4. Arrange before arrival

1. If applicable, apply for visa
2. Arrange accommodation (Note that the housing situation in Groningen can be difficult. We advise you to start your search as soon as you have received your Letter of Invitation and your exchange programme has been officially confirmed)
3. Activate your UG account (activation instructions will be sent to your private email address, check your Spambox)
4. Upload your photograph to get your student card
5. Arrange your trip to Groningen; make sure to be in Groningen in time for all compulsory events
6. Arrange health insurance
7. If applicable, arrange your Learning Agreement (it is possible that your home university provides this document and it needs to be signed by us)
8. Register for an ESN buddy
9. Take a look at the academic calendar to find out when you have lectures, exam periods and holidays

10. Read the handbook for international students to learn about studying at the Faculty of Arts, student services and support, and ‘leisure management’ in Groningen.

Welcoming Ceremony

Attending this programme for all new international students at the University of Groningen will help you arrange a lot of practical and legal matters in one day. The programme includes a university fair featuring information on social, cultural, language, sports, housing office, computer and other facilities. Participants will be: City Hall, AON health insurance, Immigration Authorities and many more.  

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts

In addition to the Welcoming Ceremony, there is a welcoming event especially for exchange students of the Faculty of Arts. We will inform you about studying and student life at the Faculty of Arts.

Personal appointments

In addition to the fun introduction events, you have to finalize your course registration, find out your timetable and register for seminar groups. During the introduction week, we will organize personal (online) appointments with our enrolment officer, incoming exchange coordinator and other employees of the Exchange Team for these matters.

During these appointments you can ask us questions about: finalizing your timetable (i.e. overlapping courses, location problems etc.) and adding or dropping courses.

Academic skills lecture

During the Introduction Week all exchange students at the Faculty of Arts attend our mandatory Academic Skills lecture. In this interactive lecture we’ll tell you about the skills you need in order to be successful in your studies here.

Attendance

We sincerely hope you will make every effort possible to attend the introduction week.

Please realize that arriving late and missing one of the events will have serious consequences as:

1. you may have overlap in your timetable. Solving this after the introduction week will be difficult;
2. lecturers will not allow late arrivals to their courses;
3. you will need to take care of the many practical and legal matters by yourself which is much more time consuming and difficult.

Students who are genuinely delayed by illness, accident, travel difficulties, bureaucratic errors or any other problems should always inform us well in advance!

If your Learning Agreement/Before Mobility form/Certificate of Arrival has not been signed yet, have it signed during the introduction week. You can send it to us via email: exchange.in.arts rug.nl.