Located in the town of La Haye auxs Netherlands home to numerous international institutions, the university Collège universitaire de Leyde (LUC) offers a program of “Licence en arts et sciences libérales.
Ce parcours académique, regroupant près de 200 élèves par année de plus de 50 nationalités différentes, permet aux étudiant.e.s d’être au cœur des enjeux mondiaux actuels. Anya, élève en première année de Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences nous parle de son expérience.
Profile
FIRST NAME:AnyaNATIONALITY: Frenchçaise
COURSE NAME : Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences
UNIVERSITY NAME : Leiden University College, The Hague
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED Bac général mention Bien, specializing in English literature and SVT
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Lycée Baudimont-Saint-Charles, Arras (62)
Study abroad
Why did you choose to study abroad?
I wanted to go abroad and had been speaking English fluently since college. Once I was a senior, I realized that I didn’t know how to apply to universities abroad. Thanks to the advice of >Adam from YourDreamSchoolI chose to continue my studies in the Netherlands. I originally wanted to study in Canada, but I couldn’t see myself moving so far away from my family, as I’ve always lived in France.
Why did you choose Leiden University College?
I had several video meetings with Adam because I didn’t know which Bachelor to choose after Terminale. We talked about several universities in the Netherlands but I chose Leiden University College and the Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences program. It’s a honours programme which is selective. I appreciated the broad range of themes on offer and the possibility of specializing in the second year of the Bachelor’s degree.
What other choices did you make after the baccalauréat?
I registered on Parcoursup to be on the safe side and because I still wasn’t sure I’d be accepted at Leiden University College. I chose applied foreign language licenses (LEA) at the Catholic Universities of Paris and Lille and at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
What was the admissions process like?
First I had to pass English tests. to obtain the level required for LUC.
Cela a été la partie la plus difficile car je n’avais pas un niveau d’anglais suffisant.
J’ai suivi des cours d’anglais avec Your Dream School, travaillé personnellement et j’ai passé plusieurs fois >IELTS.
Pour le dossier d’admission, j’ai dû préparer un CV et une lettre de motivation en fonction des questions que l’université avait transmises.
J’ai envoyé mon dossier début décembre, en sachant que je n’avais toujours pas la note de l’IELTS demandée par l’université.
J’ai donc dû continuer à travailler mon anglais.
En mai, j’ai eu une interview avec un professeur de l’université.
Après cette épreuve orale, j’ai attendu un mois avant de recevoir ma réponse d’admission.
J’ai été admise sous conditions.
Je devais leur fournir le résultat de mon IELTS avant le 1 er July and my baccalaureate transcript. I sent a copy of my transcript by post. I also had to prepare a “placement test” in Mathematics, as I hadn’t had this subject in Terminale. Depending on the results obtained, a mathematics course may be required in the first year.
How did you find your accommodation?
As this is a selective and “residential” Bachelor’s program, LUC allocates a room to each first-year and second-year student on campus. At the end of July, the university sent us the dates on which we were to take possession of our rooms. There were three days during which students were allocated to settle in.
First-year courses
How did you choose your courses and which ones did you choose?
Courses are divided into blocks, i.e. half-semesters. Each block lasts about two months. The courses are different for each block. The first block runs from the beginning of September to the end of October. We couldn’t choose our courses for this first half-semester. All first-year Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences students had a History of Philosophy course, a Statistics course, an Academic Writing course and a Diversity course, which is the first course in “Global Challenges”. Global Challenges” courses are a special feature of LUC’s Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences program. These are four compulsory courses: Diversity, Sustainable Development and Ecology, Peace and Justice, Prosperity. They address global social issues. We have two “global challenges” sessions a week. The first was supposed to be an amphitheater class, but with COVID they’ve changed it to a podcast. Then I have a “seminar” session, which is the equivalent of a TD. There are around twenty students in each class.
For the second block, which starts at the beginning of November and ends in mid-December, I still have the History of Philosophy and Academic Writing courses, as these are semester-long courses. I have chosen a sociolinguistics course and I have the global challenge course Sustainable Development. For the third block, which starts in January, we have the global challenge course Peace and Justice. For the fourth block, we have a Mathematics course, a Prosperity course and another elective course. Each first-year student must choose two elective courses during the year on the themes of the major he or she wishes to enter in the second year.
Do you like the way block courses work?
There are advantages and disadvantages. At first, I was worried that the pace would be fast and that I wouldn’t have enough time to assimilate the knowledge. However, the teachers make sure that the students adapt. I also like the format of changing courses every two months. You discover new subjects and that enriches your knowledge and allows you to meet new people.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
Initially, I found it difficult to adapt because the courses and teaching methods are different from what I knew in France. However, I find the courses very interesting. I like the fact that it’s not just about assimilating knowledge and passing it on in exams. These are courses where we’re encouraged to think, to think for ourselves and to express our opinions.
I also had difficulties with my English. Many students are native speakers or bilingual. I didn’t dare take part in the oral part. As for written expression, I’m not used to using specific vocabulary and writing complex sentences in essays. I feel this in my first marks and teachers’ assessments. However, I’m not too demanding with myself, as I know that a period of adaptation is necessary.
Does the university offer a tutoring or support system for students who want to improve their English?
The university does not offer tutors or group work to improve our level of English. On the other hand, in the first semester, the quality of English is not taken into account in assessments and exams. This is to give non-bilingual students time to adapt and progress, at least for the first six months.
How many hours of lessons do you have a week?
I have a maximum of 3h30 lessons a day. For example, my most intense day is Monday, when I have two 1h45 classes. The rest of the week, I have 1h45 of classes per day. So that’s a total of 10h30 of lessons per week. This leaves us free time to do our homework and take part in extracurricular activities. It’s a big difference from high school. In Terminale, my days started at 9 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., with 3 hours of homework afterwards. It was a tiring rhythm. In the Bachelor’s program at LUC, we certainly have a heavy workload, but we have time to do it, and I also have time to take care of myself.
Do you have a lot of texts to read before each class?
Yes, it’s an educational method that I didn’t know about before I started my Bachelor’s at LUC. There are a lot of texts to read before each session. This can sometimes take up to three or four hours a day. Some teachers may also ask students to read academic works from one week to the next.
How do the exams work? the end of each block, we have a week called “reading week”. .
C’est une semaine d’examens durant laquelle nous avons beaucoup d’essais à rendre et d’examens sur table.
Pour les cours qui durent un semestre, il y a des midterms mid-semester and final exams.
Are there lots of international students and lots of French students? There are lots of French-speaking students, but not necessarily French. Nationalities vary and I’ve met students from all over the world!
Student life on campus
How is student life organized on the LUC campus?
We have a single building that serves as the LUC campus. The second floors are reserved for classrooms, the library and teachers’ areas. From the fifth floor of the building up to the twenty-first floor, there is accommodation for first-year and second-year students. We all lived together and were divided by floor according to our nationalities, ages and interests. During the summer, the university sends us a questionnaire which they use to put together the rooms. In the third year, we have to find our own accommodation.
What’s it like to be part of an association?
There are many associations and clubs. At the beginning of the year, a day is devoted to presenting all the student associations. All extracurricular fields are represented: sports, art, meditation, reflection, literature, music. There are also LGBTQ, feminist and ethnic community associations. I’m thinking of joining the dance club and the association that organizes student parties and events.
How would you describe the working environment and student life?
It’s a very good working environment. We have the choice of studying and working in our room or in the library. We also have a group work area on the second floor of the building, with cubicles for up to four students. I find this a welcoming environment and it motivates me to work. We also have access to the buildings and library of Leiden University (LU).
Could you tell us what you like best about LUC and what you’d like to see improved?
One of the aspects of student and academic life that I enjoy most at LUC is living with the other Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences students. It can be hard to leave your family after graduating, especially if you’ve been used to living with them. I also like the fact that I can express myself freely in class and that everyone can give their opinion. It makes for interesting discussions. I also find the course content extremely enriching and based on major current issues. I don’t see any particular areas for improvement.
Into the future
What are your plans for the future?
I have to choose a major for my second year of my Bachelor’s degree. I think I’ll major in Governance, Economics and Development. Then I’d like to do a Master’s degree in communications in France or Canada.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for students who want to join LUC?
I’d tell them that it’s not out of reach and that it’s an incredible experience that will teach you so much. The selection criteria can be scary, especially the level of English, but the school is looking for candidates with perseverance and determination. Don’t give up!
