Life is a Movie September 11, 2023

By A student (Psychology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/30/2023 to 06/05/2023 with

CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned a lot about my self and how I can function while independent. I learned about Dutch culture, and found myself immersed and loving a whole new place. This experience was so worthwhile and I hope to be able to return to Amsterdam someday.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The classes through CIEE were quite easy and not always well taught. On the other hand, the courses taken through University of Amsterdam were very challenging due to its large lecture-based style that I did not feel prepared for.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I loved Amsterdam and I felt like the program gave such independence while introducing us to the city. I thought the experience was incredible and I am very happy I chose CIEE.

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
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?	none
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Learning a new culture/experiencing the world Self discovery
* What could be improved?	Field trips
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew more about money management and how things like credit cards work while in a different country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Cross-Cultural Psychology
Course Department:	CIEE
Instructor:	Iro Fragkaki
Instruction Language:	english
Comments:	The course had little to do with cross-cultural psychology, and focused more on sociological, broad ideas that were very generic. The teacher did not seem to know what she was talking about and was not good at fostering discussion. I participated as much as I could given the circumstances
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Beginning Dutch
Course Department:	CIEE
Instructor:	Marianne Houben
Instruction Language:	Dutch/english
Comments:	Field trips were very educational, and the class was interesting. It was not challenging but I enjoyed the class. The teacher was knowledgeable and supportive. We were assessed via exams.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Race in the Netherlands
Course Department:	SOCI - CIEE
Instructor:	Nancy Jouwe
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was great, using all of the resources available to create such a holistic and thoughtful class. Discussions were engaging. We visited museums, talked to local people, and learned a lot about the Netherlands and its relation to race. Projects and readings were a big part of the class, and this felt like a good learning method for us.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Attitudes and Behavior Change
Course Department:	PSYC at UvA
Instructor:	multiple
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Class times and locations changed each week and was not communicated. The course material was quite interesting, though.
Credit Transfer Issues: