TOP Week 2016 Information Packet
Contents Welcome to Tilburg! 3 What is TOP Week? 4 Experiences of participants in TOP Week 2015 5 The Arrival Days 6 Program TOP Week 2016 7 Highlights program 8 Student Association I*ESN 12 How do I take part in TOP Week? 14 Useful addresses and en telephone numbers 16 2
Welcome to Tilburg August 22 nd - 26 th Dear prospective student, TOP Week, the introduction week for all new students in Tilburg, has been a known concept in Tilburg for 36 years. Starting out as a small initiative, TOP Week has become one of the biggest annual events in Tilburg. Each year during TOP Week over 3,000 students plunge the town into pleasant turmoil! In this week, you will be introduced to all aspects of student life in Tilburg together with your fellow students. TOP Week guarantees you the best possible start of your student days in Tilburg! This year s TOP Week is from August 22 nd through August 26 th, one week before classes start. You too can take part in this wonderful week! All you need to do now is register via our website before August 16th. Have a great vacation and see you on Monday August 22 nd! Pleuni van Casteren Chairman of TOP 2016 3
What is TOP Week? TOP Week is THE introduction week for all new students in Tilburg (of Avans and Fontys Universities of Applied Sciences and Tilburg University). TOP Week is organized by students for students. During TOP Week the new students are introduced to all aspects of student life in Tilburg and to the student town of Tilburg through study related as well as recreational activities. TOP Week is the best possible start of your student life in Tilburg! Getting to know Tilburg with your fellow students! All exchange students will be divided in groups with students from all over the world. Guided by mentors of the International Exchange Student Network (I*ESN), you will learn how to enjoy your time in Tilburg as much as possible. The mentors are prepared for the introduction week by the TOP organizers and they will be able to answer all your questions on your student life. When is TOP Week? TOP Week is scheduled in the week before the start of the new academic year. This year, that is from August 22 nd through August 26 th. What are the costs involved? The participation fee for TOP Week is 75,00. This amount covers the following: a varied five-day program, five lunches and five suppers. 4
Experiences participants 2015 Bryan Nowlan United States, Massachusetts. TOP Week was easily one of the best times of my entire exchange experience. When I first came to Tilburg I was a little scared because I did not know anyone. I E- SN made this transition very easy during TOP Week. From the first day I was paired with my mentors and my group I started to make amazing friendships that will last far after my exchange is done. During TOP Week I got to explore Tilburg and become accustomed to what was around me and how to get around this new city. There was never a dull moment during this week and during all of the amazing activities I was able to grow closer to my group and my mentors and establish relationships that would last the entire semester. TOP Week got my exchange semester off to a great start and I couldn t thank I ESN more for organizing such an amazing week. 5 Thomas Højsteen-Ljungbeck Denmark TOP Week was one of the best weeks of the exchange. Everything was exciting and new, no one knew anyone and everyone was super enthusiastic. There were tons of fun events planned, you hardly had time to catch a break. It starts out with your mentors taking care of you in your family group where everyone slowly gets to know each other. There are awesome parties organized every day of the week, so lots of opportunities to meet new people who are all in the same situation as yourself. The best event was definitely the Beer Cantus which is a Dutch thing where everything is just simply crazy. TOP Week in itself is simply a fantastic week where you get to bond with the amazing people you ll be spending the next half year with, see a ton of people trying to bike for the first time, and just party and have the time of your life!
Arrival Days Note: the Arrival Days are for ALL INTER- NATIONAL STUDENTS, irrespective of whether or not you will be joining TOP Week! On the Arrival Days, the new international students arriving in Tilburg will be picked up at Tilburg University train station and brought to Tilburg University. You will be welcomed by Tilburg University staff in the Academia Building (A building) and receive useful information about studying at Tilburg University. For more information please visit the Tilburg University website. Tilburg Orientation Program (TOP) strongly recommends you to come to the Arrival Days, especially if you will be participating in TOP Week. By coming to the Arrival Days, you will have enough time to arrange your housing, your bike, a bank account and your registration at Tilburg University; all these things are necessary before the start of TOP Week and your studies in Tilburg. 6 You can also register for TOP Week at the Arrival Days if you have not done so. You can pay the participation fee by card or cash. But we advise you to register sooner so that you are sure of a place!
Program TOP Week Look for the definitive program on our website: www.top-week.nl/en/program. Monday August 22nd 09.00 am 05.00 pm Program Introduction (PI) 10.30 am 11.30 am Participant Registration 05.30 pm 08.00 pm Barbecue at the Spoorzone 08.00 pm 11.00 pm TOP Opening Party Tuesday August 23rd 10.00 am 12.00 pm Program Introduction (PI) 12.30 pm 03.30 pm Games Day 06.00 pm 08.00 pm Dinner at Sports Center Wednesday August 24th 10.30 am 12.00 pm Recharge Lunch 01.00 pm 04.00 pm Heineken Beer Cantus 01.00 pm 04.00 pm Non alcohol activity 06.00 pm 08.00 pm Dinner at Soul Café Thursday August 25th 11.00 am 01.00 pm Experience Tilburg 01.00 pm 04.30 pm TOP Festival 04.30 pm 08.00 pm Dinner at Boulevard Café 09.00 pm 01.00 am Pub Crawl Friday August 26th 10.00 am 11.15 am Immigration Session* 11.15 am 03.00 pm TB Screening* 04.00 pm 08.00 pm I*ESN afternoon program 09.00 pm 01.00 am TOP Final Party *Only if applicable. 7
Highlights program Monday, August 22nd: Welcome Exchange Students: The program will begin with a welcome and the necessary information to make a good start at Tilburg University. During the welcome you will also meet your exchange coordinator. 8 Participant registration: You will be assigned to a group of international students with I*ESN mentors. These mentors will guide you throughout the whole week and, as insiders, they will provide advice, help and answers to all your questions. When your group is complete you will go to the Tilburg University Sports Center (Academielaan 5) to register for TOP Week. Your mentors will show you where it is. Program Introduction (PI): Tilburg University organizes a Program Introduction to prepare all exchange students before you start with your studies. During the PI you will familiarize yourself with the campus of Tilburg University and its facilities. Moreover, you will attend some useful workshops and tours like the Academic Preparation workshop. This session will prepare students for the educational style at Tilburg University. You will learn about the teaching and assessment strategies teachers use, and the study strategies expected from students. You will gain an understanding and be made aware of the differences in educational styles that might exist between your home university and Tilburg University. Another activity during the Program Introduction is the Computer Course. At this course you will learn how to work with the Student Portal, the Individual
Study Guide and Blackboard (the digital learning environment of Tilburg University), which you will need for assessing course information and schedules. Please note: You received an email from Tilburg University with your student number. In this email it was explained how to set your password and activate your personal student account. Do not forget to bring your password and student number as you will need it for this course. 9 Additionally, there will be a tour around the campus. Mentors will guide you around the campus. They will show you the places where you can study, have a meal or buy books. The PI will continue on Tuesday morning. Opening Party: Like every introduction week, TOP Week kicks off with a grand Opening Party. One of the traditional highlights of this party and of TOP Week as whole is the TOP Dance. Each year a special dance is created for TOP Week. During the Opening Party you will learn how to do this year s TOP Dance. The dance will recur in the course of TOP Week, but also in the course of your studies at the university. Tuesday, August 23 rd Program Introduction (PI): During this morning at Tilburg University, you will attend a session called Principles of Academic Communication. During your studies you will have to work on many written assignments, so the introduction to writing skills may be very useful. Moreover, Tilburg University has a very strict policy on plagiarism and fraud. Therefore, you will be taught how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism. It is extremely important to pay attention during this session because; if you will get caught for fraud later in the semester, there is nothing we can do for you, even though you were unaware of your misconduct.
Games Day: On this day, the Tilburg Leijpark is turned into one great games paradise. In every game, your group is coached by student associations, student sports associations, study associations, and businesses. They will show you the wide range of options that Tilburg has to offer. Non alcohol activity: For those participants who are under 18 or who do not want to drink alcohol, we have two other activities this afternoon to replace the Beer Cantus. They can choose between the Dutch How-to-survive- student-life Show or an English-speaking movie at the Pathé Movie Theatre. Thursday, August 25 th Thursday is the day we familiarize you with the Tilburg city center through a game, a festival and a Pub Crawl. You get to see what Tilburg has to offer during the day, in the evening, and at night. 10 Wednesday, Augustus 24 th Heineken Beer Cantus: After everyone has laid the proper foundation for subsequent alcohol intake by consuming the Recharge Lunch it is time for the one and only TOP Beer Cantus. Believe it or not, this is the greatest official beer cantus in the Netherlands! In the TOP Beer Cantus participants sing along with the Cantus band while everybody s enjoying their drinks. Get ready to be surprised, and taste the marvelous atmosphere during this TOP Week highlight! Experience Tilburg: Experience Tilburg is a new component of TOP Week. The game takes you to the hidden places and remote corners where
11 there s a lot more growing and blooming than you might think. Armed with a board game and a map, your group goes in search of these different cultural, culinary, and lively spots spread over four areas in Tilburg. When you arrive at these locations, your group is given fun assignments. The team receives points for every completed assignments. At the end of the game, you and your group return to the starting point. The group that have worked together most successfully will eventually emerge as the winner. One thing is certain: this game is guaranteed to get you to new and special places in Tilburg. Friday, August 26 th Immigration session and TB screening (international students): A mandatory immigration session will be organized on August 26 th for all foreign (non-eu / non-eea) students. During the session you will be informed about important immigration requirements that must be met after arrival in the Netherlands. Please read the information about this session which you will receive by email before you attend the session. Most students who have entered the Netherlands with an entry visa (plus South Korean nationals) must undergo a tuberculosis screening. The Dutch Public Health Department (GGD) will be available on campus on August 26 th to carry out these screenings, so please use this opportunity to have your screening done.
Student Association I*ESN Tilburg is the student association for Dutch and international students. During this week we would like to welcome you to our diverse and open-minded association! As we speak, we are the biggest student association of Tilburg with 800 members from more than 60 countries! During TOP Week we will show you what we have to offer you! Our afternoon program will take place in our own bar, Carpe Noctem (Heuvelring 45). Carpe Noctem is where all our parties, dinners and other activities such as beer pong take place. During TOP Week, many I*ESN members will be around to tell you about the association, Tilburg as a student city, and to answer any questions you have! Our own DJs will make sure there s great music during the afternoon program. Moreover, you can play some beer pong, get some salsa lessons, and show your strength at the boxingmachine! This TOP Week we have four awesome parties for you, from Monday to Thursday in Carpe Noctem. Especially our famous Jägermeister Party on Thursday should not be missed! Check out our Facebook group (I*ESN 2016-2017) for all the other parties. If you haven t had the chance to discover I*ESN during TOP Week or just haven t had enough yet: after TOP Week we have several open parties! 12 Our open parties and introduction activities give you a chance to experience the association and get to know our members. Before, during and after TOP Week
you can sign up to become a member. Unlike other student associations, our membership is only 40 euros! This yearlong membership gives you access to Carpe Noctem, discounts throughout the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, and a great internationally-minded social network. As an exchange student you have the possibility to join one of our mentor or buddy groups. Together with the mentor or buddy groups, you will have dinner either every week or every other week. After the dinner the groups will head to our brand new bar for a great party. Besides the dinners and parties, you will have the opportunity to join one of our other many activities, trips or committees. Want to know more about the different programs we offer? Talk to our members or visit the I*ESN office at the university. With our many (theme) parties, activities and trips, we at I*ESN will make sure your student life is one to always remember! Not sure yet? Join our introduction camp, held from 4 until 6 of September and decide afterwards! Check out www.iesntilburg.nl and our Facebook group I*ESN Tilburg 2016-2017 for more information. We hope to see you all during TOP Week 2016! 13
How do I take part in TOP Week? TOP Week starts on Monday August 22 nd and ends on Friday August 26 th. The costs involved are 75,00. This amount includes meals for the whole week. (lunch and supper Monday through Friday) and admission to all components of the program. Registration 1) Register via our website. 2) You can pay in two ways: through ideal or by credit card. 3) Like our Facebook page to be kept informed of everything regarding TOP Week. Note that the organization of TOP Week sticks to a quota. Once the maximum number of participants has been reached, no new participants will be accepted. So register as soon as possible! The registration deadline for TOP Week is Monday August 15 th at 23.59 hrs (midnight). 14 If you have registered and we have received your payment, you will automatically be recorded as taking part in TOP Week. You will receive an e-mail confirming your
registration. This e-mail also includes all the relevant information and an e-ticket with a barcode. This e-ticket is your proof of registration. Please make sure to print this ticket and bring it to the Registration on Monday the 22 nd of August. If after payment you did not receive an e-ticket, If it turns out you cannot take part in TOP Week but you have already registered for it, you will have to cancel your registration. If you do so before July 25th, the full participation fee will be reimbursed. If you cancel between July 25th and August 14th, half the amount will be reimbursed, because there will already have been costs involved. If you cancel after August 14th, you will no longer be entitled to reimbursement of the participation fee. then please contact us via topregistratie@tilburguniversity.edu. When you have registered and paid the fee you will receive an e-ticket with a barcode. Please bring a printed copy of this ticket to registration. If after payment you did not receive an e-ticket, then please contact us via topregistratie@tilburguniversity.edu. More information For more information on how to reach the organization, on places to sleep, on food and activities, you can go to our website: www.top-week.nl. If you have a question that is not answered on the website, you can contact us via the e-mail address above, or by phone: +31 (0)13 466 28 49. 15
Useful addresses Tilburg Orientation Program TOP Office (Room E202) P.O. Box 90153 5000 LE Tilburg Phone: +31 (0)13 466 28 49 Mob: +31 (0)6 42 09 21 70 E-mail: topregistratie@tilburguniversity.edu www.top-week.nl TOP Week Registration (August 22 nd ) Tilburg University Sports Center Academielaan 5 5037 ET Tilburg Head Quarters during TOP Week Koepelhal NS-plein 65 5041 DC Tilburg Student Desk Phone: +31 (0)13 466 80 00 www.tilburguniversity.edu/studentdesk Tilburg University Warandelaan 2 Tel.: + 31 (0)13 4669111 www.tilburguniversity.edu 16
www.top-week.nl/en/ facebook.com/topweek @TOP_week TOPweek TOPweek2016 +31 (0)6 42 09 21 70