Mandatory Introduction GSNS

Personal leadership skills

Do you find it difficult to discover what you want, what you are good at and how to make the right choices? Then it’s time to empower yourself! During this workshop we’ll dive deeper into what makes you happy, where your qualities lie and what your core values are. Then, you will set yourself goals for making well-considered choices: during your studies and also on the path to your first job.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building-Room 005

Transferable skills

Do you know what skills you’ve acquired during your life as a student? People tend not to think much about these things. Transferable skills are useful in all kinds of professional contexts and you carry them with you from one job to the next.

If you want to convince an employer that you’re the right person for a job or an internship, you need the ability to present your skills with clarity and conviction. This workshop will make you aware of the transferable skills you’ve developed in your studies, at your (temp) jobs and in your extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, you’ll analyse a job offering and try to assess, as accurately as you can, what the employer is looking for. You’ll learn to distinguish between specialist and generic (though job-specific) skills. You will then catalog your transferable skills and practice by providing examples that show what skills you possess.

Upon completing the workshop, you’ll know exactly what your skills are and you’ll be able to advertise them better.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building -077

Exploring the job market and networking

The job market offers innumerable possibilities. Do you know how to find organizations and jobs that suit your profile? Or how an employer searches for suitable candidates and what possibilities you have to increase job opportunities? In this workshop you will learn how to get a better understanding of organizations. Furthermore, you will also learn how to use and improve the network you belong to.

It makes sense to bear your preferences, qualities, and motivations in mind as you explore the job market. To do that, you need a clear picture of what criteria your future job has to meet. You could also look into some jobs that interest you and formulate criteria based on those.

In the Exploring the Job Market & Networking workshop you will learn how to explore the job market and search for vacancies by making use of your own network. Furthermore, we will look at the ways employers select employees and how to anticipate their needs as you look for a job. You will also learn how to present yourself in the best possible way to prospective employers by preparing a professional pitch.

When you complete this workshop, you will gain a better understanding of how to approach the job market and will be more aware of the potential of your own network. As a result, you will approach prospective employers with greater confidence.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building-017

Guided tour Botanic Gardens

PLEASE NOTE: You will need to bring your student card to get free access to the Botanic Gardens!

A guided tour is the best way to get to know the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens. Specially trained guides will take you to places that are most interesting at the time of your visit. You will get to see the best and most beautiful flowering plants and hear the accompanying stories. You will also learn more about the work of the Botanic Gardens during a guided tour.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Botanic Gardens entrance

Boost your LinkedIn

How do you create a convincing LinkedIn profile? What do you write in your headline and summary? In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to optimise your profile to attract the right professionals and how to use LinkedIn to orientate on the job market.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building -007

Beating procrastination

We all experience procrastination from time to time. When your health or the quality of your work begins to suffer, it’s time to take action!

The goal of this workshop is to explore your own reasons for procrastinating and give you more insight in how to deal with it. We hope to learn with each other and also from each other. This will be your first step towards beating procrastination!

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building -115

A guide to balancing study and life

As a (new) student, it can be challenging to find a balance between studying, enjoying student life and doing all the other things that may be expected or necessary. In the workshop 'A Guide To Balancing Study and Life’ we touch upon questions such as: How can you study more effectively? How can you keep an eye on your stress levels? And: How do you keep your energy level up?

You will receive practical tips that can be applied straight away. If you’d like to dive deeper into one or more of the topics after following the workshop, you are welcome to join our more elaborate student wellbeing trainings 'Working Consciously and Effective', ‘Tackle Stress’ and 'Energy Management'.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Minnaert Building - 0.15

Open Science

Open science is becoming more and more important – but what does it mean for your research project? What are ways in which you can make your research more open, and why would you do so?

In this workshop, we will discuss the why, what and how of open science and introduce you to a number of open science practices (including preregistration, sharing code and data, open access publishing, open peer review and more). We will also discuss the barriers and motivations you may encounter, and the support available at Utrecht University.

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building - 385

Kickstart your career in the Netherlands (as a non-EU citizen)

NOTE: This workshop is mainly targeted at non-EU students

During this presentation the Netherlands Point of Entry will explain you all you need to know about:
- Why and how to kickstart in the Netherlands.
- The entrepreneurial startup and scale-up ecosystem in the Netherlands.
- Visa requirements for 5 different visa: startup visa, self-employed visa, highly skilled migrant visa, key employee visa and orientation year visa
- A job portal with over 8000 jobs listed at over 1500 companies (English speaking vacancies, no Dutch required!)

This session is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Marinus Ruppert building - D

Mindfulness

The skill to calm yourself during busy times can be very beneficial for your well-being. The best time to learn and start this practice is before the storm hits. In this workshop we explore several forms of meditation techniques. We will also discuss how you can obtain the state of mindfulness during hectic days. Whether you want to learn more about mindfulness, or you just want to experience a calm moment during the introduction time: you are welcome to join us!

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).
Location: Buys Ballot Building-401

Dutch 101

NOTE: This workshop is targeted at international students

What does it mean when something is lekker or leuk? And will you manage to pronounce gezellig, the word that is at the heart of Dutch culture?

In this interactive workshop, volunteers of ESN Utrecht will introduce you to the basics of the Dutch language. Familiarize yourself with phrases used on a day-to-day basis and learn some essential vocabulary such as numbers and greetings. With your fellow students, you will practice the basics and get ready for your first conversation in Dutch.

Every semester ESN offers a basic level course of Dutch for your daily life. Next to that, an advanced course is available to build on prior knowledge you might already have. Take this opportunity to give Dutch a try!

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 0.14

Doing a PhD

Considering a PhD after your Master’s? A PhD can be a good start for a career in research, both in academics and in business. In this Q&A panel, PhD students from all our fields share their experiences in response to your questions.

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Marinus Ruppert building - A

Student Entrepreneurship

EntrepreWHAT? Being entrepreneurial is much more than starting-up your own business – but what is it then exactly? Would you like to learn how you could be creative and explore your interests in new exciting ways?

We will first introduce entrepreneurship to you and provide an overview of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UU and in Utrecht. Then you will get into action by applying some entrepreneurial principles hands-on that could help you in and outside of your study. You will leave this workshop knowing what we mean by an entrepreneurial mindset and skills and where you could go next to continue to explore and apply such. Let’s just try and start before we’re ready!

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 219

LaTeX

LaTeX is a code language for typesetting documents, for example your thesis, scientific paper, or hand-in. It produces professional looking documents and typesets mathematical expressions well, making it the standard (and often requirement) for academic documents.

This workshop requires no prior knowledge of LaTeX and will help you through the rough start which new users of LaTeX experience. We show you how to correctly format text and how to include mathematical expressions, tables and images.

For this workshop we will use Overleaf. You can create a free account on Overleaf.com. Please bring a laptop since the workshop will include exercises.

This workshop is organised by the TeXniCie committee of study association A-Eskwadraat. We facilitate LaTeX use for exact science studies, mainly by organizing extracurricular courses. More information about this workshop and others can be found on our website texnicie.nl

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 209

Introduction to Research Data Management

Research Data Management (RDM) helps you to keep control over your data during your research and will save you time and stress!
 

This workshop covers all aspects of research data management: FAIR data, data collection, data documentation, data storage, data security, data selection, and data availability for reuse. Whether you produce terabytes of new data per week, or just dive into an existing dataset, preparing yourself helps a lot. This workshop will be given by one of the RDM consultants from RDM Support.

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 214

Find and cite your sources

When you get started on a scientific project, understanding the state of the field is the first step. That means reading scientific literature, finding data and other sources, and storing these references in a way that will help you keep track of them easily. A good reference manager also is the basis for easy citation later on, when you will need to write a thesis that places your research in context, and cite your sources.
 

In this workshop, colleagues from the UU Library will guide you through this process: where do you find literature and data? How do you manage references? And how do you cite them correctly when writing a scientific paper or thesis? Join this workshop, and they will help you hit the road running!

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 201

Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication is the verbal and nonverbal interaction between people from different cultural backgrounds. Participants start reflecting on ‘culture’ and on examples of intercultural situations in their own lives. Then, in an intercultural learning simulation, you:

• experience what you do when you need to communicate with someone from another culture;
• think about how you could help foreigners to integrate in your culture, and how foreigners could help you to integrate in theirs;
• reflect about your own cultural behaviors.

We intend to improve participants’ intercultural communication by helping them to understand the impact of culture on human behavior.

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 205

Da Vinci[SB(1] 

Creative thinking for a sustainable future

So, you think you are not creative? Let us prove you are! To arrive at innovative solutions to global challenges you must use your creative capabilities. In this workshop we encourage you to ignite your creative confidence and unlock your innovative potential. We will first break down the barriers that detain your creative thinking and then we lure you outside the box with a range of professional creative thinking techniques. Then, you will use your creative potential to attack a mini-challenge regarding sustainability.

This workshop is offered by the Da Vinci Master Program.

More information on the BSc program, click here.

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 2.07

Green Office: Hidden Impact

Many of us spend a lot of time reducing our ecological footprint in our daily lives. Unfortunately we only see the tip of the iceberg; the direct emissions of greenhouse gases. However, there are also many other factors that play a role in your ecological footprint, without you realizing it. During the Hidden Impact workshop, offered by the Utrecht University Green Office, you will find out what impact you unconsciously have, and tips on what you can do about it!

This workshop is only given in round 1 (13.30-15.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 2.08

Green Office: Zero waste crash course

The Zero Waste workshop will take participants through the basics of circularity, the R ladder, what Utrecht University doing with our Zero Waste campaign, as well as opportunities to volunteer and get involved with the sustainability community! So join us if you would like to know about hidden waste, campus initiatives and take part in a fun conversation with the Utrecht University Green Office.

This workshop is only given in round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 2.08

Lili's Proto Lab: Hands-on prototyping workshop

Do you know an SVG from an STL? An Arduino from a Raspberry Pi? Is ‘prototype’ a process rather than a product for you? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then Lili’s Proto Lab (LPL) is the place for you to learn!*  Swing by our workshop for an overview of our electronics, prototyping tools, 3D printers, laser cutters and augmented reality routers to name a few. During our workshop, you will become familiar with our gadgets, and additionally building your own custom hardware, in this case, a battle bot. After the battle bots have fought it out, you will have the opportunity to start your own project! Sign up to our workshop if you are curious about our tech or want to experience the prototyping mindset. 
*– You can still come if the answer was yes 

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Caroline Bleeker building. Ground floor, next to the Scientific Instrumentation department.

Best Practices for Writing Reproducible Code

Note: This workshop is especially interesting for ADS students, or other students who would like to learn more about reproducible code.

Ensuring your research is reproducible can be a difficult task. Scripting your analysis is a start, but this in and of itself is no guarantee that you, or someone else, can faithfully repeat your work at a later stage. In this interactive lecture, we will help you not only to make your work reproducible, but also to increase the efficiency of your workflow. We do this by teaching you a few good programming habits: how to set up a good project structure, how to code and comment well, and how to document your code so that it can be used by others. We will furthermore introduce you to Git and GitHub, which are essential tools in managing and publishing code. Reproducibility requires extra effort, but we will focus on teaching you skills that will save you much more time in the long run than they cost to implement.

This workshop is given in both round 1 (13.30-15.00) and round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location round 1: Minnaert Building– 2.01

Location round 2: Victor J. Koningsberger building - Pangea

Communicating Science to Lay-people for Young Researchers (Klimaathelpdesk)

All of us will at some point communicate about our science to lay-people, even if it is ‘only’ your science-sceptical uncle during Christmas dinner. In this training, you will learn about how you can best convey your research and its implications with confidence to a non-scientific audience. You will engage and build your skills through hands-on case studies and your own research. This workshop will be given by members of the KlimaatHelpdesk (Climate Helpdesk).

This workshop is only given in round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Buys Ballot Building - 115

Mapping Sustainable Development Collaboratively

What does Sustainable Development mean to you? What does it look like to you? Where have you encountered it?

Cartography is the art and science of map making and is an important tool for information communication. In this interactive workshop, researchers from the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, will share some examples of cartography reflecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of “counter mapping” and “participatory mapping” will be introduced. Together with your fellow students, you will generate maps sharing your ideas and interpretations of Sustainable Development.

This workshop is only given in round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 0.09

Discover the USP, Study Associations and Mister Kamps’ magic time travelling circus

Note: This session is targeted at students new to the Faculty of Science and/or Utrecht University

Embark on an exciting tour around the most important USP buildings, the study associations and find some hidden spots. One thing: A newly discovered leak in the space-time continuum, somewhere on the USP (we'll keep it secret), has made it possible to travel 100 years back in time. Back to Ornstein's Lab or another world famous location from the illustrious past of the UU Faculty of Science.

And with a bit of luck we'll bring you back to 6 September 2023*.

* participation at your own risk

This session is only given in round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: entrance Victor J. Koningsberger building

Going Abroad: Information session

Do you consider going abroad as part of your Master’s study? The earlier you start the better it is! In this workshop the International Officer of the Faculty of Science will give you an overview of the possibilities and explain what planning and administration is necessary to organize your stay abroad.

NOTE: Not all study programs offer the possibility to go abroad. E.g. for students of the one-year master’s program ADS, it is not possible to go abroad as part of the curriculum.

This session is only given in round 2 (15.30-17.00).

Location: Minnaert Building – 2.01