VU Jumpstart

Why sign up? 
Do you not have much prior experience with academic writing? Would you like a little reminder on how to use academic sources. Know more about Dutch grading and teaching culture? Or… would you like to do it all? This is possible. 

When? 
Jumpstart will take place in the last week of September and first week of October 2024.  
We’ve made sure to spread out the session over these two weeks, so the programme is not too intense. Each workshop will start at 17:30.

Choose your Jumpstart adventure 
You can decide if you want sign up for 1, 2 or all 3 workshops, based on your needs, interest and timetable.
Please make sure to sign up for those sessions relevant to your level: i.e. Bachelor or Master student level.   
During all sessions coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered to keep you energized.

Registration 
Note: more info on how to register will follow in the invitation email that will be sent out in September. Please bear in mind that the workshops will have limited capacity! 

Ever heard the expression: “10s are for gods, 9s are for teachers”?
Well, welcome to the Dutch academic setting! In this workshop you will learn the ins and outs of Dutch academic culture. You may already be experiencing that aspects like grading, (lack of) academic hierarchy and implicit codes differ from what you are used to. Through this workshop, we will help you thrive in the Dutch academic setting.

In this session you will:

• Participate in an interactive session which focuses on cultural differences in academics
• Use several dimensions (such as grading and teaching culture, study materials, hierarchy, presentation, etc.) to have a look at how the Dutch academic culture differs from what you may be used to back home
• Hear first-hand from our current student panel what their experiences and advice regarding Dutch academic culture are

Coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered during the workshop to keep you energized (free of charge).

From 19:00 - 21:00 our Bitterballen Borrel
After the session we will celebrate the start of Jumpstart with drinks and Dutch snacks.

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on.

Choose this workshop if you do not have (much) experience with finding and using academic sources and are worried you might unintentionally break a plagiarism rule.  

In this session you will learn:

• How to evaluate the reliability of the information you find
• How to formulate a search question and break it down into key words
• How to combine search terms
• How to prevent plagiarism

Coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered during the workshop to keep you energized (free of charge).

From 19:00 – 21:00 Pizza Night & Friendshipping!
Join us for some delicious pizza slices and friendshipping, a fun way to connect with your fellow students.
All food options will be vegetarian.

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on.

Choose this workshop if you could use a reminder on finding and properly using academic sources at VU Amsterdam. If you are unsure of how to correctly use secondary sources and are experiencing that the VU’s protocols differ from what you are used to, then this session is for you!

In this session you will learn:

• How to evaluate the reliability of the information you find
• How to formulate a search question and break it down into key words
• Can you plagiarize yourself?
• Plagiarism in research

Coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered during the workshop to keep you energized (free of charge).

From 19:00 -  21:00 Pizza Night & Friendshipping
Join us for some delicious pizza slices and friendshipping, a fun way to connect with your fellow students.
All food options will be vegetarian.

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on.

Choose this workshop if you never had to write an academic paper on your own before. This session will help explain the basics of academic writing skills in English in an interactive workshop.

In this session you will:

• Get a short introduction: How to structure an academic essay or paper
• Improve your academic style
• Learn more about effective writing
• Work on improving your own text in class
• Receive feedback and advice from the instructors

Coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered during the workshop to keep you energized (free of charge).

From 19:00 – 21:00 Dutch games & pancakes dinner
Stick around this Tuesday evening for our famous Dutch pancakes and some fun and classic Dutch games! All food options will be vegetarian.

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on.

Choose this workshop if your previous education mostly included group work instead of individual academic assignments or if you just want to refresh your writing skills. This session will help boost your academic writing skills in English in an interactive workshop.

In this session you will:

• Get a refresher on how to structure an academic essay or paper
• Improve your academic style
• Learn more about effective writing
• Work on improving your own text in class
• Receive feedback and advice from the instructors

Coffee, tea, water, fruits and snacks will be offered during the workshop to keep you energized (free of charge).

From 19:00 - 21:00  Dutch games & pancakes dinner
Stick around this Wednesday evening for our famous Dutch pancakes and some fun and classic Dutch games! All food options will be vegetarian.

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on.

Location: All workshops and activities will take place on campus.  

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on. 

All new international students who are starting their degree in September 2024 are welcome to join!  

We specifically encourage you to sign up if you could use some extra academic help and are experiencing a bit of an academic culture shock.

Costs per workshop
VU Amsterdam Jumpstart is sponsored by VU Amsterdam and therefore we have been able to keep the fees down to €5 per session (excl. transaction costs 0,9 cent). This fee includes participation in the workshop as well as the social activity and dinner, drinks and snacks. The fee is non-refundable.

Costs for no-shows
Note that all workshops have limited capacity. For this reason, if you sign up for a workshop, we expect you to attend. If you do not show up without cancelling at least 48 hours in advance, a 20 euro fee will be charged. 

*Subject to change, details to be confirmed later on 

Registration will be open from mid-September. You will receive an invitation by email to sign up right before registration opens, so keep an eye on your inbox (and spam folder).

When you apply to the Jumpstart programme, you will be asked to sign up for the specific workshop(s) that you plan to attend.  

We work on a first come, first serve basis, so make sure to book your spot as soon as registration opens! 

We encourage you to sign up together with your fellow students.