Amazing Past Review
By Kelsey G (Trinity University) - abroad from 06/04/2015 to 07/18/2015 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities
I gained a lot of self-confidence about being on my own. It was definitely worthwhile.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrators were great! They were extremely helpful and made sure we felt at home right away! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were issues with rats and wifi, but other than that, it was pretty good. |
| * Food: |
Amsterdam's food would not be my favorite, but we were able to cook a lot, so it worked out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish we got to know more locals, but we were in the culture by riding bikes everywhere and going to local events. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe, even when it was just a group of girls at night. |
| 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) |
Living on a budget abroad was extremely difficult. I know most of us struggled with that. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-60 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out all the time. Cook when you can. Only buy food to cook for one or two nights though because you never know when plans may change, and you don't want to waste money on food that is going bad. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 had practiced biking! |
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.' |
