Student Associations in Leiden

Your student life can be counted as one of the most exhilarating and rewarding experiences in your life. Student life in Leiden offers numerous possibilities to further enrich this experience. This is where student associations can play an important role. Around half of all Dutch students in Leiden enjoy membership to such associations, of which there are a diverse twenty-two. These associations are divisible into five categories, namely: general, religious, musical, international and sport. Next to having a beer with your friends and participating in the various activities, the associations offer their students the opportunity to improve their organisational and social skills. In addition to this, members stimulate one another in their studies. But beside all these possibilities, a student association can become your home away from home, where you can meet Dutch students and make friends.

On this site you can learn about the basics on student associations and find links to their websites.

What exactly is a student association?

In essence, a student association is a union of students managed and frequented by students that is characterised by its social nature. Another important characteristic of student associations is that they are comprised of students from different years, courses and nationalities. As a city known for its student life, Leiden has a diverse set of twenty-two associations to offer. It is therefore difficult to give an exact definition, since these associations differ in size, structure and purpose. This diversity means that there’s an association out there for everyone. In order to gain more insight in what the possibilities are, it is advisable to visit the websites of the student associations, keeping in mind there are five kinds (general, religious, musical, international and sport).