Meet and socialise with your peers
As an international (exchange) student studying in the capital city of the Netherlands, you probably like to also meet Dutch students and integrate in the Dutch student life. This is very much possible as we have our own study association, called Sefa. They serve students of all courses and study years at economics & Business and organise a large number of activities, like drinks and parties.
You can actively join Sefa by becoming a member, there are different memberships, read more about them on the website.
Meet your fellow international students
As international (exchange) student you might be interested getting in contact with your fellow international students from other faculties or with students from your country. The International Student Network (ISN) gives you this opportunity by organizing a wide range of activities during the academic year, like movie nights, excursions, parties and weekly drinks. A calendar of upcoming activities can be found on the website and more information about activities is also given in a weekly newsletter.
Sports
The University Sports Center (USC) allows all students from the UvA to practice their favorite sport at reduced prices. By doing a sport you will meet your fellow Dutch students and become more integrated in the Dutch student life. The USC offers a wide range of sports from Fitness to Martial Arts, team sports and dance classes. In total over 70 sports are being presented. So take your chance and choose!
Creative workshops
If you wish to develop your creative talents than the University of Amsterdam will be the right choice for you. A large number of classes and workshops in the field of music, dance, photography and new media are offered by the Cultural Center of the University, called CREA.
The following workshops, amongst others, are provided for international students:
- Animation
- Percussion
- Film making
- Creative writing
For more detailed information on these courses and more information on possibilities to attend other courses refer to the following website.
Exploring and going out in Amsterdam
In addition to the time spent at Economics & Business, your spare time can be dedicated to discover the lively and beautiful city of Amsterdam! Theatre, music, movies, exhibitions, everyone will find something of his/her own taste. The following websites offer useful information on a wide range of topics such as city life, hotels, museums, exhibitions, getting around, dining and much more.
Festivals in and outside Amsterdam
Many music and cultural festivals are organised during Spring and Summer in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands. Some of them have free entrance.
Getting around
By bike
The easiest and funniest way to move from one place to another is by bike. Renting a bike is one possibility, but it is even better having your own bike.
Since, unfortunately, bike theft is quite common in Amsterdam, you should not invest too much in buying a new bicycle. It's more important to invest in a proper good lock (or better two). You can buy a good second hand bike and locks at most bike shops in town. We advise you to visit the website of ‘Recycled bicycles'. Here you can find cheap bikes. At the end of your stay in Amsterdam you can return the bike and you will get back half of the price.
By public transport
The best and quickest inner-city form of public transport is the tram, but Amsterdam also has an extensive bus network and a small but efficient underground system, the metro. On all these forms of public transport, you need to pay with an electronic pass called the OV-chipkaart. If you want to know what means of transportation to take in order to reach your destination, you can consult the door-to-door Journey planner.
By train
The Netherlands have a very extensive and well-organised rail network, called de Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS). You can travel across the entire country by train, also with an OV-chipkaart.