Founded in 1636, the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands is home to some 30,000 students. The Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences offered by the University College of Utrecht gives students the opportunity to build their academic curriculum at the crossroads of several disciplines: the Humanities, the Sciences and the Social Sciences.
Julian, a first-year Bachelor student, tells us about his experience.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Julian
NATIONALITY : French
NAME OF COURSE FOLLOWED : Liberal Arts and Sciences
UNIVERSITY NAME : University College Utrecht
BACCALAURÉAT TYPE AND RESULT Baccalauréat franco-allemand, French baccalauréat mention Bien and Abitur, German baccalauréat, obtained with an average of 1.7/6
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Lycée Richelieu in Rueil Malmaison
Study abroad
What was your educational background before entering Utrecht University?
I went to a French lycée-collège in Germany.
I learned German and English.
I was interested in literary subjects and political science.
Then I went to lycée in France.
I joined the Franco-German Abibac section from Seconde to Terminale.
I was very interested in literature, philosophy and economic and social sciences.
In Première, I chose the Humanités, Littérature et Philosophie (HLP), Sciences Économiques et Sociales (SES) and Histoire Géographie Géopolitique et Science Politique (HGGSP) specializations.
I also chose the History of Art option.
In Terminale, I chose the HLP and SES specialties.
I also chose the “Droit et Enjeux du monde contemporain” option because I wanted to go into law after high school.
I really liked this speciality.
Why did you choose to study abroad?
I’ve been used to moving between Germany, France and Italy.
I’ve always had this international dimension in my academic and personal life.
What’s more, I couldn’t find a Bachelor’s degree in France with the kind of academic openness offered by Utrecht University.
Nevertheless, I registered on Parcoursup and made ten choices, including law degrees at Assas and the Sorbonne, and the Bachelor’s degree at SciencesPo Paris.
Why did you choose Utrecht University?
I chose Utrecht University because the Bachelor’s degree offered more thematic options and led to a variety of professional careers.
I also applied for the Bachelor’s degree at ESADE Business School in Barcelona.
However, I preferred to go for a more general curriculum with courses on the Humanities.
What is your Bachelor’s degree and why did you choose it?
I am in my first year of Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences at Utrecht College University.
It’s a three-year Bachelor’s degree.
During the first two years, we can choose our subjects from different themes: Social Sciences, Sciences or Humanities.
Then we have to choose two subjects in which we will specialize.
In the third year of the Bachelor’s program, we have to write a thesis on these two subjects.
I chose this Bachelor’s degree because I didn’t know what professional field I wanted to go into, and I wanted to join a course that would give me great flexibility.
The admission process and administrative procedures
What was the admissions and selection process like?
For the admissions process I sent University College Utrecht my CV along with a cover letter of about one page and a detailed description of my extracurricular activities.
I also had to provide the results of the IELTS English language test (minimum 7 and 6.5 per section required) and my high school transcripts.
After sending in my application, I was declared eligible and had an interview with a teacher at the university.
Following this interview, I received my offer of admission!
What administrative and educational steps have you taken?
I had to have administrative and academic documents signed and stamped by my lycée in France to enter the first year in Utrecht.
The rest of the process involved choosing my courses at the beginning of the year.
1st year courses
Which courses have you chosen?
The year is divided into two semesters of four courses.
The courses change each semester.
For the first semester, I chose Introduction to Law, Introduction to Philosophy and a comparative politics course.
My fourth course is a compulsory methodology course called “Research and Context”.
My favorite course is Comparative Politics because the sessions are interactive, with debates and discussions between students and with the teacher.
I feel I learn a lot about international political news and global political systems.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
The beginning of the semester was difficult.
For example, in France, I had never learned how to reference works in an essay, how to construct a bibliography and how to conduct academic research.
These were two methodological aspects I hadn’t mastered.
What’s more, even though I had a good level of English, the first month of classes in English was more complicated than expected.
You tire quickly and take longer to think.
However, the compulsory methodology course helped a lot and I also have a personal tutor.
Thanks to the support offered by the University, the transition from English to French has gone smoothly.
Do you have a lot of work to do in the first year of your Bachelor’s degree?
Given that I was doing a double degree in high school, my opinion may be biased.
In high school, I had 40 hours of classes a week.
The pace was very intense, whereas in the first year of my Bachelor’s degree at University College Utrecht I had 15 hours of classes a week.
It’s a lot of personal work and reading, but I don’t feel overwhelmed!
How do the exams work?
We have midterms and final exams.
The format of the exams varies from course to course.
For example, for my Introduction to Philosophy course I had two midterms essays to do as personal work.
For the Politics course, I had an in-class exam with several questions.
How many pupils are there in each class?
Since students choose their own courses, there are no classes like in high school.
Classes change and are made up of around 25 students each.
The format of the group classes is one of discussion and exchange.
It’s very interactive and not a lecture, as the teacher interacts with us and asks us questions.
Student life on campus
What’s student life like on campus?
I’m on a campus with academic buildings and student housing. I live with six other students in an apartment. I have my own room and share a bathroom with one other person. We then share a living room and kitchen. The academic buildings are on the same site. There are also gyms, a bar and study rooms. It’s all on campus, so you feel like you’re in a bubble. There are also several committees that organize political debates, parties and events. It’s a very lively campus. It’s ideal because you can integrate quickly in your first year. I really like it here. However, I think it can be difficult for introverts as it’s a very social environment.
Does the university provide housing for first-year students?
As a Bachelor’s student at Utrecht University, we have tuition and accommodation fees. These fees are for the whole year and enable us to obtain on-campus accommodation. In the first and second years of the Bachelor’s program, on-campus accommodation is compulsory. In the third year, it is possible to move out of on-campus housing, but most final-year Bachelor’s students still choose to stay on campus.
What’s life like on campus?
There are many associations. During introductory week, students can find out about the associations and their activities. There are law, politics and ecology associations. There are also associations that focus more on sport, music, feminism or organizing events for students. For the moment, I haven’t joined any association, but I’d like to join the one that runs the campus bar or the political one.
How would you describe the working environment for students?
It’s a good working environment, not least because the relationship between students and teachers is different from what we’re used to in France.
I find that they have more of the attributes of a “coach”.
They encourage us and push us to work personally.
We also have the opportunity in each course to explore subjects that interest us.
For example, in some courses it’s up to the students to choose the topics for their presentations.
We expect a lot of autonomy from the students, and that’s what interested me the most.
1st year courses
What are your future career plans?
At the moment, I don’t know.
I wanted to become a lawyer in high school, but when I joined Utrecht University and discovered new subjects, I realized that my choice had changed.
So I’m still questioning my professional orientation, but I’m happy because I’m learning.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for students who want to get into McGill?
My advice would be not to limit your post-bac orientations when you’re in high school in France.
It’s complicated to project yourself after high school, but my advice would be to persevere and explore options abroad!
If, like Julian, you’d like to join University College Utrecht or a university in the Netherlands, don’t hesitate to >contact us at to discuss your plans!
