This is a difficult time for many students. There is little social contact and most of the education is taking place on a screen. Stress, discomfort and loneliness can lead to feeling bleak and listless. To help you cope with these feelings, this page contains an overview of available support and initiatives - from activities that connect you with others to help provided by coaches and psychologists.
Why not take one of the free self-help E-Health modules offered specifically for UvA students? You can choose from the following modules: Dealing with coronavirus stress, Loneliness as a result of the coronavirus and Working from home.
Is something bothering you? Are you feeling down or stressed? Talking to someone helps! UpTalk's professional coaches will be happy to see what they can do for you. You can call them any day of the week. UpTalk is an initiative of Thrive Amsterdam Mentaal Gezond in conjunction with Mindmasters, Jouw GGD and @Ease.
They also offer videos with helpful tips for dealing with worry or dealing with negative thoughts in your head.
Every two weeks, the student counsellors give a short workshop on how to deal with studying from home. In the workshop, you will discuss the various challenges and get started on a plan.
You can also get in touch with a student psychologist. If you need it, the psychologist can offer a listening ear during the coronavirus crisis.
The study advisers can offer support if you would like to talk to someone about your studies. They can be reached by telephone or online. For contact details, go to the student page and choose your degree programme from the list. Then look under the Study advisers heading in the A-Z list.
Although everyone is probably suffering from negative feelings at the moment, it is particularly important to contact your GP if you are feeling depressed and this is starting to take over your life. If you do not have one, you can register with the UvA General Practitioners Practice.
If you are battling with suicidal thoughts or need support, please visit the website for suicide prevention at www.113.nl or reach out by calling 113 or 0800-0113. Help is available in both Dutch and English. UvA students outside the Netherlands can use the 113 chat service.
UvA Walks puts you in touch with another student so you can walk together. If you sign up, you will receive the contact details of your walking buddy at the end of the week so you can make an appointment together.
If you do not live in Amsterdam, you can sign up for a ‘phone walk’: once you have signed up, you will be given the phone number of a student you can chat to on the phone during your walk.
Wondr Walk is a student-driven project that connects young people from Amsterdam for weekly walks. The four-week programme consists of four different walks. Each walk has a different theme connecting to wellbeing and the participants will be provided with ice-breakers, guiding questions and a small activity.
Once you sign up, Wondr Walks matches pairs based on the living area in Amsterdam, common hobbies and interests.
You can meet people with the same interests via the Niluk app. Instead of large events, you can organise activities in small groups. The idea is to have offline contact, especially now that so many aspects of our lives are taking place online.
Did you know that people who eat with others on a regular basis tend to feel happier? Eating with people you have not met before allows you to get to know each other in a fun way. If you would like to meet new people at a video dinner, create an account, and Stichting Eet Mee will look for a good match for you.
The number of vulnerable students who need to use the UvA's study facilities is increasing. Over the past few months, the number of spaces has therefore been tripled to just over 2,000 spaces. We are currently working hard to further expand the number of study and collaboration spaces. These will gradually become available over the coming period.
Since we want to offer a space to everyone who needs one, please let the Library know if you have reserved a space but no longer intend to use it. The space can then be made available to someone else. For the latest updates on study spaces and how to make a reserveration, check out the Library website.
Even when you are at home, it is still nice to be able to see your fellow students. After all, you are not the only person who is studying! On MS Teams, you will find the Onlinebrary, a motivating and inspiring online study environment where you can concentrate on studying together and can meet up digitally.
Want to learn how to use Photoshop? Or maybe you're interested in a writing course? The range of courses for the first period (starting in February) of spring 2021 has been posted online! In spring, you can start an eight-week course at two points: at the beginning of February and in April.
Are you looking for support relating to studying itself? Not sure whether you have made the right choice? Are you interested in upgrading your skills for after your studies? Or perhaps you are curious about the possibilities for psychological guidance or e-coaching? Take one of the Student Services workshops!
Stay fit and active at home by taking advantage of the free USC video workouts. You can choose between fitness, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, dance and more.
Would you prefer to follow a workout live via Zoom? If so, take out a USC online subscription. A single subscription allows you to participate in unlimited online lessons.
Walking every day is important for your physical and mental health. Fancy a challenge? Why not team up with friends to download Ommetje, an app that gives you points when you go on a walk? The more you walk, the higher your ranking on the leaderboard!
The UvA Health Week will take place from 12-17 April. You can participate in free sports classes, meditation workshops, follow lectures about health-related topics and much more. Want to be the first to know when you can register for activities?