GENERAL INFORMATION

During your time as an Earth Science student at the University of Amsterdam, it is likely that eventually you will run into some issues regarding for example student life, contacts with Faculty  of Science, Mathematics and Informatics (FNWI) and the Earth Science programme, your housing situation and fieldwork adventures. As GAOS has years of experience in dealing with these issues, we have compiled some useful and important study related information. If the information you need can not be found here, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Contacts within Earth Science and the FNWI

The Earth Science Programme is part of the FNWI of the UvA. Together with other study associations of the FNWI, GAOS has regular meetings with the faculty’s student council and the dean. Here, the associations and student council can raise issues regarding study spaces, management of drinks and events within the FNWI and issues that may occur within one of the associations. If you, as a student, have issues, questions or ideas regarding the faclty management or science education in general you may also contact the Faculty Students Council (FSR) directly yourself.

Also, within the Earth Science programme itself, you may wonder whom to contact for which information. For general information on the programme you can contact dr. Albert Tietema. In case you have questions about application procedures, graduations, grades and SIS or other procedures you should contact the Education Service Desk instead.

In case you have personal questions regarding your study progress, issues such as a lack of motivation or internship/graduation issues, you can contact the study advisor for master students in biological sciences and earth science, Marly van den Boom. She can also consult you in case you need advice regarding studying abroad. If your personal issues are of a more serious nature, you could consider contacting one of the students physchologists. This may sound like a big step, but they are there especially for students who experience personal issues such as excessive stress, failure anxiety, family-issues and depression.

Who                                                                    Email                                                    Location

Faculty Students Council                                 fnwi@studentenraad.nl                    Science Park B0.112

ES Programme Coordinator                           msc-earth-sciences@uva.nl              Science Park C3.221

Education Service Centre                                servicedesk-esc-sciences@uva.nl    Science Park Central Hall, 1st floor

Earth Science Study Advisor                           m.d.vandenboom@uva.nl                ESC Servicedesk B1.37

Student Psychologists                                     studpsy-sts@uva.nl                            Roetersstraat 11, Roeterseiland Building

Work and Internship

Almost all Earth Science students have a small side job alongside their studies to make some extra money. Of course you can always find work in a café or a callcenter, but the UvA and partners of GAOS offer many jobs for students. There are often vacancies for students helping out during open days and information days, or as a teacher’s assistant. If you are interested in an Earth Science related job or work at the UvA, do not hesitate to contact GAOS or a professor directly. Additionally, check the GAOS Facebook page regularly, where jobs and internships are often shared.

Saving Money

Saving money is a very rewarding strategy students. Although most students are quite aware of the numerous subsidies they qualify for, it doesn’t hurt to review them briefly. Here you can calculate how much you could save with subsidies on your health insurance and rent. If you have a job alongside your studies you probably qualify for “loonheffingskorting”. If you indicate with your employer that you wish you use this subsidy and you qualify, this means your employer pays less tax for you which is reflected in slightly higher wages. Contact your employer to arrange this. Through Mijntoeslagen.nl you can request health care and rent benefit. As a student, 99% of the cases you qualify for these benefits. If you are renting from a landlord or another party than one of the larger student housing corporations, it may also be worthwhile to check whether the rent that you are paying is within the legal maximum for the type of housing you are renting. You can calculate this online on the website of the Huurcommissie (Renters committee). If you find that you are paying too much rent you can get assistance from the Renters Committee to assail your excessive rent.

A last option to save money is to check whether you are qualified for remission of municipal taxes. If you rent an independent room (i.e if you have your own front door) you will probably have to pay municipal taxes. You can request remission by handing in several documents containing your wages, benefits, rental contract etc. You can check how to do this on the website of the municipality of Amsterdam or by calling 14 020. If you are a student and do not have a ridicilous amount of savings you will probably get remission.

Fieldwork 101

Going on fieldwork if an important part of an Earth Science related career. It can however, be costly or even risky, so making sure you are well insured and well subsidised can make a large difference. The UvA offers a basic fieldwork insurance, which covers you for amongst other things theft and accidents given that you have adhered to the guidelines of the fieldwork as stated in the fieldwork declaration. You have received this declaration at the beginning of your studies, and it is available from the ESC.

Apart from insurance you could consider getting additional individual insurances (for instance medical consults abroad). Here, you can compare travel insurances. It is important to check whether your current travelling insurance covers you for study trips or internships, as additional costs and different conditions may apply.

Fieldwork can be a costly part of your study, but there are several funds available to help you out financially. The AUF, the fund supplied by UvA alumni, has very often provided some money for Earth Science students making high travelling expenses for a non-compulsary course, thesis- or internship research or the GAOS Trip Abroad. Here you can check how to apply for this subsidy. GAOS has examples from previous years available on request. In case the fieldwork is part of a compulsory course, these funds usually do not apply. Another option, for master or PhD students travelling alone for their thesis, internship or a scientific congress is the grant from GNGH (Genootschap).