Unforgettable Experience Past Review
By Jessie D (Human Development, American Studies, Education, Connecticut College) - abroad from 08/25/2014 to 12/19/2014 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities
My experience was SO worthwhile. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I definitely would. I learned how to plan a trip, how to cook my own meals, how to create a successful and healthy daily routine and so many other things. I learned so much about myself and how to survive independently in a new, foreign location.
Review Photos
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 was underwhelmed with the academic aspect of my study abroad experience. I found my classes interesting to an extent, but not as fulfilling as I would have liked. The workload was manageable, especially with the amount of free time I had. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IES Center was only a five minute bike ride from my apartment, which definitely enhanced my experience. I was able to go there when I needed advice about my travels, living situation, or anything related to my study abroad experience. The women at the center were kind, knowledgeable and responsive when I had problems or questions. At times, I felt like the program could've been better organized. I felt like there was confusion about what was expected of us as students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
AMAZING. Clean and close to the city center. Also, the entire program lived in the same building, which helped with socializing. |
| * Food: |
Amsterdam has great food, especially snack food. I give it four stars however because I often cooked for myself, but our kitchenette was difficult to use and had no oven or freezer. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Overall, pretty integrated. Amsterdam is used to tourists and to people "just visiting" so it was nice to live there for an extended period of time and really get the lay of the land. However, I wish I had made more friendships with Dutch people, but never really had the opportunity as my program was all American and my classes were all International students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in the city. There is very little crime and violence in Amsterdam. However, some of my friends felt unsafe at times walking home at night, but I never had that experience. |
| 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) |
Pretty easy! Abroad living is expensive, but it's up to you how much you want to spend. The first few weeks were overwhelmingly expensive because I was buying common living supplies and setting up my apartment. After that, the costs went down, especially when I cooked myself meals instead of eating out. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out all the time! If you can make yourself meals, do it. Also, my friends and I had "family dinners" once a week where everyone would bring a dish. This made the meals much more interesting and delicious, but was also economically friendly. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 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 studying abroad was going to be hard! As much as I loved my experience, I wasn't adequately prepared for how difficult it was going to be. This was not my first abroad experience, but it was still difficult to get adjusted, to be pro-active, and to explore on your own. I wish I had been a little bit more honestly warned. |
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. |
