Amazing experience in Leiden! Past Review
By Esther B (Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/01/2012 to 05/25/2012 with
Brandeis University: The Hague - Brandeis in The Hague, Spring or Summer
I gained a focus on what I want to pursue in graduate school and the international interests I have. It was very worthwhile!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Leiden University |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classroom work wasn't difficult, but the independent study was very rewarding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Professor Gaksins from Brandeis University came with us. He was an amazing resource and took care of all the students in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We stayed in international student housing. I would have enjoyed living with Dutch students and practicing the language more. |
| * Food: |
I bought most of my groceries from an outdoor market held twice a week. All the food was locally grown and delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone spoke English in the Netherlands, so it was difficult to practice the language. The culture was not very different from New England, so it was not too difficult to adjust. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Professor Gaskins was very caring when students were sick. He would pick up soup and medicine if need be. |
| * Safety: |
I felt completely safe in the Netherlands. Even coming home from Amsterdam at 3 or 4 am I never had a safety concern. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
I did a lot of traveling, which became expensive! |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30-$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy train/plane tickets as far in advance as you can. |
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 |
We took 8 language classes at the beginning of the program, but never spoke Dutch afterwards |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No Dutch, but I took Spanish 104 and Japanese 40 |
| 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? | Go to bars and speak with local people. |
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? | I wish I had learned some Dutch before arriving. It is very easy to only speak English. |
