Best decision I have ever made! February 11, 2024
By A student (Sociology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/21/2023 to 12/23/2023 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities
It was absolutely without a doubt a worthwhile experience. I learned so much during my time abroad about living on my own, exploring new places, navigating public transportation and traveling, and navigating places where my first language and cultural norms where not the typical. More than anything though, I learned so much about myself, my goals, my passions, and my ability to conquer challenging situations.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
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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 was in international student housing, which was extremely interesting as I got to meet so many different students studying in Amsterdam from countries all around the world. However, it wasn't as easy to integrate with the locals because of this. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never had a single instance where I felt anything but safe, anywhere I spent within Amsterdam. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I absolutely loved the city of Amsterdam which was a huge reason I chose this program. It was also wonderful for me that I got to take classes both through the program and at the local university which allowed me to integrate into the local learning environment while also having some of the educational structure that I was used to at my home university. |
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? | $210 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go in with a budget about what you are willing to spend and try your best to follow that. Ask your program advisors about where you can go for groceries, food, etc. that may be cheaper (different stores will have different prices and they will know that better than you)! Also cooking at home (if possible) will tend to be a lot cheaper than frequently going out to eat. |
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 |
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| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Duolingo is always a helpful tool for learning languages, but also just be willing to go out of your comfort zone and try it! I found that service workers at restaurants and cafes were super willing to help me if I tried ordering in the language which definitely helped it not to feel so scary! |
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? | The time goes so incredibly fast! It feels like I blinked and it was suddenly over. However, it's so important to remember that prioritizing yourself throughout it all is critical. Honor time you need to spend alone or relaxing; don't feel like you always have to be going all the time. |
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. |
