Frequently Asked Questions

What is via?

Visit svia.nl/via to find out!

Why should I become a member?

It’s simple really: the discount on your books is more than the cost of a membership. You’re practically becoming a member for free! Furthermore, master students can become a member for free regardless. Via organises numerous activities, from parties, barbecues and balls to interesting lectures, workshops and in-house visits to companies. We try to organise as many activities as possible so we can accommodate as many students as we can. If you’d like to organise an event, take a look at the committees to find out if there’s one you;’d like to join!

How do I become a member?

You can find this at svia.nl/lidmaatschap.

How do I order books?

You can find this at svia.nl/boeken.

Where can I find my schedule?

You can find all schedules of all courses at datanose.nl, as well as your study progress, grades etc. While datanose has a bit of a less modern interface, the information the website offers is very useful, if you know how to get to it. Through “personal timetable” you can see your schedule after entering your student id. If you log in first (in the top right corner, or using the tile “Login (UvAnetID)), an extra tile will show up with “Studentgegevens”. Your grades and courses are located here.

How can I get tutoring?

You can find this at svia.nl/bijles.

I’ve encountered a problem or conflict within my study, where can I report this?

There are multiple different parties that monitor education and the faculty. For example, we have the OC(onderwijs commissie, this is part of the study, don’t confuse it with via’s education commitee) that monitors the study. Furthermore there is the FSR (faculty student council) that mostly monitor the organisation and faculty. It can be confusing to figure out exactly where to go with your questions or remarks, so don’t hesitate to send an email to onderwijs@svia.nl if you need some help!

What if I have problems with my laptop?

Every tuesday and thursday between 12:00 and 13:00, there is a walk-in laptop help desk in the room next to the education desk (at the top of the large stairs). There is a dedicated help desk at the start of the year, located at B1.19A. You can also always reach out to the laptop help desk on laptops-fnwi@uva.nl

How can I find a job?

As an IT-student, you’re very valuable to companies. That’s why via has a lot of sponsors that would love to come into contact with you. Take a look at the “Companies” tab on the website! Furthermore, we have a job board (svia.nl/jobs) with multiple part-time and full-time job offerings. Finally, you can always hop by sponsored activities like lectures or in-house days. Employees of the company will often be there and will love to tell you more about their company.

What can I do for via?

Via is run by students like you, on a voluntary basis. Our commitees (svia.nl/commissie) organise weekly activities. To coordinate all these committees, we have a board, which changes each year and consists of six students that take a year off from their studies to lead the association. You can find the current board on svial.nl/bestuur! The committees and the board form the beating heart of the association. Besides from organising awesome things, this is also a huge learning experience for those involved. Interested in participating? Take a look at the committees to find out if there is something you would like to do!

Where can I find the via-room?

The via-room (also known as “de Kelder”) can be found next to the exit near the bike parking. You can recognize us by the big via-logo above the door!

Why “de Kelder”? It’s actually really simple: before Science Park was built, via was located at the Roeterseilandcampus, in the city centre. The former common room was literally located in the basement and this name has stuck with the room ever since, even though (almost) all current members have only seen the common room at Science Park. “De Kelder” is simply rolls off the tongue better than “the via-room”.

What can I do in the via-room?

In short: a lot. You can get get free stuff like coffee, tea, apples, cutlery or study supplies. You can lend tools, card and board games, pool cues or a football. Furthermore we have an extensive assortment of sodas, beer, sweets. chips, noodles and much more for bargain prices! So why not drop by?

How do I pay for stuff in the via-room?

We use a PoS-system in the via-room, this is an iPad which you can use to fulfil your own transactions. How does this work and what can it do?

1. You take a product, say: a Cola Zero
2. You select “Cola (all flavours)” on the iPad
3. Select your payment method: PIN or tab
4. Pay using the PIN terminal or enter your tab’s code

Be aware: we're not advanced enough yet to automatically start the pin transaction when you press PIN on the iPad, so you will have to enter the amount on the PIN terminal manually.

If you have any questions, you can always ask somebody in the room. (Almost) everybody knows how the systems works and would be more than willing to explain.

How does a PoS-tab work and how can I get one?

The PoS contains a tab-system. If you buy a lot of stuff from via, it can be annoying to pay for all of it by cash or card. To avoid this, you can make a tab with pin code. There are two kinds of tab, a credit tab and a direct debit tab.

The first type, the credit tab, works like a prepaid SIM-card. You top up your balance, which you can in turn spend on food and drinks. You can’t have a negative balance and will need to charge your tab when it’s empty. You can do this via iDEAL on pos.svia.nl, where you log in with your via-account. The second, the direct debit tab, works like a tab in a bar. Anything you buy will be put on your tab, creating a negative balance. The balance will be put back to zero every month by deducting the difference from your bank account (with permission of course).

You can request a tab from any board member present in the via-room. He or she can create the tab on the sport! Once done, your name will be on the the tab list. Press “Account” while using the PoS tablet, use the search bar to find your name and enter your code. Tada! You have successfully paid (gestreept, as we call it)!

How can I top up my PoS-tab?

Go to pos.svia.nl and log in with your via-account. Navigate to “Saldo” on the left side of the page. Here, you have the option to add any amount you want to your account via iDEAL. Finish the payment and it will be on your account instantly!

What is “zelf strepen” and how can I do it?

It might happen that you’re getting a round of drinks for a group, but you’re not planning to pay for them all yourself. This is where “zelf strepen” comes in. A small selection of products can be bought using your mobile phone by logging in on pos.svia.nl, if you have a tab. Because you pay with your tab, it’s sometimes even faster to use your phone instead of the iPad.

Why is via written in bold and without a capital letter?

Simply because it looks the most like our logo this way! Furthermore, it’s to prevent confusion, as “via” is also a preposition.

What if I have a question that is not answered on this page?

Send an email to bestuur@svia.nl or drop by our room!