starts usually second week in march, first week in march is orientation week, semester goes for 13 weeks with a one week break at easter, then you get one week of stuvac, two weeks of exams, three weeks of holidays, then back for semester two, which again is 13 weeks with a 1 week break in the middle, and again, stuvac, exams, and then holidays from mid november till march. But for many courses you have to do practical work experience and this has to be done in the holidays, like for me, in vet, i have to do 14 weeks over 4 years.
first year is pretty easy, the lecturers go easy on you, everything is explained to you at the beginning of semester for each of your classes.