Amsterdam is LITERALLY AMAZING Past Review
By Isaac A (Politics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/29/2018 to 06/04/2018 with
CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities
I learned to be way more independent than I was and made new friends in a situation where I didn't know anybody. Trying new things and meeting new people and being comfortable with being uncomfortable are certainly skills I am happy to be better at now.
Personal Information
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was very helpful when we needed them and didn't overstep. It was basically like "You're here and make it on your own but we're here if you need us" which was great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a great and huge room with my own bathroom and kitchen, but it was a bit dirty |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Felt super safe! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program is great in that they set you up in the middle of Amsterdam and then you just kind of go and it's such a fun experience |
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) |
Luxury things like fancy coffee were very expensive, but it's fairly cheap to buy groceries and you can bike or tram or walk everywhere so transportation is cheap, and you can definitely find cheap flights all over Europe |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 or so |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Hunt for cheap flights they're out there!!! Also tempting as it is you should seriously set a limit on how often you go out to eat. |
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 |
It's fun to try out Dutch but literally everyone speaks 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? | 0 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Learn how to do a few things really well |
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? | There is 0 language barrier |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
