Author: YOUvA (YOUvA Today)

In exchange for nothing: When hard work doesn’t pay off at the University of Amsterdam
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15 February 202315 February 2023Opinion, Submissions

In exchange for nothing: When hard work doesn’t pay off at the University of Amsterdam

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Once a year, students at the University of Amsterdam can apply for an exchange program from a range of 350 partner universities worldwide. Last week, it was time for this year’s big reveal and to discover who was lucky enough to receive an offer. The university recently decided to implement a new exchange application procedure, in which entered students are randomly assigned to destinations through a draw. Such a lottery of chance has stirred strong emotions among the university’s students, leaving many disappointed, confused, and unmotivated by the new system. Is it fair for a university to subject their student’s fate to the luck of the draw, or should students be entitled to an application assessment based on their academic skills and credentials?

22 things I learned in my professional life before turning 22
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8 December 20228 December 2022Opinion, Submissions

22 things I learned in my professional life before turning 22

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Today is my 22nd birthday and as I woke up to face the reality of getting one year older, a wave of anxiety washed over me. What am I supposed to do with my life? Like many of my contemporaries, I constantly ask myself what I want to do with my career. Therefore, I decided to reflect on where I am today and jotted down 22 things that I have learned so far. I admit I am far from being an expert. However, I am a second-year Communication Science bachelor student with over seven years of working experience, as well as the co-founder of a business I started back in 2019. This has provided me with both interesting and surprising insights into what it means to be a young professional today.

Lara Strauch
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28 May 20224 June 2022Photographer

Lara Strauch

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Hi! My name is Lara. I study Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. I'm born and raised in Germany and left in order to experience a diversity of people and cultures. All my life, I've loved to take photos, which lead me to join the YOUvA-Team as a photographer. Besides my love for photography, I enjoy doing sports and I like exploring my new home turf, Amsterdam. One of my biggest passions is art. Visiting theatres, watching movies, reading a book, going to exhibitions and many more are a big part of my deal free time. In order to have a full-Dutch experience, I am trying to learn Dutch…let’s see how it will go. Doei, doei allemaal! 

Lea Shamaa (She/Her)
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28 May 202220 February 2023Former author

Lea Shamaa (She/Her)

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Hey! I'm an avid writer from Lebanon, born in the US, who's lived their entire life in Abu Dhabi. I'm a third-year media and information student at the UvA. The articles I write are critical about culture and society, which you can find in YOUvA Today's 'opinion' section. I joined this student newspaper to tell stories about the cultural atmosphere at the UvA. Being here, I can share my thoughts about student life and raise awareness about things I find important. If I'm not writing, you can find me at the skatepark or at home, filling my time with pretty much anything that gets my mind going. Happy reading!

Isaac Domínguez Bosch
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24 May 202224 May 2022Author

Isaac Domínguez Bosch

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My name is Isaac and I'm a first-year Communication Science student. I was raised in a tiny town in the middle of the mountains for my whole life , so living in Amsterdam is very exciting! In the future I would like to be a sports reporter. I'm very excited to collaborate and learn from fellow students in the YOUvA team. I'm passionate about all sports, but mostly watch tennis and football. Life is uncertain, but the only thing I know for sure is that Barça is the best team in the world. Força Barça! 

Sebastiaan Nijland (He/Him)
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24 May 202220 February 2023Former author

Sebastiaan Nijland (He/Him)

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Greetings and salutations! My name is Sebastiaan Nijland. I’m 23 years old and born in Nijmegen. But I've been
living in Amsterdam for most of my life. I study History at the UvA. In my free time I like to keep active, read, cook, visit galleries, and watch everything related to Anthony Bourdain, Sofia Coppola, and Guy Ritchie. I will be working as a politics writer here at YOUvAToday, uncovering the wonders of the world of student politics hidden behind the doors of the Maagdenhuis. If you're ever down for a chat or have an interesting piece of information for an article, don’t hesitate to contact me and we’ll meet for a coffee!

Menelaos Tsikaras (he/him)
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4 April 202220 February 2023Former author

Menelaos Tsikaras (he/him)

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Hello people of the world! My name is Menelaos Tsikaras coming from Thessaloniki, Greece. I study Political Science at the UvA, whilst my free time is composed of politics, cinema, and books. Joining the team of YOUvA Today gives me another incentive to cooperate with nice and creative people in trying to contribute to our university community. If you're aware of any affairs/events happening in the future, don't hesitate and hit me up. Don't feel ashamed of yourself if you don't manage to pronounce my name properly, it's totally fine. We will work on that!

Chiara Goldenstern (She/Her)
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30 March 20224 April 2022Photographer

Chiara Goldenstern (She/Her)

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Hi, my name is Chiara! I'm a first year Communication Science student and a photographer for YOUvA Today. I was born in Germany, but lived in the United States for most of my life. I love taking photos as it captures the world in such a beautiful way. When I don't have a camera in my hand, I'm most likely travelling, reading or trying to find my way around Amsterdam (I am notoriously bad at navigation, ask any of my friends). I have an unhealthy obsession with playing Wordle every morning, and I own two dogs!

Mara Georgescu (She/Her)
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30 March 202216 April 2022Author

Mara Georgescu (She/Her)

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Hello there! I’m Mara, a first-year Literary and Cultural Analysis student, and first-time writer. You can find my articles in the Arts section sharing my entirely unbiased and completely objective opinions. I’m excited to have an extra excuse to go to any and all on-campus and off-campus shows, art installations, exhibitions, or whatever else might be interesting to look at from an artistic perspective. Like most of the staff here at YOUvA, I have many opinions I’m always ready to share and debate at a moment’s notice, so if you agree or disagree with anything I write I’m always up to have a coffee -or a beer- and a chat.

Stella Nebois (She/Her)
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30 March 202220 February 2023Former author

Stella Nebois (She/Her)

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Scream in the middle of the street 'Reggae, Jazz and coffee' and I shall get out of the depths of my mind filled with books, random thoughts about humanity (and pretty much anything) to say hi. I study Literary Arts and Cultural Analysis. My goal is to work as a writer, working in projects to bring awareness on topics such as inclusion and the powerful energy of the arts, but also developing my own work, such as poetry.