Independence at Last! Past Review
By A student (Film Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/30/2012 to 06/04/2012 with
CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities
Yes. Living in Europe is a valuable and great thing. There is so much culture and history in a city as international as Amsterdam, and I have never felt so independent and free as I did living abroad. I really grew from it, and learned how to live on my own and take care of myself.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Amsterdam |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes offered through CIEE and the professor Bonny Wassing were fantastic, but the classes offered through the University of Amsterdam were underwhelming. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location of my housing on Prins Hendrikkade was great. |
| * Food: |
We had to fend for ourselves. It would have been much better if we could have access to the campus dining halls. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Amsterdam is a complicated place to truly become a native in because the city is so inherently touristy and having traveled with Americans in my program, they were the most easy to become close friends with. However, from a foreigner's perspective I truly explored every museum and cultural activity and opportunity I came across. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Hard for me to say because I thankfully didn't have issues, but my understanding is that doctors were readily available. |
| * Safety: |
Amsterdam is a fantastic place to live in as a female student, and I felt comfortable and secure in my dorm. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Amsterdam is pricey. It just is. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | A bunch. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourself, and never ever take a taxi in Holland. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I enjoyed my language classes, but ultimately Dutch is impossible to learn in one semester because Dutch people speak impeccable English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No Dutch language before arrival. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Amsterdam is much more expensive, high-end, trendy than I expected. Dutch people are friendly once you break the ice, but that initial barrier can be tough to get through. Don't give up! Introduce yourself to people, be persistent. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Dutch Social Policy |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Bonny Wassing |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was offered through CIEE and was absolutely fantastic. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
