Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - VU Amsterdam vs Tilburg University vs ONCAMPUS Global vs Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences vs Hanze University of Applied Sciences - UAS

As a computer science student at the Vrije Universitet in Amsterdam, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of education and the level of expertise of the professors at this esteemed institution. The faculty members are passionate about their subjects and are always willing to provide guidance and support to students. The curriculum is rigorous, and the coursework is designed to challenge students and prepare them for the ever-evolving world of technology. The courses cover a broad range of topics, from programming languages and algorithms to artificial intelligence and machine learning. The faculty also encourages students to take part in research projects and internships, providing valuable opportunities to apply what we have learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios. The campus facilities are excellent, with state-of-the-art labs and equipment available for students to use. The university's location in Amsterdam also offers plenty of opportunities for students to engage in cultural and recreational activities outside of their studies. One of the things that stand out to me is the diverse student body. Being exposed to different perspectives and backgrounds has enriched my learning experience and expanded my understanding of computer science as a field. Overall, I would highly recommend the Vrije Universitet to any computer science student looking for a challenging and rewarding academic experience, excellent faculty, and a diverse and inclusive community.

The city is quite bad to live in and ugly, on top of very expensive. The faculty of psychology is quite okay. Studying there has given me a good theoretical base. However, I have one major complaint, which is the way the university treats students individually. The student desk is the only way to obtain official documents from them (for example, the documents I needed to apply for a Master's degre) and aside from the difficult office hours and long wait time on the phone, I was literally told upon requesting a very necessary document "sorry, we´re not going to do that for you, it is too much work for us". when I suggested that I could put the document together myself and then just have it reviewed and stamped by them, she said htat it wouldn´t be valid. This resulted in me not being able to apply for Masters that year and taking a gap year, which is not the impact I ever thought a clerk would have on my life. Another complaint I have that resulted in a life-changing event is about my thesis. I chose to do a systematic review (within the Clinical Track) because it interested me, and I was fully informed that the program of the systematic review was still a pilot and subject to change. My supervisor was lovely and I had a great experience with her, that left me feeling like I learned something, and I was going to get a decent grade on said thesis that would then allow me to apply for a Clinical Psychology Masters in the Netherlands. For context, up until this point in my education, I had never failed an exam or a course as I always had average to high grades and I dedicate the appropriate time and effort to my studies. My thesis, on the other hand, was rather controversial. I received the grade I expected from my supervisor (which was within the range of my grades overall), whereas the second assessor failed me on half the criteria and didn't put in the effort to provide appropriate feedback. As the two grades were too different from each other, my thesis was reviewed by a third assessor, who just did the averages between the grades of the first two assessors and included sad faces ":(" in her feedback for my months of work, which all resulted in a grade that still hinders me in my academic progress, two years later. Upon respectfully confronting the third assessor I was offered neither an explanation nor a justification (perhaps I had been misled during the process of writing my thesis) for the feedback (which at times was completely erroneous as it contradicted published and peer reviewed literature I had consulted while while writing), and I was told that my thesis would just not be reasessed. I would not still be going on about this if it wasn't for the fact that I was just taught the findings of my thesis (which I was told was completely wrong) while studying for the master's degree that I did manage to get into with my grades. To sum up, while this faculty rigurously prepares students through content and theory, the students are nothing to them.

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I followed the Marketing & Communications Bachelor at Hanzehogeschool and the course has taught me very little with regards to what is actually required in the marketing field. To start off, 90% of the teachers do lectures as a side job, very low commitment from most of them I spent a full year learning and applying marketing theories that were branded outdated in the 90's and early 2000's. In addition a whole semester was wasted on a theory one of the teachers came up with. The professor who guided my while writing my thesis laughed at the premise of using it. Current and future marketing is mostly based on digital marketing. The """"professor"""" digital marketing knew squat, zero. In the digital marketing field, aspects such as SEO, SEA, Google AdWords etc are vital. This was not taught properly in the curriculum. A fellow student who had a side job working with AdWords stopped showing up, as he claimed the teacher was explaining it wrong. If you want to get into marketing, go somewhere else. Hanze will teach how to do a SWOT analysis (debunked in the 90's) every year you attend and not teach you the skills vital in a new marketing environment. I do not work in marketing or advertising, I feel and know I do not possess the necessary skills from merely reading the job vacancy. I finished the degree to make sure I have a Bachelor standard and not completely waste my time and money.

The lesson materials we are receiving are quite interesting in regards to the course. We are learning about global issues and how to handle encountering different cultures as international social workers.

My experience with the university is going pretty well for now. In terms of education, I can say that they have thought about everything. The program is structured in such way that the study load never gets to be too much. You get to work with different kinds of materials, therefore, practice different skills. Also, it is very career-oriented - you can see how everything you learn will help you in the future. Another positive thing is that if you experience any challenges in your personal or education plan, there is always someone you can contact and get help or advice. Here, you can find the balance between social and student life. The environment is very international, as well. Basically, it gives a wonderful opportunity to grow in the professional plan, but also make connections. However, there is something that you should consider if you are planning to apply here, or anywhere in the Netherlands - the shortage of accommodation. The university provides rooms for first-year students, but after that, it is quite hard to get one on your own. If you are looking for a place, where you get excellent education without having to give up on your social life, I would definitely recommend it.