An Early Start: Welcoming the Class of 2024!
Although the official start of the academic year has to wait for another fortnight, Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) welcomed the Class of 2024 to the Anna van Bueren campus this week. The new cohort of 204 incoming students will spend the next three years studying different majors and minors as part of the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges programme.
Challenges
Before the start of the new Academic Year on Monday, LUC students have been enjoying LUC’s Introduction Week to get to know each other, The Hague and their programme. Despite the challenges COVID presents, 203 out of 204 new LUC students managed to move into the AvB building over a spread of three days!
LUC Intro Week is a bit different to HOP Week because of the nature of the programme. LUC students are mandated to live on campus in their first two years, so a large part of Intro Week is getting to know their floormates, Residential Assistants and the Support System. Since LUC has many international students from approximately 50 different nationalities. the Academic Year starts a week earlier so that international students can travel home in the Autumn break to see their families or take a much-needed rest from the intensity of life at the internationa honours college.
Air Band Battle
Because of coronavirus measures, LUC Intro Week is hybrid: there have been a mixture of online and physical activities. On Monday, the new first year students participated in an online introduction by the Dean of LUC: Prof. dr. Judi Mesman, followed by a mixture of online and in-person activities in their mentor groups. The highlight of the week is the traditional Air Band Battle where mentor groups perform a dance routine to a theme of music; this year’s themes include “Après Ski” and “Heartbreak songs”. May the best mentor group win!
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Eva (left) and Julie -
Gio -
Orian -
Hugo
Here’s what some of the first- and second-years’ thoughts on Intro Week and the coming year:
Eva (Class of 2023) – Intro Week Mentor
Major/minor: Governance, Economics and Development/semester abroad (Australia hopefully!)
Looking forward to: Being back in the classroom and getting out of the LUC bubble more!
Advice for first years: Be present in Intro Week! Take every opportunity to meet people and connect. And plan your academic work!
Julie (Class of 2023) – Intro Week Mentor
Major/minor: International Justice/semester abroad
Looking forward to: Meeting new people and doing more extracurricular activities like rowing
Advice for first years: Have fun and remember you don’t have to meet your best friends in Intro Week or your first semester.
Gio (Class of 2024)
From: Mexico and USA
Prospective major/minor: International Justice/World Politics
Why LUC?: The ethos of using education to create peace and a sustainable future and the international environment.
Looking forward to: Being back in the classroom – hopefully no more Zoom.
Hugo (Class of 2024)
From: Spain
Prospective major/minor: Governance, Economics and Development/Psychology
Why LUC?: To get an international experience and because of the programme.
Looking forward to: The social life and improving his English.
Orian (Class of 2024)
From: USA and the Netherlands
Prospective major/minor: World Politics/Music Conservatory
Why LUC?: Because of the multi-disciplinary structure of the programme and the possibility to continue her music studies.
Looking forward to: The class discussions and debates about the readings and lectures.
Leiden University College The Hague offers a broad, flexible and interdisciplinary residential Liberal Arts and Sciences programme with a focus on Global Challenges. In this bachelor programme students specialise in relevant fields like world politics, economics, governance, international justice, human & cultural interaction, global public health and environmental sciences.