VU Bachelor Introduction Days

Are you the first in your family to study (in the Netherlands)? Then it might be hard to image what you can expect from the VU Bachelor Introduction days. In general you can expect to get a busy programme full of fun and informative activities and to make your first friends at the VU in your mentor group. 

Absolutely! The VU Bachelor Introduction Days are not just for getting to know Amsterdam, they are especially meant for getting to know student life and your fellow students. You will also discover all the sports, study and student associations and it is a fun way to make friends and get to know fellow students before your studies start!

The five-day programme will cost €65, which gives you access to lots of fun activities such as tours of the city, a sports day, workshops and an evening programme with theatre performances and a final party. For the two-day ticket you pay €23, which gives you access to a campus tour, study programme introductions and workshops. 

Moreover, for both these introductions you get two senior student mentors that can help you out. 

The ticket does not include food and drinks! Moreover, we do not pay for any travel expenses/public transport costs. 

We do not arrange sleeping places for participants and therefore ensure that the central part almost always ends before 11:00 PM. Only the closing party on Tuesday, August 26, can last well into the night and it is therefore useful if you arrange a place to sleep, for example with someone from your mentor group or in a hostel. 

It is very useful if you arrange for a bike in Amsterdam during the VU Bachelor Introduction days to get from place to place. For example, you can use Swapfiets or an ov-bike. Often the ov-bikes in Amsterdam run out quickly, so don't count on being able to use them. We also highly recommend arranging a place to sleep in Amsterdam, for instance at someone from your mentor group. That way you can stay longer in the evenings and also experience the Final Party on the last Tuesday of the Introduction.
Also, don't forget to pack sports wear for the sports day during the 5-day programme!

No, this is not possible. We compose the groups in such a way that you meet new people!

The mentor groups will be made a week before the introduction starts. Participants of the five-day Introduction meet their mentor group on Wednesday morning at the VU campus square. Participants of the two-day Introduction meet their group on Monday morning. This is the first time you see each other. 

Your mentors will contact you a few days before the start of the introduction.

We do our best to make the VU Bachelor Introduction Days also accessible for students with a disability and/or (chronic) illness. If you want to be sure of an enjoyable time, please send an email to studentenbalie@vu.nl and indicate what we have to take into account or what you need help with. We will be happy to help you!

It would be great if you can be present everyday, but if you really have to go somewhere else or if you arrive later, that is of course possible and okay. You do not have to report this to the organisation, but do discuss it with your mentors. Your mentors will contact you a few days before the introduction starts. 

The VU Campus is smoke-free and we have some rules when it comes to dealing with alcohol on campus.

Furthermore, certain House Rules apply during the VU Bachelor Introduction Days. For example, you may not consume alcohol before 4:00 PM and no other drugs may be used during the introduction. Make sure you read the house rules carefully in advance, because if you do not adhere to them, your wristband (and therefore your access to the introduction) may be taken away. 

In the Netherlands, anyone older than 18 years old is allowed to drink alcohol. To ensure that 18+ and 18- participants can be distinguished, they will receive a different color wristband.

The privacy policy of the VU Introductrion days (Bachelor and Master) can be found here. 

The five-day and two-day Introductions are not mandatory, but highly recommended! It is a great way to get to know VU Amsterdam, the city of Amsterdam and your fellow students! The programme is designed in such a way that it offers something for everyone. If you find certain parts less appealing or if you feel uncomfortable with something, then you don't have to participate. Feel free to discuss everything with your mentors, who will be able to guide and advise you.

During the Study programme Introduction, you will receive important information about your studies. Attendance at the Study programme Introduction is strongly recommended!

You will receive an invitation e-mail mid June. You can only apply via the "subscribe" button in this e-mail. And be quick, because there is a limited amount of spots for the 5-day programme! 

Didn't you receive the invitation e-mail yet? Maybe you didn't complete the registration procedure for the VU yet! Finish that as soon as possible. Once you complete the registration procedure you will also receive the invitation e-mail within a  few days. 

Did you start a study last year, and did you not finish it, but are you starting the same study again this year? Then you can participate in the Introduction Days, but you will probably not receive an invitation e-mail. Do you want to participate in the Introduction Days? Send an e-mail to studentenbalie@vu.nl.

You can register until Monday August 11th 2025 11:59 sharp. And full = full.

Some studies do not participate in the VU Bachelor Introduction Days but in the Intreeweek of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), namely Amsterdam University College (bachelor programme Liberal Arts and Sciences) and the bachelor programmes Archaeology, Greek and Latin Language and Culture, Archaeology, Dentistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Chemistry. 

Students in the Joint Degree of Mechanical Engineering and of Creative Technology spend the first half of the introductory period at VU Amsterdam and the second half at the University of Twente in Enschede. These students will receive an invitation in July.

For students Geneeskunde, there is no two-day programme during the VU Bachelor Introduction Days, but a Faculty Introduction to Geneeskunde that does not take place during the VU Bachelor Introduction Days. For this Faculty Introduction, students will receive a separate invitation.

If you cannot make it to the Introduction days anymore, you can unsubscribe and get your money back. You can do that at the latest on Monday August 4^th  2025 23:59 CEST by e-mailing to studentdesk@vu.nl. After August 5^th, it is no longer possible to cancel. We will refund your ticket costs as soon as possible. 

If you are going to do a study with a numerus fixus or if you are still waiting for the results of your math or language test (and you have been conditionally accepted), you can already register for the VU Bachelor Introduction Days. If you are not selected or if you fail the test and will therefore not study at VU Amsterdam, you can get your registration fee back if you unsubscribe at the latest on Monday August 4th 2025.

How to unsubscribe
You can unsubscribe by e-mailing studentdesk@vu.nl with the reason of your cancellation. You will then get a refund as soon as possible.   

If you registered before the deadline of the VU Bachelor Introduction Days and you also paid for it, but you are going to follow another study at VU Amsterdam than first indicated, please let us know before Sunday August 17th 2025 by sending an email to studentdesk@vu.nl, so we can move you to a group with fellow students.

Unfortunately, this is not possible to easily switch tickets, so think carefully in advance whether you want to register for the full five-day introduction or the condensed two-day introduction! However, if you do need to make a switch, e-mail us (on time) at studentdesk@vu.nl for the cancellation of your ticket and subscribe for the other ticket.