Amsterdam was cool but not the people in my program Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/28/2019 to 06/01/2019 with
CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
i learned how to live on my own and navigate every day issues important to living on your on. It was worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not the best teaching but a lot of information |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Good |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was fine but my RA was a nightmare |
| * Food: |
Fine |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
felt comfortable |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
never got very sick |
| * Safety: |
felt safe |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I just did not like the people in my CIEE program and in my apartment. Some were so unpleasant and selfish it just aggravated me a lot. My business teacher Simone also said some really ignorant things about race that really aggravated me and I felt like I had no support. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
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 |
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| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | I wish I knew that |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Eurocentrism |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Michael Wintle |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was challenging. The course offered us filed trips around the city to demonstrate the relevance of the work to the modern world. The teacher was brilliant. I participated in the class the same as I would at home. I was assessed by papers and exams. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No sure yet |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Beyond the Borders of Europe: Diaspora and Migration |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Luiza Bialasiewicz and. Enno Maessen |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was very challenging. The course used took advantage of the our placement in Amsterdam to show us how the course work was applicable. The teachers were wonderful and experts in their field. They always were prepared for class and if they did not know the answer they would follow up with you and encourage us to find the information on our own as well. I participated in this class more than I would at home. I was assessed through homeowork, papers, and exams |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No sure yet |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Business & Sustainability in the Netherlands |
| Course Department: | Business & Sociology |
| Instructor: | Simone Mattar |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was challenging. There were many field trips to businesses that are making changes to be sustainable for the future. The teacher was knowledgeable and well-prepared. I participated in the class more often than I would at my home college. I was assessed through papers, exams, homework, and presentations. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not sure yet |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Beginning Dutch |
| Course Department: | Dutch |
| Instructor: | Lisa Janssen |
| Instruction Language: | English/Dutch |
| Comments: | Yes it was challenging. The course did field trips around the city so we could speak Dutch in a variety of situations. She was knowledgeable and well-prepared. I participated in the course more often than I would at my college. I was assessed through papers, homework, exams, and presentations |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not sure yet |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Race in the Netherlands |
| Course Department: | Sociology |
| Instructor: | Nancy Jouwe |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Yes it was challenging. The course took me on field trips around the city to demonstrate the racial divide in a country that likes to view itself as colorblind. The teacher was knowledgeable and well-prepared. I participated more than I would at my home college. I was assessed through papers, exams, homework, and presentations. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not sure yet |
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