‘Get Ready’, a three-day pilot programme for students seeking additional background information and tools to truly feel at home within the UvA, was organized for the first time at the end of August. This programme aims to give these students the extra preparation they might need for a great start to their degree programme. If the pilot is deemed a success, the summer school will be rolled out across more of the UvA next year.
21-23 August 2019
More successful students
The programme focuses on increasing self-confidence and becoming part of the UvA community, which contributes to a sense of security and a more successful study career. Over the course of three days, the incoming students attend various lectures and training sessions. Students from senior years provide guidance, share their UvA experiences and answer questions.
First-generation students
The UvA would like all new students to feel welcome and at home at the University. This is not necessarily the case for everyone, which can be for various reasons. For example, a student might be the first person in their family to ever go to university. For Kevin Ly, a Business Administration student, the programme was ‘a warm welcome in a completely new environment’. He says: ‘In my first week of classes I quickly felt at home at the university, which would have been harder to do if I hadn’t participated in Get Ready. This programme helps make the transition between secondary and higher education a bit easier, especially if you’re a first-generation student’.
Fatima Kamal is an Interdisciplinary Social Sciences student and also works as educator at the Chief Diversity Officer team. She is one of the organizers of Get Ready. She looks back on the successful programme days: ‘As a first-generation student myself, I definitely could have used this kind of programme during my studies. That’s why it feels extra special to be able to offer this programme to new students now. I had a great time and found it very rewarding. The programme not only ensures that students are better prepared for their studies but also boosts their confidence. On top of that, they’ve got to know fellow students with whom they’ll be able to study and socialize with from now on’.
Pilot
This first summer school programme for first-generation students was a pilot organized by the three faculties on the Roeterseiland Campus: the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the Faculty of Law (FdR) and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG). The summer school was created in collaboration with Student Services, the Diversity Officers and a great many students from the three participating faculties. The pilot will be evaluated in the period ahead, including during a welcome-back day in January for the students who attended. If the pilot is deemed a success, the summer school will be rolled out across more of the UvA next year.
You can also read the article in Folia about Get Ready (in Dutch)
