The fall program starts with a 5-day orientation program introducing students to the university, the program, Amsterdam, Holland, and Dutch society. The rough outline of the orientation program is included in the welcome package sent to students before coming to Amsterdam. On Sunday we took the students to the countryside of North Holland with its windmills and picturesque villages. In addition to the orientation program several other social, academic and cultural activities were organized. These and other activities and local events are announced in the 'Amsterdam Monthly' a newsletter made for international students at the UoA. Student Independent Travel Students traveled extensively to large cities in Belgium, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland.
Students tend to take advantage of the long weekends produced by their class schedules.
All Council students were housed in the Prinsengracht and Plantage Muidergracht residences located in the city center. Students who were placed in a single room in these residences had to pay a single-room surcharge. The Prinsengracht and Plantage Muidergracht residences are for foreign students only. The students formed a fairly close group. Students from the Council group often traveled together and cooked with other students in their dorm.