From February 11 until 15, the UvA hosted more than 600 students for the Master’s Week. Organized by the Communication Office, the annual occasion added some innovative new sessions.

Kicked-off with a festive opening function, the week boasted other events such as the master boost training and program information sessions. All the sessions aimed to provide students with the necessary information to make informed decisions on their master’s programmes.

The kick-off event, which took place at the Roeterseiland Campus on Monday, February 11, brought together study advisers from every faculty, for the first time, to offer short and quick information to students who are interested or have questions. During long wait times, the UvA offered free drinks and Dutch snacks – bitterballen – to the participants.

A TED Talk, the art of decision-making, started things off. It included interactive questions to help students realize where they were in the decision-making process and which kind of decision-maker they were.

“Inviting study advisers is also quite new compared to other universities.” said Anne-Marie van Meerveld, the marketing adviser of the Communication Office of UvA. She was positive about so many students joining in this one-week event, too, “I am really happy that there are so many students we can help.”

The UvA also organized two sessions of master boost training. Here, students could learn further strategies for choosing the right programme. “Because that’s real training. So you have like one and a half hour and [in the kick-off event] you can speed coach for only ten minutes. In the one and a half hour, you also get exercises in a small group”, explained van Meerveld.

Younghyun Cho, a South Korean bank employee who wants to obtain a master degree in Amsterdam, felt surprised at how organized and helpful the event was. “I thought I wouldn’t get as much the information as I wanted to, but I did. So I’m happy about it!”

Next, the UvA will host a Bachelor’s Day on March 9, 2019.