Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Go to Amsterdam! Past Review

By (American/United States Studies/Civilization., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2012 to 12/22/2012 with

CIEE: Amsterdam - Summer Contemporary Netherlands Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes--I would go back in a second. Amsterdam is a great city and I definitely want to visit again!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* 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

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)

Amsterdam was definitely not cheap but was more affordable than places such as Copenhagen or London

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I probably spent around $175 per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Open up a Dutch bank account

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
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?
  • The directors
  • The activities
* What could be improved?
  • The dorm options
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That you cannot switch classes once you are signed up

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Dutch Language and Culture was also very informative course. It was helpful learning the basics of the language and also learning a bit about the history and values of the Dutch. The class was small so everyone was able to engage in lively discussions
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Identities in Popular Culture This class was not what I was expecting. There was a big focus on gender issues which was interesting but not what I had hoped to learn about. The teacher was a bit disorganized but gave the class a lot of opportunities boost our grades. We had three journal assignments as well as a take home exam. We also visited two museums which were fun to see.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: The American Dream: Politics, Society and Culture This class was very large and was conducted entirely in a lecture format. There were about 6 guest speakers who gave presentations on different topics each week. I did not particularly enjoy this class and found that the professor/TA were very hard to communicate with. There were weekly questions due, a final exam and a final paper.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Dutch Contemporary Social Policy
Course Department:
Instructor: Bonny Wassing
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was one of my favorite courses. The classes were interesting and engaging. The field trips were relevant to the material we were discussing in class. I also enjoyed all the guest papers. We wrote a few 3-4 page papers and one final paper.
Credit Transfer Issues: