I would have gone someplace else. Past Review
By A student (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 08/24/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
Leiden University: Leiden - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I loved the cultural experiences I had abroad, but I would not have based myself in Leiden. The program was complicated in its administration, underwhelming academically, very solitary, and generally isolating. I did not interact with one Dutch student the entire semester. The friends I did make were all living in the center of the city, about 20 minutes from me, so I rarely saw them.
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. |
My priority when studying abroad was the cultural experience, not necessarily the academic opportunities. However, I was shocked by how much I disliked the academics at the University. The classes were impersonal and basic, the teaching staff inaccessible, and student support almost non-existent. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international student coordinators were very sympathetic to all my inquiries, but they were very limited in their ability to help. Professors, when they did respond, would often direct me to another person. The general treatment I found was that students were incapable of doing many basic tasks (like registering for classes), and that greatly complicated everything for students, faculty, and administration alike. Overall, a very inefficient system. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although I liked my apartment, securing housing was an incredibly slow and inefficient process. I was not given school housing, so the process was transferred to an outside housing provider, who did very little besides handing over the keys. Despite the decent room I was given, the building itself was removed from the town and the University, and the facilities were not conducive to socializing. I essentially lived alone and isolated for 4 months. |
| * Food: |
The food available in the Netherlands is hearty, fresh, and generally quite inexpensive. Restaurants are plentiful and good. The school does not have any sort of central dining hall, but they do offer some lunch foods in the major academic buildings. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt uncomfortable walking around the city (Leiden or Amsterdam, actually), but don't be stupid. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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 wist it was a larger or more structured program. |
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! |
