Amsterdam:De Lekkerste (The Best!) Past Review

By Clare S (Psychology/Philosophy, University of Rochester) for

IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Social Sciences & Humanities

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned that traveling is a real passion of mine. i learned how to interact with people from all sorts of countries and how Americans are viewed by other types of people. I realized I can get to know a foreign city all by myself in a matter of weeks and really asserted my independence.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	N/A
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The teachers were hard to connect with. I come from a university where professors are eager to interact with students, and at UvA, as I said above, the teachers expected almost completely independent work. They were helpful in class but did not seem to expect to deal with students outside of the classroom. I was able to stay on top of my work, which enabled me to learn a lot on my own, I was just not used to professors who are not approachable.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	IES provided an amazing amount of support. They were available whenever I had problems with schooling (which was very very seldom) and held a few meetings throughout my stay in Amsterdam to regroup the students on the program and ask us how we were doing. They also planned optional trips to different parts of Holland to help us get more acquainted. They were efficient! The program size was about 50, which was big enough to meet lots of different kinds of students but also allowed us to meet and spend time with locals.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The housing was great. Except for a few problems with maintenance, the housing was comfortable, simple, and affordable. The building was also in a great location. We were about a ten minute bike ride from class and twenty from downtown. The rooms were nothing special but as students on a budget they were fine. We lived near the biggest windmill in Amsterdam, which was exciting! IES provided sheets for purchase on-site if we wanted them.
* Food:	The apartments are right near the grocery store, so it was easy to stop there on the way home from class and get things to cook. The apartments had a stovetop and microwave but no oven, so I made a lot of soup and pasta. I ate on campus on days that I had class, and the food was really cheap for students (we get a discount) and delicious! Lots of sandwiches and always the best-tasting ingredients. I would recommend dining on campus and making your own food, which is a good way to save money.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	IES arranged a trip to Keukenhof, which is a huge tulip museum/field for us. It was the most beautiful place! Tulips were in full bloom and it was great to see such a beautiful part of Holland. They also organized an overnight trip to Maastricht, a city in southern Holland where we stayed at a hostel and visited some caves. The trips were always smooth, easy, fun, and educational!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The city was very safe. I never felt threatened by anyone or anything in Amsterdam. At night, I always made sure to travel in a group. I also never got sick (lucky me) so I did not have to deal with any of the medical clinics or the school doctors. I did not get any vaccines before going to Amsterdam.
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?	70 Euros; I bought one meal every day and then bought groceries for the rest of the meals. I also bought bus tickets, concert tickets, and museum admissions.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	I would make sure to buy as many meals as possible from the grocery stores or the school, where food is cheapest. Only eat out when it is a special occasion! I saved money so I could do what I wanted, which involved going to a lot of concerts which add up quickly. I would also take buses places to travel which are much more affordable than planes.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	IES's support IES's trips
* What could be improved?	More communication with teachers More trips!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I would tell the student to make sure to explore all of the parts of the city and to use their Museumkaart wisely (IES provides students with a Museumkaart which grants unlimited access to many museums in Holland). An adventurous student interested in European history or history in general would really enjoy studying in Amsterdam.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	American Law Seminar
Course Department:	IES Abroad Course
Instructor:	Jan Major
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I really enjoyed this course. Jan was an American which helped bridge the gap between us and her teaching habits. She was the only teacher I had who was eager to talk with students, probably because she comes from an American background. She was very clear and the class was made completely of IES students which was bad because we didn't get to interact with locals, but good because we had focused instruction.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No! All my classes transferred and I had no problems receiving credits.