Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

New Experiences, New Perspectives, New Friends Past Review

By (University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) - abroad from 06/05/2019 to 07/20/2019 with

IES Abroad: Amsterdam Summer – Society, Culture & Gender

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Past what was taught in the lectures, I was able to fully dive into the Dutch culture and experience a new cultural perspective on social values.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* 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

The people on this trip were amazing, and slowly developing friendships that will last a lifetime really made the trip an incredible one

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? $50/week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bring a debit card to take money out of the ATM. They do not accept VISA or MasterCard in many places (i.e. grocery stores)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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

  • 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 People (Americans and the Dutch of course)
  • The Architecture
  • The Ability to Travel
* What could be improved?
  • Program length could be another week or two longer!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? 1. Bring a deck of cards for when traveling without signal 2. Bring a debit card

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.