Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An adventure through and through June 01, 2024

By (Social Justice and Activism, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/29/2024 to 06/01/2024 with

IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
it was my first time living alone in my own apartment so I had to learn how to manage my time to include transporting myself to classes, cooking, and cleaning which as challenging. I also got a lot better at managing travel emergencies as well as at generally planning trips in a cost-effective and safe manner.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Enjoyed all my classes, my only issue was that the IES classes demanded significantly more study time than my uva classes which made me regret taking them.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 75 euro

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • the staff
  • the accessability of the city
  • easy to travel around
* What could be improved?
  • attendence policy
  • discrepancy between IES and uva classes
  • better health insurance
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The group of students in the program is massive so there is not much intimacy and you are on your own in terms of making friends.

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 Urbanite
A 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.