Making choices during your SBE studies

Taking a moment for self-reflection is key to making decisions during your studies. Step 2 of the ‘5 steps to help you in your decision making’ (see above) can guide you through this process.

In this step, we consider two scenarios: 

Scenario 1: You are not sure if you have chosen the right study. 

Consider the experiences from your first year when looking for another field of study. Tip! Follow year 1 in its entirety to ensure you have not made your choice too quickly and to fully understand what is required of you within a university programme. If you decide to deregister early, you can find all relevant information here. 

Scenario 2: You are unsure about choices within your study programme. 

During your studies, you have the opportunity to specialise and choose courses that align with your interests. Make sure you choose the right electives and specialisation subjects for your master's admission. This master’s document shows whether additional subjects are required for each bachelor’s programme to be eligible for a master's programme. These courses will usually be chosen during your specialisation period, but sometimes they can be extracurricular. It is also good to know that you are free to choose a minor within or outside your faculty. Another option is to participate in a six-month exchange programme. An explanation of electives can be found here. It is also possible to do an internship. You can find details on how and when in the internship manuals. Or you might consider an honours programme. Within an honours programme, you will take extra courses. 

To make well-informed decisions, it is important to explore the other studies or directions available within your current academic program. A helpful tool is Studiekeuze123. On this page, filter by HBO and/or WO and by field or study and make a list of all the studies you would like to explore further. Why is this important? By ensuring you have explored all available options, you will feel more confident and secure about your final decision.   

If you are uncertain about your current study choice or undecided about which master's programme to pursue, it is essential to start exploring early and broadly. Mark the most important events in your calendar. Consider attending taster days, taster studies, open days, master events and career days. The open days calendar can help you plan your schedule.

Make sure you are well-prepared for these activities. Be critical, write down your questions in advance, and reach out to people close to you to learn how they feel about your choices.  

If you are struggling with making choices within your studies, consider making an appointment with your academic advisor. Talking with someone about your concerns can be helpful and academic advisors often provide very useful tips. You can contact a course coordinator if you have questions about the content of a particular course; their contact info is listed in the study guide. You can also reach out to alumni or students who are further along in their studies.

Once you have thoroughly compared all the information, it is time to make your decision, perform a final check and then put things into motion. It can be helpful to again discuss your choice with friends, family and or teachers. Be sure you meet admission requirements, check application deadlines and sign up!  

• If it is a bachelor's or master's degree, enrolment starts on studielink. 
• Registration for courses and minors can be done on the VU website. 

Hopefully this roadmap has helped you! If you need further help or tips, check out the links and documents at the bottom of this page or make an appointment with an academic advisor. 

Key moments in your study choice: 

As you choose your study, you will find that there are a number of key moments in making your decision: 

• If there is a good chance that you will not pass the BSA, think about whether you want to continue with your current study or deregister by 1 February. If you deregister before that date, you will not receive your binding recommendation of continuation of studies (BSA). 
• Review the Master's admission document in advance if you are going to choose a minor, electives and/or specialisation courses. You might not get into every master's programme based solely on your degree. Always check for any extra requirements and make sure to include them in your application. 
• Are you interested in earning credits through an internship? This is possible during your bachelor's programme. Another option is to do the O ECT internship during both your bachelor’s and master’s programme.  

This is a very good question! While many students start by simply searching for jobs and applying, it may be more effective to turn the process around and start by identifying what YOU like and what YOU are good at. Exploring your values, interests, strengths, as well as areas where you may be less proficient can provide valuable insights. The VU offers various tests to help you get started, such as a career choice or a work values test. Would you like to dive deeper into this topic? Try the online Gradup modules Know Yourself part 1 and 2. If you prefer a group setting, follow a workshop offered by Career Services.

Engaging in activities alongside your studies can help you gain new skills, discover interests, and apply your theoretical knowledge. It also demonstrates to potential future employers that you are proactive and developing additional skills during your studies. It is important not to feel pressured to solely work on your CV because you see other students doing it. Instead, pursue activities you genuinely enjoy! Examples of development opportunities or extracurricular activities include internships, summer school, extra courses, committee or board positions at a study or student association, role in sports teams, volunteering, starting your own company, doing research, sports challenges, side jobs, travelling or exchange programs. If this appeals to you take a look at what VU offers. 

The answer depends largely on your field of study and your personal interests. Going from studying to the working world can raise many questions. For example: What can I do with my studies? In your studies, you gained a lot of theoretical knowledge and skills. How can you apply these in a future job? Which jobs match your studies? Here are some tips to help you: 

• It helps to do your own research into what options are available and talk about them with people around you, such as fellow students, friends and teachers. 
• See what your qualities are and what energises you. Make a top 10 list of what you find important in a job. What motivates you? The Gradup modules Know Yourself parts 1 and 2 can help you with this. You can also take one of the other modules, such as the Gradup module Navigating the Job Market. 
• Read the Firsthand Career Guides with various tips and information on careers, industries and preparing for the job market. 
• Check vacancies by sector via LinkedIn or job boards.  
• Don't forget the more practical approach! Think about: Networking, taster days, see what other people with your degree are doing. Search via LinkedIn by position. Which people have that job, what background do they have? What studies, internships etc. Talk to people in the field or to teachers. Reach out to see if you can ask them some questions about the job or the field. You can ask questions such as: What does a particular job entail? Make a phone appointment with them or send an e-mail; this sounds scary but many people are willing respond to this. 
• Sign up for a Careerlab to connect with companies that interest SBE students. You can find Careerlabs on the SBE Career platform 
• Faculty study associations also organise activities with employers; see Aureus and Kraket. 
• Go to career events and job fairs to get an idea of what kind of organisations and jobs are out there.   
• Take a workshop from Career Services. You can find the workshops here. 
• Still need help? Feel free to schedule an appointment with one of the Career coaches!

Unfortunately, with an SBE bachelor's degree, you may not be eligible for every master's degree programme. If you would like to pursue a master's degree at another university or faculty, be sure to check the admission requirements. Perhaps you can take certain courses in your elective space during your bachelor's or complete a specific minor. In some cases, you may need a high GPA, a bridging programme or a pre-master's programme to apply.  

Tip: visit master’s events and start exploring your options in your 2nd year of study. 

Feel free to attend the annual master’s event or sign up for a taster day. Get inspired by the various master’s programmes at the VU. Afterwards, carefully review the steps needed for admission or make an appointment with the admissions department. If you have questions related to specific courses, check the study guide for the contact information of course coordinators.

Start by thinking about what you would like to study. On this page, you can find all the information and tips you need for a successful transition to your newly chosen study. If you would like extra help, check out the step-by-step plan on this study choice page. Don't forget to discuss your choice with others, and feel free to make an appointment with the academic advisors for extra support.

It helps to talk about this with those around you. What are things you enjoy doing? What do you get energy from? What are courses you find interesting? Perhaps the step-by-step plans on choices and study options on this page will help. You can also schedule an appointment with an academic advisors.

An internship is an effective way to explore the professional field. Doing an internship allows you to put the theory you have learned during your studies into practice. It is also a great opportunity to gain insight into your own qualities, areas for development, and the kind of work that would suit you. Another advantage of doing an internship is that employers value candidates with practical experience in a work environment. Depending on your studies, you can choose an internship for study credits or without study credits. More information about internships can be found on this page. In addition, SBE Career Services offers information sessions twice a year on internships, and you can find vacancies on the Career platform.  

• Overview of bachelor's programmes  
• Overview master's degree programmes  

• Taster day 
• Open days (Bachelor, Master) 
• Compulsory study check SKC 

• Link Career Services page 
• Link to the career platform of Career Services 
• Gradup online modules  
• Careerset CV check 
• Online tools/articles Career Services 
• Workshops & careerlabs Career Services  
• Vacancies  

• Link to Academic Advisors page  
• Information on internships 
• Internship vacancies 

Taking tests can be quite useful in gaining a clearer idea of who you are, what you are good at and what you find important. Give some tests a try. This may confirm your current choice or reveal opportunities you might have overlooked in terms of jobs and studies.  

VU tests: 

• General test page career services: Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
• Personality test: Who am I? Get insight into your personality in about 10 - 15 minutes. Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
• Competence test: What can I do? Determine your strengths with this competency test in about 15-20 minutes. Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
• Occupational choice test: What do I want? What kind of work and work environment suit me? Take the test in about 15 minutes. Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
• Work values test: What do I want? What work values and company culture make me happy? Take the test in 12 minutes. Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl)  
• Tests to prepare for a job application such as numeracy and logical reasoning: Career tests for students - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
• Study inspirer Study inspirer - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 

External tests: 

• Study choice test Start your study choice! - Studychoice123  
• 16 personalities free test 

• Study Association Aureus Study Association Aureus 
• Study Association Kraket Home - Critical Actuaries and Econometricians (kraket.co.uk) 
• Study Association FSA Financial Study Association 
• Enactus Home - Enactus Free University 
• MMA Marketing Association Amsterdam - Take that first step and get ready for your career (ma-amsterdam.nl) 

International office International Office - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 

• Alumni network VU Amsterdam Alumni LinkedIn

• LinkedIn 
• Amsterdam Career Days 
• Job site Indeed 
• Firsthand/career guides 
• https://www.nationaleberoepengids.nl/  
• https://www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie/kansen-arbeidsmarkt/kansrijke-beroepen 
• Check out the resources of 80,000 Hours. For the last 10 years, this non-profit has been researching “how to choose a profession that suits you”. It is always evidence-based, international and forever free to view. https://80000hours.org/ 
• You can consult the National Occupations Guide to explore what jobs are out there. It allows you to search by various fields, including field and sector.