Published 13 November 2008
All AUC students are housed in a recently completed purpose-built complex on the Carolina MacGillavrylaan in the Science Park Amsterdam, in the Watergraafsmeer neighbourhood of the city. These modern student residences are owned and run by DUWO housing association.
Inner courtyard of the residences on the Carolina MacGillavrylaan
AUC guarantees accommodation for all its students - which is a huge plus, as it can be very difficult to find somewhere to live in Amsterdam. All AUC students are also expected to live in the student residences throughout their studies, so that their time at AUC becomes a true intercultural and social learning experience. The residential aspect of the international campus is an important part of life at AUC. You will be able to cooperate and discuss issues with fellow students and lecturers both during and after class hours, and engage in various social and cultural activities.
Layout of a typical one-person unit
The accommodation in the student residences is a mixture of self-contained units for one student, and units that are shared by two or three students. There are single rooms and studio apartments (living/bedroom with a kitchen corner and separate bathroom (toilet and shower), as well two- and three-room apartments to be shared by two and three students respectively (livingroom with kitchen corner, separate bathroom (toilet and shower), one or two separate bedrooms respectively). Once admitted to AUC, students are able to indicate a preference for single or shared accommodation. DUWO, the student housing association that runs the student residences, does its best to accommodate student preferences, subject to the availability of rooms. It is not possible to allocate single rooms to all students.
Meals are not included in the accommodation costs: there is a café in the Academic Building where you can buy snacks, lunch and drinks, but otherwise you will be expected to prepare your own meals.
Layout of a typical two-person unit
You will sign a campus contract with DUWO and rent your accommodation direct from them for the duration of your studies at AUC. The rent includes an advance towards service costs, e.g. your utilities such as electricity and water (collective and individual), cleaning of public spaces, rubbish collection, and contents insurance. Each year DUWO will calculate your actual service costs: if you have paid too much, you will get a refund. If you have paid too little, you will be charged the difference.
Internet, telephone and/or television services are not included in your rent, and you have to pay for these separately. Connections are available in each unit, and the services are provided by the company Lybrandt. Various combinations are available: a packet with just TV and internet, for example, currently costs EUR 25.50 a month.
Layout of a typical three-person unit
You also have to pay the municipal taxes for your unit. These are currently around EUR 355 a year for a one-person household: students with a low income may be able to get these waived. You also have to buy a one-off municipal housing permit (currently around EUR 33).
And don't forget the units are completely unfurnished so you have to think about furniture and kitchen/equipment appliances.
We estimate that a one-person unit costs in total around EUR 4080 to EUR 4380 a year (or EUR 340 to EUR 365 a month), including rent/service costs, the costs for internet/tv connection and municipal taxes, and assuming you receive rent benefit (huurtoeslag). Without rent benefit, a one-person unit in the AUC student residences costs around EUR 460 to EUR 485 a month. Shared accommodation in the student residences is much cheaper.
Typical one-person unit, furnished with items that can be bought via DUWO
The units are decorated and equipped with a floor-covering and curtains, but they are not furnished. You will therefore need to supply your own furniture and kitchen equipment/appliances etc. And/or you can buy basic furnishing items via DUWO, to get you started. All the units are centrally heated (underfloor heating).
Each corridor in the residences is divided into separate ‘strings' of around 10 to 15 units each. For security and privacy, your key only gives you access to the string on which your own unit is located. Many of the strings have a shared living-room, where you can get together with your ‘stringmates'. Every string also has a secure storage space for bicycles.
The residences have pleasant inner courtyards and spacious balconies or loggias, where you can go to relax in the sunshine and enjoy some fresh air.
Science Park has good public transport connections, particularly bus 40 that stops near the student residences and runs between Amstel Station and Muiderpoort Station (to get into the city centre or to go to AUC's Academic Building you have to change). Science Park now also has its own railway station (opened 13 December 2009).
For shopping in the neighbourhood, you can go to the nearby Molukkenstraat, or travel a little further to the Middenweg and Linnaeusstraat. For Do-It-Yourself, there is a Praxis shop close by. The city centre is only a short bike ride or bus/tram trip away.
The University of Amsterdam sport centre moved to the Science Park in 2010. Additional sport facilities are within easy reach (ice skating rink, swimming pool, etc.).
There is a small laundrette on the ground floor of the middle block of the residences, accessible only to residents. You need to buy a laundry card from DUWO to use in the machines; detergent and fabric softener are included in the price and automatically supplied.
Carolina Macgillavrylaan
1098 XA Amsterdam
Source: AUC
|
