Freshmen

Freshmen site: Facilities

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Compared to other universities, Tilburg University is relatively small. Still, it is a community of consideable size, with about 11,000 students and 1,800 employees. There are many services and facilities available for our students and staff. There are activities that go beyond the scope of education.
Below you will find an answer to the most frequently asked questions about Tilburg University facilities.

Where can I study, access the Internet, or borrow books?

Where can I buy my readers and study books?

Where do I go if I encounter (study) problems?

Where can I go during the breaks, where can I find food and drinks?

What else can I do at the university, other than attending lectures?

Where and how do I take care of administrative affairs?

Where can I print or photocopy?

Where can I borrow a VCR or other audiovisual equipment?

Where can I reserve a room or order refreshments for an activity that I am planning?

Where is the lost and found?

In spite of the university's best efforts, I nonetheless have a comment or complaint. Who should I contact?

Library
The Tilburg University library is one campus'sof the showpieces. You can study there, borrow books, work in small groups, and last but not least access the Internet and your e-mail on one of the many student computers.

Student account
Every student may use the library's IT services with a student account. You can log into one of the many computers, and reserve one in advance via the Internet.

Internet and assignments
You can use one of the 700 available student computers to access the Internet or to work on assignments. During busy times, it is advisable to reserve a computer in advance via the Internet.

Group work
The university has several places where you can work together in small groups. MLC and the library both have special facilities for groups. In the library, the facilities are suitable for groups up to three people, but you need to reserve these facilities in advance.

Borrowing books
You may also borrow books from the library. To do so, you will need a student card. You can also reserve books via Internet.

Studying
In the library you will find several options for studying. The library basement has quiet rooms and there are a number of quiet areas located in the library itself.

Course materials shop
You need more than just books to study. You may need collections of articles or additional information prescribed by the lecturer. These collections, also called dictaten, readers, or syllabus (plural: syllabi) can be purchased at the course materials shop.

Books
Some books need to be purchased for just one course, others (such as law and statistical references) last your entire university career. The literature lists are next to the course descriptions in the study guide.
You can purchase your books from a book store. Selexyz Gianotten on the ground floor of the Goossens building has most titles in stock, or can order them for you. Some study associations offer books at considerable discounts or organize secondhand book markets once in a while. The School of Economics and Management has Efact, and the Law School has Cebojuf. For more information, please see the education desk of your school.

Student Advisory Office
In the Student Advisory Office (f.k.a. Student Service Center) in the Academia building you will find the student counsellors, student psychologists, study and career counsellors and a topsports coordinator. You can make an appointment with them at the Student Desk
Do not let a little problem get out of hand! Do not hesitate to contact one of these people if you feel the need! They are here to help you! You can make appointments with them at the desk.
You can also come here to enroll for courses and workshops concerning going abroad, preparation for the job market, academic development, cultural and language courses.

Restaurant
The Restaurant is centrally located. The menu is published weekly in Univers and on the Internet.

Lunch rooms
Other than the mensa the university has three lunch rooms, in the Cobbenhagen and Prisma buildings. The assortment ranges from coffee, tea, and chilled drinks, to soup, sandwiches, and fruit.

Coffee and snack vending machines
There are vending machines located throughout the campus. The choice is wide: from Max Havelaar coffee to soup. Notice that vending machines only accept chip card ('ChipKnip') payments.

Grand Café Esplanada
The Grand Café Esplanada is the place to go to enjoy a drink, either inside or seated outside where you can enjoy the attractive surroundings. The café offers a limited choice of hot food as well. The Grand Café can be found in the Esplanade building, the student centre.

Forms of Payment
The mensa and coffee rooms accept payment in cash, with a chip card ("ChipKnip") or by "pinnen". To top-up your chip card, go to one of six top-up points on campus: at the entrance of the Food Plaza and Prisma building, in the Library on the first level at the lockers, in the Academia building ground floor, in the Montesquieu building ground floor and in the Dante Cybercafé in the Dante building.

Meditation Centre
The Meditation Centre is centrally located on campus (Zwijsen building, also called the Submarine). Here you will find a quiet place for meditation, prayer, silence, a place to search for inspiration, or just to relax and sit down. The Meditation Centre is managed by the Center for Science and Values (CSV) which organizes many activities here, such as expositions or specially themed luncheon gatherings.

Sports Centre
The university has extensive sports facilities with gyms, fitness rooms, squash courts, sports fields, tennis courts, etc. The centre has 35 different sports to choose from and nearly as many sports associations that you can join. The umbrella sports association is called Pendragon Nieuw venster. Purchasing a sports card for €109 will let you enjoy all facilities for an entire year (also possible for one term).

Study and student associations
Joining one or more associations will help you get to know your fellow students, improve your academic skills, quickly feel at home at the university and in Tilburg and generally to have a great time. There are plenty of options, both in your area of sstudy and in many other fields: social life, sports, culture, service to society or religion.

Academic Forum
Academic Forum is part of the Office of Student Affairs. Academic Forum supports the academic culture at Tilburg University.
Together with students, Academic Forum organizes conferences, lectures, discussions, cultural courses, talk shows, and theatre about various subjects and current affairs. Academic Forum offers the opportunity to think about recent developments in society and science, enjoy a captivating speaker, or to develop your talents by taking a cultural course.

Other courses
Other than the courses offered by your own study program, there are courses, work shops etc. which are not specific to any particular program. A list can be found here.

Administrative affairs
You need to make quite sure on your own that your administrative affairs are taken care of. Many university are subject to rules and regulations, procedures with application times and deadlines, passwords, and all kinds of other details. The official regulations can be found in the Student Statute and the Educational and Examination Regulations. For most administrative affairs you can drop by the Student Desk. Please pay close attention to all activities that require advance registration. Please take care that you enrol for tutorials, exams, etc. in time.

Student Desk
You can go to the Central Student Desk to have a photo made for your student card, get your user name and password and get information on facilities and procedures. Much information is also available on the Internet, and many enrolments can be taken care of do online as well. At the Central Student Desk (next to the Selexyz Gianotten book store, ground floor of the Goossens building) you will also find useful brochures and forms, such as those of IBG (the national student grant organization).

UvT card and ID
You need to have a UvT card, which serves as your campus ID and which you will need to use the library. It is your proof of enrolment, and is also your Sports Centre (if you have paid the sports fee).
You will need your login ID for the duration of your studies. This is a seven-figure number prefixed by a "U" (User). You need this number to log in in MySis, the Student information System.
You must provide your administration number (ANR: six figures, prefixed by an "S" for student) on all correspondence with the university.

Copy shop
If you need to make a lot of copies, or if you want to print in colour or on non-standard paper sizes, you can go to the copy shop in the Prisma building.

Printing
To print out digital material, you can make use of one of the 13 printers/copiers found throughout the campus. Eight are located in the library, and five more are in the Cobbenhagen, Goossens, Prisma and Dante buildings and the Food Plaza. You can send your print jobs from any student computer, your own notebook computer (if it is connected to the network), and even from your PC at home. To pay for your printouts you need a chip card ("ChipKnip"). Extensive information about the print and copy facilities for students can be found at www.tilburguniversity.edu/printers.

Photocopying
For quick copy jobs you can use the exact same machines as for printing. The machines in the library are particularly suited for making copies of books and magazines. The other machines on campus are more practical for copying many loose pages.
More information.

Audio-Visual
If you want to use audio equipment, computer projectors ("beamers"), or slide projectors for a presentation, you can rent them at the LIS Service Desk.

Conference Office
The Conference Office can help you with good advice and practical support if you want to organize a conference, symposium or other get-totogether on campus. They can also assist in reserving rooms, catering, and securing audiovisual equipment.

Facility Services
This service department handles the lost and found service, next to security, postal services, catering, first aid, printing and copy shops.

Central ComplaintsDesk
Everyone at TilburgUniversity does their utmostto make sure everythingrunssmoothly and fairly. Nevertheless, you may feel dissatisfied with certain facilities or the way you have been treated. Or you may disagree with certain decisions, such as the result of an exam. There are established complaint and appeal procedures for many areas, but you can also go directly to the Central Complaints Desk.
Alternatively, you can call in help from one of the personal confidential advisors.

See also