Wellbeing Calendar

Social activities

• Game night with BG – 19 May

  It's-a me, Mario! Join for a game night with the Boosted Gryffins!

  From 18:00 we'll be playing all kinds of video games! Feel free to join for however long you want. You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Tuesday, 19 May 2026 from 18:00 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an e-mail to 3D@vu.nl.

• Book club – 20 May

  The days of reading books outside in the sun are coming! Come read some books and meet fellow book lovers at our Life is Better in 3D Book club!

  You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Thursday, 21 May 2026 from 17:00 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an email to 3D@vu.nl.

• Diaspora Dialogues in 3D with FAM – 20 May

  Wednesday, May 20th, FAM is organizing another Diaspora Dialogue in 3D.

  FAM is one of the most diverse student associations in Amsterdam, with many of our members being part of a diaspora. Diaspora Dialogues is a series where we hold space for sharing and discussing the experience of being part of a diaspora. In this second session, we’ll continue our conversation and explore how we connect with our communities, addressing topics such as intergenerational perspectives and media representation.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Location: debate centre 3D, in the W&N building across the volleyball fields
  • Audience: VU students and staff
  • Language: English
  • No need to sign up
  • Free event
  • For questions you can send an email to 3D.

• Ethnographic Filmday 2026 – 21 May

  Wanna experience an exciting event featuring ethnographic films? And to bring the stories of people across the world into your life? Join the Ethnographic Filmday!

  All around the world there are intruiging, unexpected stories we rarely get to learn about. Ethnographic films offer us an opportunity to dive deeper into the perspectives and experiences of people across the globe. In appreciation of this unique ability of ethnographic films, and expanding ethnographic inquiry, we present our annual Ethnographic Filmday – to bring the world closer and deepen our understanding of it.

  The Ethnographic Filmday 2026 will start with an talk by Daphne Koutra, an award-winning film art director whose work includes 'Triangle of Sadness', winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The talk is titled: “Film production design as a form of ethnographic inquiry”.
  
  About the films

  Madre: This is a portrait of a Venezuelan refugee living in Brasilia; an intimate look into displacement as an experience of affective (be)longing, rather than just violence. By Talita Carvalho and Pedro Afonso Branco Ramos Pinto.

  Internal Eyes: A short video made by by Jessenia Alli, Embark Limkjaer, Peiyue Zhao, Jirmea van den Heuvel (students of the minor Visual Evidence).

  Working Title: A short video made by Divya Bhulai, Yasha Hennige, Tessa van Leeuwen, Denise Pollack and Jana Priputena (students of the minor Visual Evidence).

  Lukochuri: Documentary film on stories of sexuality of Bangladeshi women that they simultaneously hide and seek amidst social pressure and stigma. By Nasrin Siraj and Ellen Bal.

  Loose Ends: During the corona pandemic, a silent disaster occurred in Dutch nursing homes. Nursing home employees saw how elderly people died en masse and abruptly, often without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Employees faced impossible choices. By Lianne Cremers (ORG, VU).

  Letter to a Friend: Letter to a Friend tells the story of Shan migrants in Thailand fleeing conflict, repression, and forced military recruitment in neighbouring Myanmar. By Jai Jai and Maaike Matelski (SCA, VU)

  Please be aware that some of the films engage with heavy themes.

  About the ethnographic filmday

  A yearly visual anthropology event organized by the Department of Social and Cultural Antropology, VU Amsterdam.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Thursday, 21 May 2026 12:00-15:30
  • Location: NU building, Theater 1
  • Audience: VU students and staff
  • Language: English
  • Please sign up here.

• Anime Movie Night – 22 May

  Do you want to have a cozy movie night with snacks, while meeting new people? Join our anime movie night!

  Check our whatsapp group to vote for your favorite anime movie to watch that night! You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Friday, 22 May 2026 from 18:00 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an email to 3D@vu.nl.

• Board game night – 26 May

  Do you want to meet new people and play a lot of different board games with snacks? Come to the Life is Better in 3D Board Game Night!

  You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Tuesday, 26 May 2026 from 18:00 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an email to 3D@vu.nl.

• DnD night – 27 May

  Adventure is out there! Join our DnD session for an evening filled with dragons and quests!

  You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Wednesday, 27 May 2026 from 18:00 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an email to 3D@vu.nl.

• Book Club: The Wild Iris #1 – 4 June

  Louise Glück’s (1943 – 2023) collection of poems ‘The Wild Iris’ is completely out of the ordinary, deeply personal and surprisingly accessible. That cocktail makes it both lauded and popular; as well as a perfect book for our Library Book Club. The movement of poems takes place in a garden in bloom; on the threshold of spring and summer.

  The Library Book Club is everybody’s book club. Fancy a refreshing read, a change of scenery and a nourishing encounter? Come and read The Wild Iris with us! 

  About the book and its author 

  Louise Glück was a poet from the USA. She received many prizes and several honorary doctorates throughout her life; as well as the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2020. Appearing as her sixth collection of poetry, The Wild Iris ended up winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry of 1993. It is still one of her most popular and critically acclaimed books. 

  Glück’s poetry is very personal and uses few poetic techniques, such as rhyme or alliteration: her poems have an almost conversational style. Desire and nature are among the prevalent themes in her work. 

  Practicalities 

  • We’ve picked the Carcanet edition of 1996 as a reference point (ISBN 9781857542233), but the Ecco edition of 1992 (ISBN 9780880013345) shouldn’t be all that different. 
  • Each session, we’ll be discussing 18 poems. During the first session, that’s “The Wild Iris” till “Violets”; for the second session it’s “Witchgrass” till “Vespers” (the 4^th poem with that title); and for the last session “Vespers” (5^th) till “The White Lilies”. Make sure to read these poems beforehand. 
  • This book club season consists of three weekly sessions on Thursdays 4, 11 and 18 June; you’re not obliged to participate all sessions. 
  • The location is the Library Lounge, at the entry of the University Library in the Main Building (HG-01A01). 
  • There’s no need to sign up. If you’d like to receive updates and also to vote for books in the future, you can join the group chat (WhatsApp). 

  Schedule 

  • 5:30 p.m. walk-in: you’re welcome to come in early, to bridge time or to bring and have dinner. 
  • 6:15 p.m. opening: we kick off with a round of introductions, and a brief introduction of the book. 
  • 6:25 p.m. group discussion: we share our experience and findings reading the book so far. 
  • 7:25 p.m. summarising: we look ahead to the next session and summarise today’s session. 
  • 7:45 p.m. end or socialising: we end the session, although you’re welcome to stick around until the building closes. 

  About the Library Book Club 

  The Library Book Club is for anyone roaming VU’s campus. We read a few books each year, and try to throw something new into the mix each time; passing fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, short stories and longer ones along the way. Our librarians select three candidates for a season and you get to vote. If you’d like to engage with this group more often, the easiest way to get involved is through the group chat (WhatsApp). 

  Practical information

  • Dates & time: Thursday, 4, 11, & 18 June 2026 18:15 - 19:45
  • Location: Library Lounge, at the entry of the University Library in the Main Building (HG-01A01). 
  • Language: English / Dutch
  • Organised by VU Universiteitsbibliotheek.

• Déjà VU Festival – 11 June

  On Thursday, the 11th of June, you are welcome back to the VU Campus for the annual summer festival for the entire VU community.

  We look forward to start summer together with our students, alumni, staff and members of VUvereniging!

  Dance and sing along with the DJs and live music, explore the festival market, enjoy inspiring Brain Bites, take part in the UB escape room, and enjoy the food and drinks from the food trucks. You are warmly welcome from 15:30 to 23:00.

  View the programme and reserve your ticket!

• Open stage – 26 June

  You can once again join 3D for Open Stage evenings organized by students from the Bachelor's in Creative Writing and Master's in Literary Studies.

  An evening to enjoy each other's readings. And an opportunity to present something yourself, such as a short story, poetry, a column, or a song. It all comes down to your own creativity. You have complete freedom to try something out, alone or with others.

  Would you like to present something? Send a message to Naomi at n.a.bak@student.vu.nl or +31 6 3092 9237. Please keep your presentation to a maximum of ten minutes. And of course, you must show up. But even if you don't want to present anything and just want to listen, you're more than welcome.

  The evening starts at 7:00 p.m. There's an opportunity to eat together beforehand in the VU canteen (around 6:00 p.m). You can grab something there, or bring your own food and heat it up.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Friday, 26 June 2026 19:00 – 21:00 
  • Location: debate centre 3D, in the W&N building across the volleyball fields
  • Audience: VU students and staff
  • Language: Mainly Dutch
  • Free event
  • No need to sign up, only let us now if you want to present something by sending an email 
  • For questions you can send an email to Naomi.

Sports & wellbeing

• Yoga – 20 May 

  Release some stress in between classes with our Life is Better in 3D yoga class!

  You can find all information and the registration form on our Insta or join our Whatsapp group! If you don't have Insta, you can sign up here. For other questions, you can send us an email at 3D@vu.nl.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Wednesday,m 20 May 2025 from 13:30 (you can come later if you want and you decide when you want to leave :-)
  • Location: 3D room
  • Audience: VU students
  • Language: English and Dutch
  • Insta
  • WhatsApp group
  • Sign up here if you don't have Insta
  • For further questions, you can send an email to 3D@vu.nl.

• Beach Week – 1 to 4 June

  Join the volleyball tournament on the VU campus!

  From 1 to 4 June, we’re organising the very first Beach Week. It’ll be a week dedicated to volleyball on the beach volleyball courts on the VU campus.

  Who and when

  • On Monday, 1 June 2026, student teams will compete against each other.
  • On Tuesday, 2 June 2026, it’s the turn of VU staff.
  • On Wednesday, 3 June 2026, it’s the turn of local volleyball clubs.
  • On Thursday, 4 June 2026, we welcome teams from the Zuid-As.

  Where
  The tournament will be held on the beach volleyball courts at the VU Campus (Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam). Matches are 4-a-side.

  What time
  On all days, matches are from 17:00 – 20:00.

  Cost per team

  • Students: €50
  • VU staff: €75
  • Clubs: €75
  • Teams from the surrounding area (e.g. from the Zuid-As): €100.

  Registration
  Put a team together (maximum 6 people) and register. Registration is per team.

  The registration fee includes a free drink at Bar Boele (minimum 4 participants, maximum 6 participants).
  Subsequent drinks are available at a discount at Bar Boele.

  You can buy a ticket via the Sports Centre’s customer portal until 26 May 2026. If you do not yet have a customer account, you must create one first.

  Prizes
  There are great prizes to be won for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

• Mind in Bloom @Hortus Botanicus – 3 June

  Discover how nature can contribute to your wellbeing in the botanical garden Hortus Botanicus: an oasis of calm in bustling Amsterdam. Enjoy a lecture on the influence of nature on your mental health, a mindful walk through the exotic garden and a fresh lunch inspired by nature: all for free.

  During Mental Health Week 2026, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Hogeschool van de Kunsten and GGD Amsterdam are jointly organizing a mindful morning in Hortus Botanicus.

  Practical information

  • When: Wednesday, June 3  10:00 - 12:00
  • Where: Hortus Botanicus, Plantage Middenlaan 2A, 1018DD Amsterdam
  • What: Lecture by associate professor and researcher Jolanda Maas on the relationship between mental health and nature, a Mindful Ecowalk through the Hortus and to end with a free lunch!
  • Please sign up soon!

• Foundations of Mindfulness – 10 & 17 June

  Research shows that mindfulness helps with almost everything… but in practice it’s not that easy, especially on your own. That’s why this is a guided two-week series, designed to help you truly experience and build up your mindfulness step by step.

  Before each session, you’re welcome to join us for a meal. From 6 pm, we’ll be serving a simple, tasty vegetarian meal. You can take part in a single session or attend both evenings as a complete series.

  Even when everything seems ‘fine’, there can still be a subtle sense of dissatisfaction underneath. It’s like standing on a treadmill: constantly moving, but never really getting anywhere. Avoiding discomfort, chasing little pleasures… and yet something doesn’t quite feel right.

  This session invites you to discover a different perspective.

  This is the first session of a two-part series, with each evening inspired by a different book on mindfulness. The second session will take place on 17 June.

  We’ll start with 'Mindfulness in Plain English' by Bhante Gunaratana. You don’t need to have read the book to take part. Everything will be guided and explained in a simple and practical way.

  The evening consists of:

  • An introduction.
  • A guided meditation (suitable for beginners).
  • Optional reflection and sharing.
  • Time to write or connect with others over a meal.

  It’s not about ‘fixing’ anything, but about experiencing what is already there in a different way.

  Further details about the second session will be provided later.

  Practical information

  • Date & time: Wednesday, 10 & 17 June 2026, 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
  • Location: HG-12B04, VU Main Building
  • Language: English
  • Please register here
  • Organised by NEWConnective.

• VU in Motion – every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

  You are welcome to join us for a short, fun exercise break during your work or study day! Just wear your regular clothes!

  Programme
  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we offer 15-minute Qi Gong at 12.30 p.m., until October again outside on the campus square, near the new Calisthenics park.
  
  Following this, on those days there is free walk-in Calisthenics until 1.15 p.m., which means an instructor will be present to offer you some no-obligation help and inspiration!

  On Wednesdays at 12.15 p.m., it's time for Standing Yoga, whose starting point remains in the hall of the OZW.

  More information on VU in motion

• Meditation sessions – twice a week

  Need a break? Come and join our meditation sessions in the VU Stilteruimte (HG 1A-53) and in the Mindful Library (HG 12B-02) - we offer sessions two times a week.

  We will provide 20 to 30-minute guided meditations. You can find more information on time and place below. 

  It doesn’t matter if you have a load of meditation experience, or if you are just a beginner. No need to bring anything; mats, cushions and stools are provided. Just wear something that will sit comfortably on your body for 20 to 30 minutes. 

  The meditations occur in the VU Silence Room (HG 1A-53) and sometimes in the Mindful Library (HG 12B-02). You can find this space on the 12^th floor in the library tower. 

  If you want to stay up to date, join our Whatsapp chat for any last-minute updates and changes in the schedule. Here, you can also connect with others who are interested in meditation and mindfulness!

Workshops & training sessions

• Three ways to improve your study Module 3: Take action – 20 May

  Psychologists reveal: THREE WAYS to improve your study (and personal) life!!!

  You are ready to change (the way you study), but are not sure how to get started. 

  This module is part of three modules offered by the VU student psychological counsellor. The focus is on themes that students regularly tell us they struggle with: procrastination, stress and feeling stuck in a negative spiral. 

  The aim of each module is to give you insights into your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours - and a set of practical tools that you can use when you hit the books. 

  A series consists of three modules that you can follow consecutively or separately. It is not obligatory to do all three; you sign up for a single module. This makes it more easily accessible and demand driven. The modules may also be a nice refresher for students who previously met with a student psychological counsellor or completed a training or workshop! 

  In this module we work on behaviour. Sometimes you want to change, but where do you start? We spend time on helping you gain an overview, of both your short- and long-term plans. This is about taking action and getting a grip on your day. Useful for everyone: whether you procrastinate, like to socialise, or cannot see the wood for the trees. 

  Other modules in the series:

  • Working on... understanding your negative spiral
  • Working on... finding your personal balance

  Date

  • Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 10:00-11:00 (VU campus).

  This module is also offered in Dutch. For more information and registration go to this page.

  Check out the full range of workshops and training courses on the page Courses to optimize studying.

• Work on your fear of failure – 20 May, 3 & 17 June, 1 & 15 July

  In this training course you will learn to understand your own fear of failure and gain insight in your study-related stress. 

  Do you understand the material, but you still fail your exams? Is there so much to do that you can only focus on studying, or that you can do nothing at all? Do you experience so much stress before a deadline that you decide to just leave it? Do you procrastinate, have issues with concentration or motivation because an exam incites so much stress? Or do you put so much of your time and energy into studying that you do not have any fun or rest any more?

  In this training you will learn to understand your own fear of failure and gain insight in your study-related stress. Alongside various exercises and assignments you will learn how to be more in control and break your own vicious circle of anxiety. The goal is to learn to be more relaxed about studying, and about other worries that are in the way of an optimal performance.

  This training course includes 5 sessions and will take place on:

  • Wednesday, 20 May, 3 & 17 June, 1 & 15 July 2026 (22 July)^*, 13:00-15:00 (VU campus).

  ^{* back-up date}

  The training course is also offered in Dutch. For more information and registration go to this page.

  Check out the full range of workshops and training courses on the page Courses to optimize studying.

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