Spending Spring in the Netherlands Past Review
By Carli Snyder (Pacific Lutheran University) - abroad from 01/28/2016 to 05/26/2016 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities
I learned how to rely more on myself, I gained confidence in my abilities to meet new people and to become engaged in another culture. My time abroad was very worthwhile because not only did I learn a great deal academically but I also feel like I experienced valuable personal growth as well.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
All of the courses that I took in Amsterdam challenged me to view issues from the Dutch perspective which broadened my perception of topics such as history, cross cultural understanding, and politics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the people in the IES Center in Amsterdam were very thoughtful and helpful in my semester abroad. Any time something came up or I needed some advice, one of them were always willing to help me as soon as possible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt well-integrated into Dutch culture, especially because I joined a student swim team and got to know many Dutch students through that experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues during my time abroad, but when someone else did, it was taken care of quickly and easily. |
| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe in Amsterdam and experienced no incidents during my time there. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I really appreciated the courses offered by IES Abroad and through the University of Amsterdam. This combination created a challenging and engaging semester. The program also offered helpful suggestions of different ways to get involved in different events and experiences throughout the course of the semester. |
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) |
Groceries were not too expensive and I did not go out to eat that much, so living on a student's budget wasn't very difficult. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would estimate about 40-50 euros each week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would recommend packing smartly: I did not have to really buy anymore clothes while I was there, while other people did. This helped me save money throughout the semester. I also tried to limit the amount of times I ate out at a restaurant and cooked for myself the majority of my dinners. |
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 |
It is kind of difficult to use the language in Amsterdam where everyone speaks English, but we did try to use it in the grocery store and cafés. |
| 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
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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? | 10+ |
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 I would have a lot more time on my hands when I was abroad than when I am at my home university. I don't think I anticipated that and sometimes that felt like a bit of a shock when I was not so busy at all times in Amsterdam. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
