarding the housing situation for incoming international freshmen at these specific universities?

​

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for the Dutch Orientation Year visa and wanted to ask about the current scope of finding a job in the Netherlands. My background:

Indian citizen

MSc Psychology (Conversion) from a UK top‑200 university

BA English Language & Literature (First Class)

2+ years’ experience in governance reporting, data analysis, and administrative support across local authority and non‑profit sectors in the UK

I’m mainly targeting roles in administration, governance, data analysis, and learning & development.

I’d love to hear from people who’ve gone through this visa route or are familiar with the Dutch job market:

Is it really worth applying for the Orientation Year visa?

What’s the current job market scope for someone with my profile?

What barriers should I anticipate (e.g., sponsorship challenges after the year, competition, recognition of UK degrees)?

How big of a challenge is not speaking Dutch in these fields?

Could you walk me through accommodation struggles (availability, cost, housing market)?

What other practical struggles should I expect when job hunting and settling in the Netherlands?

Any insights, personal experiences, or advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I really need to find pdf files of these books for my studies, I would really appreciate it if anyone has or knows where I can find them 🙏

(Also does open text book exam allow pdf version?)