Political Parties


BeP
BeP is the party for all students. We want are teachers to have high standards, we care about the environment and about the financial situation of this university. Above all we want al students to participate within this university elections.
Vote BeP, vote for a better university for all students.


CSL


About the Christian Student Party Leiden (CSL)


The students active for CSL let their Christian faith inspire them in their task as Council member. We are committed to the interests of all students, basing ourselves on four core values:


1. Responsibility - for decision taking
2. Trust – in other people
3. Serviceability – to the university community
4. Solidarity – with those in needs


We have pleaded for better housing for you, and moreover, better communication on this point from the International Office and the SLS. Thanks to the CSL, there is now one desk where international students can now ask all their questions. Furthermore, the websites where international students can find rooms for rent have been significantly improved. There is, however, more to do, and we will continue to do the best we can for you and for more possibilities for international students to unite and represent themselves. For more information visit our website www.decsl.nl (check the international site under ‘English’). For questions and comments you can e-mail us at csl@plexus.leidenuniv.nl.
‘Give yourself a voice’
Vote for the CSL on vote.leidenuniv.nl!


All parties:
1. SGL
2. Bep
3. CSL
4. LVS
5. Change

More information about the elections, click here
Vote now: vote.leidenuniv.nl


Are you part of a political party and would you like to post a note (max 200 words) here or change the current note, send an E-mail to president@isn-rleiden.nl.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is the Queen's day?
On Queen’s day people celebrate the birthday of the Dutch Queen, currently Queen Beatrix. The annual date of 30 April originates from the date of birth of Queen Juliana, Beatrix’s mother. Queen’s day was originally founded in 1898, when the grandmother of Beatrix (Queen Wilhelmina) turned 18.
Although the foundation of Queen’s day was quite formal, you would not think this if you experience this festivity on the streets. Queen’s day is a national holiday, so everyone has the chance to celebrate this exciting event. This day turn out to be a big big party in all the Netherlands: in almost every town or city in Holland, Dutch people celebrate this day dressed in orange clothes (the colour of the Dutch royal family), there is music everywhere, and people eat and drink on the streets and they sell or buy second-hand goods at the flea markets.
The celebrations actually begin the night before, on Queen’s night (29 April), in fact during that night there are a lot of evenements and concerts going on in the main cities of the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and obviously ..also in Leiden. So, if you are in the in the Netherlands in those days just join Dutch people and celebrate with them and have fun!

How to vote in the University's Elections?
Between the 21st of April and the 7th of May elections will be held for the University Council, the Faculty Councils and the Student Council of LUMC. All bachelor and master international students who registered at the University before the 10th of March 2009 can vote for the University elections.
Why would you vote? The answer is clear and simple, the student councils are the appropriate body to express your concerns to and they will try to find solutions for it! If you have problems regarding study subjects, housing, study advisors or study information in English the councils will discuss it at the highest level. Often these problems will be solved quickly.
You can always cast two votes, one vote for the Faculty you are studying and one vote for the University Council. But before casting your vote, you might want to consult the programmes of the various parties, as well as the viewpoints of those standing for the 2009 elections. Although some information concerning the various parties can also be found on this site, you may also want to visit the parties’ own internet sites before casting your vote.
Links to the parties’ internet sites can be found on your right.

What are the methods of payment in the Netherlands?
All major credit cards are recognised and accepted in the Netherlands. In general they can be used in hotels, department stores, restaurants, gift shops, petrol stations, car rental agencies, etc. . But remeber, they cannot be used in supermarkets, and some shops and restaurants will not accept them, so be sure you can pay with a credit card. Opening a bank account in the Netherlands is very useful as you receive a bank card called pinpas, which is accepted in almost all shops! In any case,, it is wise to inquire first when paying in smaller shops. Moreover, most bankcards in the Netherlands are equipped with ‘chipknip’, which is easily recognisable as the gold-coloured chip on your card. It works like a digital wallet (knip is the Dutch popular word for wallet), and it is designed to pay small amounts of up to 15 euros. It can be recharged at almost every ATM in the Netherlands, a separate charger is available next to the ATM machine. If you do not have a Dutch bankcard, you can buy pre-paid chipknips. Chipknips are widely used to buy food, drinks and copy cards at the faculty buildings in Leiden. As an alternative, there is always the old-fashioned cash method, that will always work. Keep in mind that Dutch shops will only accept Euros

I am confused about the Dutch grading system, can you please help me with that?
Here is a general student-friendly explanation for the Dutch grading system:
10 = perfect, mark for the tutor, normally not given to students
9.5 = almost perfect, rarely given to students
9.0 = outstanding performance
8.5 = very good performance, usually the highest mark given to students
8.0 = good performance
7.5 = adequate performance
7.0 = clear pass
6.5 = pass
6.0 = low pass
5.5 = marginal pass
5.0 = marginal fail
< 5.0 = clear fail

I would like to talk to my professor but I don’t know how to approach him/her. My fellow (Dutch) colleagues often call them by their first name, but that is not usual in my culture and I don’t feel comfortable doing so. What is the best way to approach him/her?
It is always okay to approach you professor or any other university staff members with Mr. or Mrs. If they prefer to be called by their first name, they will indicate so, otherwise you can approach them in a way you are comfortable with.

My course instructor keeps on speaking Dutch. What should I do?
If you are accepted into an English-language program, it is not at all acceptable for your instructors to communicate in any other language than English. In case you find yourself in this situation, don’t be afraid and let the instructor know immediately. If this problem persists, you can inform the Study Advisor of your faculty. Also, the ISN-R board members are more than willing to always hear you out, give advice and act on problems if there’s a need for that. If you have language-related or any other issues, feel free to contact us.

Do I as a student get a discount for transportation costs?
Trains: Dutch students can travel for free but this is not applicable for international students. However Dutch students can take up to 4 passengers with them for a discount of 40%. Alternatively, you can get a 40% Discount card yourself, which costs 50,-EUR for one year. You should inquire about this at the Ticket Service in the train station. Please note that the discount is not valid in the mornings before 9am on weekdays. It is also possible to buy a frequent traveller ticket for trains which is worthwhile if you are taking the train every day. Buses: If you are planning to take a bus, you should buy the strippenkaart (national bus and tram card). You can purchase it in the main supermarkets, "kiosk" or at the post office. You can also get a personal frequent traveller ticket for buses. Otherwise we do advise you to get a bike - it's cheap, healthy and an easy way to travel around in the Netherlands.

What does it mean: Fiets fout = fiets weg? Bike wrong = bike gone!
Bicycle is the most popular mean of transportation for the majority of the students. But you have to pay attention on where you put your bike. Bikes can be parked only in the proper spaces, if bikes are put on a wrong place the community of Leiden will remove your bike. One of the most problematic areas is the Central Station, because every day around 7000 bike are parked there, so that area is often checked and many bikes are removed. If you cannot find your bike and you think it could be removed, don’t panic: you can have it back! First you have to go Willem Barentszstraat 20, only on Mondays from 14.00 till 16.00 hours, or on Wednesdays from 18.00 till 20.00, and you have to bring a valid identity card, the key of your bike lock and you have to pay 26 euro (only with a pin-payment). So, be aware: if you are in a hurry and you park your bike not in the apposite place, you may not find it anymore whene your back!

What should I do if I need a doctor?
In the Netherlands only in real emergencies is it possible to go to a hospital directly without being referred by a general practitioner (GP). So, in the majority of the cases you have to go to a GP or family doctor, that in Dutch is called: huisarts. He or she is your main link to any specialist or hospital. Please note that your health insurance will not cover the cost of a non-emergency visit to the first aid department of a hospital. If you are in doubt about the urgency, you are advised to phone the special GP emergency post first!
Generally you are advised to choose a GP practising in your neighbourhood, but not all doctors are able to accept new patients. The first thing to do is to register at a GP’s surgery. If you need to go to the doctor in most cases you need to make an appointment before you visit him or her. Whether you will get an appointment the same day depends on the degree of urgency.//

Are there Museums in Leiden?
In Leiden there are a number of museums that you maybe don’t know yet, for istance, you can discover how a windimill works and how it looks like from the inside at the Valk Molenmuseum. If you are interested in science you can visit the Hortus Botanicus and Naturalis. Then, you can learn more about the long term relantionship between the Netherlands and Japan in the Sieboldhuis. Moreover, if you are interested in Antropology then you can’t miss the Volkenkunde Museum. In the end, for what concerns art and history you can rely on the Museum van Oudheden, which contains also an Egyptian collection and on the Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal in which you can learn a lot about Rembrant, the famous painter, and Leiden. If you want to make a cultural journey in Leiden and in the rest of the Netherlands then the Museumkaart could be useful, in fact this card gives you free access to more than 400 museums in the Netherlands. So, you can visit without costs a lot of museums in Leiden but also in Amsterdam, for example the Van Gogh Museum, and many others in the rest of the country.

What to do during Easter?
After the intense examination weeks it is time to relax: Easter is coming! There won’t be classes for a couple of days. For all the student who are staying in Leiden during this short vacation, some activities are available.
In the Netherlands during Easter you can find flea markets in almost every city, with second hand articles and unique goods, and a market like this will take place also in Leiden.
Additionally the Circus of Moscow will be in town, if you are interested. Moreover, there are many concerts, one of them is Tulp Pop in Lisse with some Dutch artists. If you want to spend Easter in the capital in Amsterdam you’ll find an ‘Easter Fair’ at the Dam.
Besides, in many villages some Easter Eggs Hunting are organized, and in Nieuwkoop, for example, you’ll go by boat to a small island which is situated in the middle of a lake and search there the Easter Eggs. During Easter the University and its facilities will be closed, but if you need to work on the computer or just want to exercise you can do it at the Plexus Centre which will be open also on Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday from 12.00 to 18.00 hours.
So, we hope that in these days you can do what you want, just take your time and have fun!

Summary of Survey International Office


Thank you all for filling out the survey about the registration at the international office. The average score for the general performance was 6.6, varying between 3 and 9, which in our opinion is not all too bad, but requires improvement. We are happy to see that some of you are very satisfied with the IO and were able to settle down rather easily. However, others were very disappointed and had to face difficulties when it came to admission, help in finding housing, receiving correct information, town hall registration, etc.

What will ISN-R do about this?
We have met with the head of the admission office, Ms.Zeeman, to present the results of this survey and see how the situation can be improved;

• As there was some confusion about the registration at the town hall, we were promised that the IO will review the deal with the town hall and make sure that international students are aloud to make an appointment with the town hall on their own if they see fit.

• Special attention will be paid to students who do not arrive in the regular arrival period (August/September and January/February), so they can get equal guidance. They will be appointed a guide who will help them through the whole procedure of registration.

• The requirements for finalizing all legal aspects for settling down in Leiden differ depending on your nationality, duration of stay and level of study. ISN-R will make an overview of all the requirements of the different groups of students and provide the future students with this information, through our website.

• Unfortunately, the housing issue is a very big and complicated one, which obviously need more attention. Therefore, we would like to ask you all to fill out our housing Survey. Together with BRES, the organization that represent the students living in SLS houses, we will address all housing issues to the University as well as the housing agencies and compile a list of suggestions to improve the situation. Meanwhile we offer you the opportunity to exchange rooms by posting advertisements in the Common Room, on our website and/or our facebook group: ISN-Representation Leiden (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37962394320#/group.php?gid=37962394320)

Summary of Survey Expectations/Concerns


The board of ISN-R would like to thank you all for filling out our first survey. We have summarized your feedback.

Housing
When it comes to housing, it seems most of you were expecting the process to be much easier and much cheaper. The housing issue is a big one, and we’ll be working to make the situation better. We will talk to University officials as well as some housing agencies to see how this situation can be improved. Unfortunately, this is not an issue that can be solved within a short amount of time. Meanwhile, we have several tips on finding housing under the Housing tab on the ISN-R website (www.isn-rleiden.nl). Some of the links are in Dutch only. Therefore we will organize monthly gatherings in the Common Room where we will have Dutch speaking students to translate the content and help you apply for rooms.
The first gathering will be on Thursday, October 23, 3-7 pm.
To have a more detailed overview about the housing situation, we will have another survey just about Housing. Keep an eye out for the housing gatherings and the housing survey!!

Academics
We are glad to see that most of you are motivated and ready for success when it comes to academics. Most people indicated that they expected the coming semester to be challenging but extremely rewarding. Good luck to everyone!
Of course, if your expectations are not fulfilled, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@isn-rleiden.nl or come to the Common Room on Tuesdays or Thursdays 3-7 pm to discuss any issues and try to find a solution together.

Social Life
Everyone was excited about the promise of an interesting social life. Most of you said you were most excited about making new friends from as many different countries, cultures and backgrounds as possible (including Dutch people when you can find them!)
We will try our best to introduce you to as many students, Dutch and international, as possible so you can meet these expectations. The best way to really get to know different cultures and show a part of your culture to others is to get involved in the Cultural Festival!! Now is the perfect time to truly get to know the world!

ISN-R
We would like to thank you all for the very positive feedback about ISN-R. It is good to know that we have been able to provide you with the support you needed so far.
We encourage you all to speak your mind, don’t be silent! Let us know about the negative as well as positive experiences regarding any field of the student life!

General Notes/Suggestions
Many of you have voiced your interest in meeting more Dutch students.
We will try harder to get more Dutch students involved with ISN-R. We will soon advertise our committees and activities to Dutch students with the help of some faculties.