Student tips

After a fun and exciting Kick-In, you should have ‘partied out’ everything in your system, ready for the next academic year. Starting university is a major life transition, and adopting healthy habits early on can set the foundation for success. Whether it's meal prepping, budgeting, staying active, or managing screen time, these tips are designed to help new university students maintain their well-being, balance responsibilities, and thrive both academically and personally.

University is the perfect time to pick up a new skill. For me, it was cooking – now, I’m not gonna be getting any Michelin stars any soon, but I can hold my own in the kitchen. My favourite dishes are traditional dishes from back home in Indonesia, but I had no idea where to get ingredients – at first. If you miss the taste of home, and are unsure of where to get ingredients, then you’re in luck. Enschede has some pretty nice foreign goods stores where you can get most of everything you’re craving. Read on for a compilation of my favourite international stores and restaurants in Enschede.

Aaaah, to be a first-year student again, when things were new, strange, and exciting. I remember sitting in the Horst Tower for my first university lecture ever, both strangers and friends around me, and wondering what things would look like a year later. Heck, I was probably thinking about the next week, too – after an exciting Kick-In, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Luckily, I do now, and that’s why in this article, I’ll be giving you all the tips you need to casually slide into university life.

Even summer must end at some point. After a couple of weeks of carefree frolicking and bucket list-checking, it’s time to hang up the summer hat and replace it with a thinking cap. For some people, returning to the studying rhythm can seem daunting. However, don’t fret; I’ll help you get back into your old study habits in this article.

As a first-year student, you will encounter a lot of new terms and abbreviations: as a sjaars, you have to pass your BSA, take various modules and hopefully see at least a studententien (student-ten) on Osiris. I can hear you thinking, ‘’What is this all about‘’? No worries! In this article, I will explain the most important terms!

As much as I don’t like to think about it, the more I do, I’m realising that the new academic year is basically right around the corner (sorry, everyone). Every summer vacation feels that way to me, eventually, but that’s beside the point. For the new students, the soon-to-be ‘sjaars’, the last week of summer is exciting: if you’ve signed up for the famous University of Twente Kick-In, you’re in for a helluva week. Read on to learn how to prepare for it.

As a new student, you are about to have an amazing time: you are going to meet lots of new people, learn new things and experience student life to the fullest! I'm currently in my master's, so by now, I know my way around the University of Twente quite well. Of course, it took some time to get to this point. To give you a head start, here are 10 things you need to know before you start studying at the University of Twente!

If you’re me, and you’re going to stay in Enschede for a while during the summer, then it might be a good idea to plan some small day trips. Not to say Enschede has nothing to offer – our city is quite lovely and quaint, but sometimes you just want to get out for the sake of getting out. With the summer comes the perfect time to leave Enschede for a little while to experience some more of what the region has to offer!

Are you about to start university? Then you have a fun and quite exciting period ahead of you. Along the way, you’ll naturally learn the do's and don'ts of studying. But why not learn from other people's experiences as well? To help you get off to a good start: these are 16 things I wish I knew before I started studying!

Going to museums is usually never a boring experience. You get to look at cool things and read about their histories. However, for this list, I wanted to compile museums that are more than just your expensive paintings and lifelike statues. Everyone knows the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank House. How about something more… quirky? In no particular order, here’s my list of niche museums you can visit during the summer.

Going to university can be a scary thing. You’re thrown into a new environment, with new people to meet and places to explore. Making friends and forging new connections is part of the university experience, but it can be difficult to know where to start, especially if it’s your first time away from home. However, there’s good news: you’re not alone! There are so many options to step out of your comfort zone and start making friends, either at your study programme or somewhere else. In this article, I’ll show some examples of how you can build your social life at uni, and sprinkle in some bits on how I managed to call the University of Twente my home.

After months of deadlines, exams, all-nighters and projects, it's finally time to enjoy your well-deserved summer vacation. Sleeping late, scrolling on your phone and doing absolutely nothing... Until after a week or two, even that starts to get a bit boring. Don't worry, with these 14 tips, you won't be bored this summer!

Summer break is the ultimate time to hang out with friends, do fun activities and go on vacation! The only problem: your bank account, which is likely already suffering from your student life expenses, is gradually getting emptier. Therefore, making some extra money during the summer vacation isn’t a bad idea. So, here are 9 creative ways to boost your bank account!

Bucket lists are fuuun – for a couple of years now, I’ve written bucket lists of things I wanted to do during the summer… and completed none of them. I mean, I do complete some of the things on the list, but by the time the next summer comes around, it really defeats the purpose of the last bucket list, if you get what I mean. This time, however, I’ll propose a ‘realistic’ bucket list – and maybe you guys can get some ideas if you’re looking for inspiration!

Developing yourself outside your studies is never a bad idea. It provides opportunities to grow, develop new skills, participate in interesting activities and meet exciting people. At the University of Twente, there are several ways to improve your skills, and if you’re looking for a challenge, then these opportunities might just be for you. With insights from Tymur and Jakub over at the UT Journeys podcast, we've compiled five unique opportunities to further develop yourself during your time as a student.

It's finally summer, which means it's time to enjoy our well-deserved vacation! For many of us, that also means leaving our student house for a while to travel. Perhaps you're heading back to your family home, going on a road trip, or even working abroad. But, before you close the door of your student room behind you, there are a few things you shouldn't forget. Don't worry, with this checklist, you can leave and return home with peace of mind!

Presenting: for some, it’s the ultimate nightmare, for others it’s no big deal. Whether it gives you immediate anxiety or you have no problem with it at all, these tips will help you take your presentation to the next level!

Summer is finally here! And that means it's time to enjoy the sun, chill with friends and explore nice spots in Enschede. From relaxed picnics in the Volkspark to swimming at Rutbeek, these are the best spots in Enschede you should definitely visit this summer!

As a student you’ll have to do a lot of learning on your own, be it because you didn’t attend a lecture, or a professor explained the concept in a way you didn’t understand. In the Netherlands, a lot of emphasis is put on self-study, meaning you’re expected to learn individually, outside of lecture hours: lectures are meant to give you a place to start, but going in-depth is your own responsibility. Luckily, our forefathers on YouTube have paved us a path and given us priceless resources to study from, and I’ve compiled some of them just for you. So if you are an engineering student: keep on reading!

Are you reading this article to learn how to never experience stress again? Then I have to disappoint you. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a stress-free life. Everyone experiences stress from time to time and that's okay. Balancing your studies, including all the exams and deadlines, a social life, sports, work and more, is challenging, and feeling stressed occasionally is completely normal. Fortunately, there are many ways to learn to deal with stress and sometimes even prevent it.

Because who needs sleep, right? We’ve all been guilty of it, and we all hate it: all-nighters generally suck. It’s during those twilight hours, midway through your study session, that you look back at your bed and think it’s the most comfortable it’s ever looked. I should say, however, that all-nighters aren’t usually good ideas – nothing beats a full 8 hours of sleep. If you don’t have any choice, well, congratulations: you’re in for a loooong night. But we’re here to help you through it!

Are you looking for a student room in the Netherlands? Then you will undoubtedly get acquainted with the somewhat peculiar phenomenon hospiteren – the process of applying for a room in a Dutch student house. If you’re new to this concept, it may be frustrating to go to several house viewings and interviews only to get the message afterwards that you didn’t make it. However, it’s possible to get that coveted room, also as an international student – and with these nine tips, you just might increase your chances!

Studying with just Google and textbooks is a thing of the past! Nowadays, countless websites make studying easier. Of course, we all know ChatGPT by now, but there is more than that. I don’t gatekeep, so here are the most useful websites that help you study smarter and faster!

As a bachelor's student, you have quite some freedom of choice during your studies. In your third year, for example, during your elective space. While it can be great to have such freedom, it can also cause some stress. Because how do you fill that elective space? Will you go in-depth on a specific subject within your study programme, or do you want to broaden your scope and take subjects from another study programme? You might prefer to do an internship and gain work experience. Or will you go abroad for six months? Choices, choices, choices. Let us help you out with an overview of all of your options!

Life has its ups and downs, and it’s no different at university. It’s turbulent at times: exams eat you up, and then suddenly you’re free - unless you failed an exam and need to study for the resit. We’ve all failed before, from exams to personal goals and more. And while it does hurt, you’re not alone: Let me help you out with some tips to get through failure.

Whether you’re going to discuss your salary, close a deal with a client as an entrepreneur or simply want to bargain while on holiday: negotiation is a valuable skill. Why not work on it during your time as a student? In this article, student negotiator Richard will tell us all about why and how you can level up your negotiation skills before starting your professional career.

Almost every building at the University of Twente has a restaurant, each with its own charm and specialities. But how do you choose a nice spot, with so much to choose from? To save you the stress of deciding where to eat next lunch break, we've tested all the restaurants on campus for you!

In Enschede, you'll find plenty of cosy lunchrooms where you can enjoy a delicious lunch. As students, our budget may not be infinite, but thankfully, going out for lunch does not have to be that expensive. Here are the best places in Enschede where you can enjoy a delicious lunch for under €10.

Will you be moving into a student room soon? Then you are entering a fun and exciting period! Furnishing your own room is a fun experience, but it also requires some preparation. The challenge is to avoid taking too many things that will only end up cluttering your room. What do you take with you and what do you leave behind? Let’s find out!

Enschede, being a student city, has some very comfortable study spots. If you live on campus, then you’re lucky: most of the popular ones are minutes away. Those who live in the city must cycle a little more, but there are some absolute treasures around you. These study spots, carefully curated for both focus and inspiration, have served as my silent companions throughout countless nights of studying. Or… perhaps not during the night, as they do close at or before 10.

Moving out is a big and exciting step. Therefore, furnishing your own place requires quite a bit of preparation. But don't worry: with this checklist at hand, you won't overlook anything!

During your time as a student at the University of Twente, you may come across some funny-looking photos of very serious people posing in suits. That, dear reader, is probably a picture of the board of a study association – pretty much the faces of that study programme.

Preparing for university is… an experience. It’s stressful enough back home – going overseas is an entirely different beast. Getting the confirmation letter was one thing, but actually preparing for life in the Netherlands? I didn’t know where to start. Luckily, looking back, it wasn’t that bad of an ordeal, considering the huge step you’re taking in your life. There are mountains of resources you can use to help you navigate this new chapter in your journey, and now you’ll be able to add this guide to the top – I’ve been there, I’ve done that.

A classic among us students is, of course, pasta pesto. This pasta is easy, quick, cheap and delicious. Plenty of reasons why it is served in most student houses at least once a week. But how do you take this student meal to the next level? With these tips, you will transform a simple pasta pesto into a culinary masterpiece.

As a student, you will be all too familiar with the eternal struggle between making the most out of your student life and not draining your bank account too much. Luckily, there's a solution: your student ID card. This turns out to be good not only as proof of identity during exams, but also as a means to benefit from extra discounts. So, where can you get the best student deals in Enschede? Here are my recommendations!

The Netherlands, renowned for its excellent education system and vibrant student life, is currently facing a housing crisis that affects both local and international students. Finding suitable accommodation has become a significant concern, but with careful planning and resourcefulness, students can successfully secure housing.

The university open day is an important event. I have visited quite a few myself, so I know how intense such a day can be. Good preparation is crucial to get the most out of your visit. In this article, you will find the tips and tricks to make your open day a success!

Student life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Let's face it - especially regarding finances, there's often room for improvement... In this article, you'll find eight money-saving tips for students, so you won’t have to survive on instant noodles for the rest of the month (yes, we've been there).

When you start studying, you’ll face an important decision: will you move into a room in a student house, or do you prefer to live on your own in a studio or apartment? Each option has its pros and cons. Based on my own experiences, I will list the differences for you in this article!

We all know that good food and a student budget are sometimes difficult to combine. Pasta pesto and frozen pizzas will get you through the month, but sometimes you just feel like eating out without having to fully empty your bank account. Luckily, Enschede offers plenty of tasty, budget-friendly dining options. In this article, you can read my personal favourites, where you can score a tasty meal for under €15!