From A-Z: Studying at WUR (pt. 1)

Will you become a new student at Wageningen University and Research soon? Or, are you studying in Wageningen already for quite some time, but you still don’t know what a studievereniging is? I’m Paula, a MSc Biotechnology student, and I’m sure this A-Z list will help you find your way through the WUR jungle!

Adviser

Every Wageningen student is assigned a study adviser. This person will play a crucial role in discussing your programme selections, providing advice, assisting with subject changes, aiding in course structuring, discussing career prospects, and offering support with thesis and internship preparation.

For example, around 2-3 weeks before the start of your master’s you will know which study adviser you have been assigned to.

Bikes

Here in the Netherlands, bikes aren’t just a way to get around, they’re essential. You’ll see more bikes than cars (and sometimes people)! The best advice is once you get here, try to buy one ASAP. I bought mine on Facebook marketplace, which is quite popular here. So, I would suggest to join Wageningen Facebook groups or WhatsApp groups that advertise and sell second-hand objects in advance.

Courses

Courses are structured differently here. Instead of two semesters, they are divided into periods. Downloading the Academic Year calendar in advance really helped me get familiarised with this!

WUR is a very flexible university when it comes to choosing your preferred courses. The compulsory ones are fixed, and the “Restricted Optional” courses come with the specialisation of the master’s that you choose. But, once you agreed on those, you can fill in the rest of your credits with “Electives”, which are courses of your free choice in domains that you consider interesting for you and related to your studies! Your study adviser will guide you on the most suitable courses available based on your individual preferences.

Doctor

In The Netherlands, your General Practitioner (huisarts) should always be your initial contact for all medical matters. The General Practitioner (GP) is key in the world of health care, treating patients for basic non-surgical problems and providing consultations for most of your general health questions.

Very important: once you get your private medical insurance, you should register with a GP when you arrive. If you get sick and need medical consultation, they will ask whether you have registered, so do not wait until then and register first thing! You have to pay the service yourself if you do not have a Dutch or European health insurance, but you might get reimbursed by your insurance.

You can find more information about the GP on the Student Medical Center website.

Employment

You may want to work part-time to earn extra money to cover your expenses. If that’s the case, you’ll find many flexible student jobs here, as it’s very common for students to work part-time. Where to search for vacancies? – WUR

Additionally, if you want to get familiarised with companies where you could do your internship or end up working after graduating, WUR organises Career Days. Here, you can drop by, talk with potential employers, and learn how to network.”

Food

Every building in Wageningen University has its own canteen where you can buy nutritious and healthy food. Many students also bring their own meals which you can heat in microwaves. You can always buy some snacks in the vending machines if you have a sweet tooth or during late-night studying!

Grading

The Dutch grading system is special. Special in the sense that it makes use of a scale from one to ten (with ten being the best grade), but the grade ten is barely used. Usually, a 5.5 is the minimum to pass and, considering that there is barely a ten in a course, an 8 as a final grade is already a good one. So, don’t panic!

Hospital

It is worth mentioning that Wageningen doesn’t have a hospital. In case you need to go to one, the closest one is located in Ede, which is a nearby town. You can reach this hospital using the bus line 303. Apps like NS.nl or 9292.nl are extremely helpful to check the timetables of buses and trains based on your current location.

Idealis

Idealis and the Housing Desk are your first addresses to turn to when you are looking for an accommodation. Check the Student Housing article for more options, or check in Facebook rooms—many students post free rooms there! If you want to live in a student house provided by Idealis, I can tell you from my own experience that you have to be quick. A piece of advice is to already subscribe in Idealis if you know for sure you will study at WUR, as you get more priority for choosing rooms the longer you are registered at the website.

Library

WUR has various places to study. The main place is always the library, especially the one in Forum, but you also find study spots in the library in Leeuwenborch (Lebo) or the Orion building. In addition, the library offers some courses or webinars on how to structure your literature and how to cite articles. You can check the  Forum Library website for more information!

Modular Skills Courses or MOS modules

Next to “normal” courses, bachelor’s students also have to choose Modular Skills Courses, or the so called MOS modules for master’s students. For a completed MOS module, students are rewarded with three ECTS only, and the content of the course is somewhat different to regular courses. The MOS courses are skill trainings, for example, for writing or presentation skills, but also for professional skills.

 

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Check pt. 2 of this blog post series!

Paula x