University of Amsterdam - UvA
speciality: Politics

I just wrapped up my first year at the University of Amsterdam, and honestly, it was a blast! When the year kicked off, the campus was buzzing with activities, and they really put on some great events to help you meet new people and make friends. Once winter rolls around, you’ll definitely want a thick jacket and some sturdy boots, but the weather is totally manageable.
The food in the dining hall can be a bit hit-or-miss, but usually, there’s at least one good option to pick from each day. As for classes, some have fantastic teachers, while others… well, not so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed studying at UvA, even though my first year was entirely online due to Covid and connecting with other students proved more difficult than initially thought. I had interesting classes, some great, others not so great and professors have as a whole been very approachable and willing to answer questions. Another advantage is that the university environment is very international, which was great.

The university provides high-quality study programs and covers various fields. I graduated with a Political Science BSc and was highly content with my decision to choose the University of Amsterdam.
Even though the courses were challenging and required a lot of individual commitment and effort in order to pass the assignments/exams, the professors were really helpful and most of the time highly dedicated to their job. It is definitely a high-level university for a relatively low price!
However, the university is quite disorganized and should definitely improve its communication strategy, as the teaching staff and administration were often late and unresponsive.

Although the campus is tiny, it is well-equipped, with large practical labs, a sports/game room, and a library. The library has a wide selection of books, so if you want to read, you’ll have fun there.
The course content is highly advanced, and students who are interested in learning a lot will enjoy themselves here. You will also become fond of the facilities, which include a library, labs that are well-equipped, a game area, etc. Teachers try to mentor and assist students with challenging ideas because they have a lot of expertise in their field. Although I would prefer that all colleges offer modern courses that are effectively used in industry, such as Maven and Spring Boot, The term tests are extensive.

I am lucky enough to study the MA in European Studies (Identity and Integration track) at the University of Amsterdam. I especially like and appreciate the flexibility of this master’s program, as I am able to combine the study of different historical periods, as opposed to simply focusing my studies on one particular period. Although I am obviously focusing on European topics, there is also the possibility to add some American-based topics as well, such as contemporary American history. I overall thoroughly enjoy this program and am especially grateful to the course coordinator, who has very kindly helped me a number of times throughout the past academic year.

UvA has high standards for their standards and expects high motivation from students to study by themselves. Although this can be difficult for students in the first year, it is easy to stay on top of your classes by developing the right schedule for you.

The teachers are usually very knowledgeable and helpful if you go to them for help, especially in smaller tutorials.

the school and program are amazing, with great professors but the administration is a bit all over the place and makes things a bit more difficult for students. Wish there was a bit more support from the administration.

The programme is engaging, especially because of small classrooms (15-30 students) and plenty of group work. Lectures are moderately interactive and focus especially on the newest developments and trends in the field. The content of most materials and lectures is rather theoretical, sometimes I feel that we miss the connection to real-life cases. The lecturers try to compensate for this with more practically oriented assignments which increase your engagement with the learning material.
The workload is very manageable and a vibrant campus contributes to a pleasant student life experience.
Note: small classrooms apply to the Public Policy and Governance track, others (especially International Relations) may have larger student populations.

The course offers a fascinating interdisciplinary approach in both politics and law of the European Union. We learn both about the institutions and policies of the EU as well as the politics that go into forming them. While offered significant guidance and help, what particular area we would like to focus on in the EU in our projects is largely open-ended. This really helps us pursing what aspects of the EU we are really interested in and passionate about. We are encouraged and to think critically about many of the taught concepts and not simply learn things by rote.

The course is complemented heavily by great online resources. All the resources and learning materials are offered on canvas and through the library.

Moreover, the course is taught right in the heart of beautiful Amsterdam! But beware that the university offers quite limited accommodation and Amsterdam is going through a tough housing crisis. As a result, I and many others found it very difficult to find housing.

Starting with the positive:
Great facilities, there’s plenty of places to eat, socialise and places to study. Everything at least in the R campus, is modern and light, which helps with work.
This isn’t directly related to the school, but living in Amsterdam is an opportunity to grow and become independent.
The negatives:
Unfortunately, I have many negative things to say about UvA. The education is mediocre. I was so excited to go to this university, but I found out rather quickly that classes were rarely motivating and engaging. Passing grades are 5.5, which sounds easy to achieve, but it’s not. The workload is high, with NO FEEDBACK, or help. The mark-schemes don’t make sense, so theres no way to improve, it doesn’t matter how many people you ask for assistance. Really this university is selling international education when it’s not. On top of that, the bachelor’s selection is extremely limited, so in order to change degree, I will now also have to change university. In light of the former, perhaps it is a good thing.