Stressed about obtaining enough university credits? The Minister of Education, Minister Dijkgraaf, feels your pain. In fact, he wants to relax the binding study advice (BSA).
From the year 2025-2026 academic year, there’s a good chance students in the Netherlands will only need to get 30 of the usual 60 credits within the first year of their degree.
Why? Many students are succumbing to academic pressure, and Dijkgraaf wants to improve ‘the mental well-being of students,’ reports de Volkskrant.
Yep, students are overwhelmed
At the moment, many Dutch universities and colleges apply the standard rule that students must obtain at least 45 of the full 60 credits in their first year. This is what they call a “binding study advice.”
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If students can’t manage this, they receive negative “study advice” and can’t continue their studies at their university of choice. (While the word “advice” may be in there, there’s nothing very voluntary about it.)
Because of this, many students suffer from mental health problems, such as exhaustion, loneliness and pressure to perform.
Heading into Uni ( I studied aboard in the Netherlands), taking on large student loans and the pressure to not fail away from home was crippling. I stopped watching football, hanging out with mates and sometimes not speaking with my family for weeks.
— Uncle Samuel Sharpe (@samoye95) February 2, 2022
Making friends, finding a room during a housing crisis, student loans, and getting used to student life are stressful enough as it is, but students can concentrate on only one thing during their first year at university: getting a positive BSA.
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Such strict study advice leads to stress among students who are already having a hard time. “The bar is often set too high in the first year, resulting in too much pressure on the student,” Dijkgraaf writes in a letter to the House of Representatives.
Dijkgraaf is not the only one in favour, as many student associations are speaking up as well.
“Survey after survey shows that the well-being of students is in bad shape. We have to be honest and recognise that the BSA plays a major role in this,” states the chairman of the National Student Union (LSVb), Joram van Velzen.
Universities are not pleased with the plan
Not everyone is a fan of the decision, however. Opinions are divided among educational institutions. The institutions fear that students will drop out later in the program because standards will be lowered.
In fact, the Association of Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) is not in favour of the proposal at all, calling it a ‘bad plan.’ According to chairman, Pieter Duisenberg, the plan has a negative effect on students and puts more pressure on teachers and study advisors.
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While it is unclear what exactly this adjustment will look like, Dijkgraaf will send a letter about the adjustment of the BSA to the House of Representatives “in the foreseeable future.”
Students can breathe in relief, however, as this most likely will get passed. This is because the measure can count on the support of the House of Representatives, giving it a good chance in the senate.
What do you think about the study advice changing to 30 credits within the first year? Tell us in the comments below!
Why Require the students to have any credits, It would be a lot less stressful simply just to give them their diploma as soon as they register. I would say this is an idiotic proposal, but considering the esteemed minister of education is a member of D66, that rather goes without saying.