FAQ WinterOwl 2022

Under the latest Corona regulations as imposed by the Dutch government on the 24th of January, Winter OWL 2022 will be a hybride programme. That’s means that in accordance with the current measures we can actually organise some in-person activities alongside the online programme. For the online part of OWL we created a platform in the form of an app. This app can be downloaded from the app store and is available for IOS and Android. It is downloadable on mobile devices but also on laptops and desktops. We will offer virtual activities and livestreams through this app. Shortly prior to the start of OWL we will send all registered participants an email with access to the app and a short instruction.

Because all of the activities we organize are inside or on University grounds, we are able to make some of the activities in-person as the rules for higher education allow for this. There are some restrictions we have to adhere to, but throughout the week we organize in-person activities such as bag pick-up (so everyone has a chance to meet their group and Guides), workshops and the Sportsday

All participants will be divided in groups of around 15 people based on faculty/study phase. The groups will be guided by our volunteers (Guides) who are experienced students. We hope this will connect you to some future classmates and give you some support and guidance as a new student. Online activities and games can be done together with your group. Most workshops (both online and in-person, are on individual sign up basis.

Owl stands for Orientaion Week Leiden and is the introduction programme for all new international students to Leiden University. Besides the WinterOWl which takes place in January/February, just before the start of the spring semester, there is also a SummerOWL for students starting in the fall semester.

In summer, before the start of the fall semester, there are 3 introduction programmes available:
-EL CID for Dutch Bachelor students studying in Leiden
-OWL for all international students starting their studies in Leiden
-HOP for all students (both Dutch and international) following their courses in The Hague
Before the start of the spring term (start in February 2022) there is only the OWL Programme. As some new students are starting their spring programme in The Hague, a part of their programme will be aimed at The Hague, organised by the HOP board..

“Leiden University strongly recommends you to participate in the Orientation Week Leiden. It will give you a head start in both your academic and social life here in Leiden.”
– mr. Drs. H.W. te Beest, Deputy Chairman Executive Board, Leiden University

The university considers the OWL programme to be mandatory. This is because of the many advantages that the programme offers to students who do take part. To name a few:
• You are introduced to your faculty, study and fellow students
• All the facilities for international students are introduced, ranging from student associations to counselors and student advisers
• Experience has shown that OWL participants feel more at home, have a larger social network to fall back on and are also more likely to be successful in their study goals.
• It’s great fun and gives you the chance to meet a lot of new people!
If it is not possible for you to join the programme at all, it is very regrettable but there are no consequences.

During the week we have the OWL headquarters set up at Plexus Student Center. A Coordination Team will be available to help you by answering your emails, phone calls and by chat.
The contact details will be in the information email you receive just before the start of the OWL and it will be available in the app. Your online Guide can also help you. If you have questions before the start of the week you can email us at participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl

OWL participation is by invitation only. We invite all (international) students who are coming in new to start the Spring semester at Leiden University. We use the official University database to target the intended students. We regularly update this list and re-send invitations.

The deadline for (online) registration is the 24th of January 2022. PLEASE SIGN UP IN TIME! After this we will close online registration as we will be very busy finalizing the online groups and programme. You can send an email request to participate to participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl. We will start adding late sign ups when time and space allows.

The invitation is in no way an official confirmation of acceptance to Leiden University. We take our information from the database and invite anyone who has applied, regardless of acceptance or not. We do this because the acceptance procedure is sometimes lengthy or halted due to administrative delays and we don’t want anyone to miss out because of this.

Although we sent the first invitations in December, we regularly update and re-send the invitation. If your process of acceptance was delayed you might receive an invitation in a later stage. Please do make sure you have taken all the steps to complete your registration at Leiden University (what you need to do is stated in your acceptance letter).
You are advised to contact us if you have not received an invite by the 20th of January!

If you were invited to join Summer OWL, it means you are no longer a new student starting for the first time in Leiden.
The OWL is meant to provide a good start to students who have just arrived in Leiden so it is not possible to join the OWL if you are not part of the new group starting in February.
If you want to meet (new) people you can sign up to be Guide or Crew or join the ESN organisation so you can attend their activities.

We do not give refunds for cancelling WinterOWL 2022. If you wish to deregister you can send an email to participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl. We will inform your guide that you will no longer be joining the online group.

If you have relevant changes that will affect your participation in the Orientation week (namely change of e-mail address or course/faculty), please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to: participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl.

Because we keep the online registration open until the 24th of January, we won’t be able to form or finalize the groups until the week after that date. Therefor you will only receive an email with additional information and access to the app very shortly prior to the start of the OWL..

The participation in Winter OWL ’22 costs €15,-
This all goes towards the costs of the platform and livestreams and other costs for organizing the week. OWL is non-profit and is fully organized through participants fees and sponsor income.

Registration for the Winter OWL ’22 will open end of December. You will receive an invitation through email with information and a link to sign up.
If you are a starting international student and you didn’t receive an invitation yet, check that you completed your registration for the University! We regularly update our system and re-send invitations. If you haven’t received your invite by the 20th of January or if you are worried or you have questions, you can contact us at participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl

In case your payment fails or your credit card is not accepted, please try again.
If you are still not able to complete your payment, you can email us at participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl.