Masterday_2020

1) We don't know exactly what the situation will be re COVID19 in the Netherlands, but it is reasonable to expect that things will at least not be completely back to normal. And we really have no idea how long this will go on, so e.g. delaying your start by half a year or a year to try to avoid problems is not a reliable strategy.

2) Education will certainly continue, and we are working very hard to make sure things can proceed as normally as possible, while staying safe. We expect that it will be possible for some activities to take place physically at the university, but there will be reduced capacity. We are prioritising small group sessions, then exams, with large lectures as lowest priority. It is likely that you will be able to come to the university for some problem classes in small groups, but I think it will be a while before we hold large lectures in person.

3) We are aware that some students will have trouble making it to the Netherlands, whether because of travel restrictions or because of visa issues. We encourage you to come to Leiden if you safely can, but if not then we will do our best to ensure that your study can proceed as smoothly as possible. We expect all large lectures to be online, and quite likely many problem sessions will be also. Online homework submission is already standard in many courses, and will likely become universal. The exams are a long way away, but if there are still problems travelling then we can safely assume they will be online, or at least have an online option.

4) We are very aware that this situation is making life more difficult for everyone, but an important part of overcoming this is to try to keep things as normal as we safely can. We are all working very hard to make the coming year as good an experience for you all as it can be.