Bitterballen during the Dutch Diner, which is part of the Winter AID. Photo Guy Ackermans There will be no traditional winter AID this year. Instead, there will be a winter edition of the W’meet U-days (on 5, 6 and 7 February) to welcome new students to WUR and Wageningen.
‘We value a warm welcome for students, but we have altered and condensed the programme compared to previous editions’, says Lisa Nguyen of the Student Service Center, which traditionally organised the Winter AID.
The introduction days in February 2025 will continue under the W’meet U-days, which have been taking place just after the summer AID for several years now. Nguyen: ‘These days offer new students who are unable to attend the summer AID a chance to get to know the campus and the city.’ They are introduced to the Dutch traffic laws and meet other WUR students, for example. ‘Evaluations show that this programme was well-appreciated, which is why we will repeat it for the students starting in February.’
Fewer students, different needs
Nguyen explains that the W’meet U-days differ from the traditional AID. ‘A significant portion of the students starting in February are exchange students. Their needs often differ from those of students who spend a longer time here. Hence, we leave out the information on student club life, for example, and there is more time to get to know each other.’
One of the reasons the programme is changed is the fact that the number of students coming to Wageningen in February has dropped in recent years. ‘We expect some 200 students now, as opposed to well over 300 a few years ago’, says Nguyen. ‘The lower numbers enable us to provide the same essential information in a shorter time span. Moreover, evaluations showed that students felt a five-day winter AID was rather intense just before the start of their studies the following Monday.’
Summer AID
While the screens in the buildings show a promotional video to recruit new AID board members, the organisation of the summer AID is about to start. Nguyen: ‘There are more students on the board this year, which lowers the workload and makes contributing more alluring to students. The group is not complete yet, so you can still apply and contribute to a great start for new students this summer.’
