My Fall in Amsterdam Past Review
By A student (International Relations And Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/18/2012 to 12/19/2012 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities
I learned a lot about myself, and got to live in one of the world's most unique and beautiful cities. It was a worthwhile experience.
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. |
I found the courses at UvA to be very different from classes in an American public university. My professors were mainly researchers, not trained teachers, and the courses were structured very differently. There is very little impetus/competition to force you to do well. The classes were mostly dry textbook readings and a final paper. However, my class with David Bos (Social Trends in the NL) was great. |
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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? |
Funenpark has great location-wise, but in terms of quality, the rooms were very spare and most had broken furniture, wiring problems, rodents etc. |
| * Food: |
It's not France; I did most cooking on my own. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Dutch people are very tolerant, but not necessarily friendly towards Americans/Internationals. However, everyone was very respectful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't go to Coffee and Company; buy an Eurail pass, don't miss any Ryanair/Easy Jet flights. |
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 would highly suggest taking a Dutch class and/or trying to learn the local language. However, I didn't do this and I regret it. |
| 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? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | n/a |
| 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? | Watch Youtube videos/use Google Translate to hear how the language sounds. |
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 a beautiful, beautiful interesting city. It will rain almost every day. You will be very pale and cold by the end of the semester. Dutch people are awesome. Sign up for "fluffy" or easy classes if you can. There's a lot more to do outside of the classroom, and overall, the quality of courses is not great. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
