The most unreal experience I'll likely ever have Past Review
By A student (Economics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/25/2016 to 05/27/2016 with
CIEE: Amsterdam - Business + Culture
I matured significantly, learned to look at the world and its people from a new perspective, and met the best people. Would do it again if I could 100%.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The University of Amsterdam is a very legitimate and impressive institution. Their courses, particularly in economics, are not the easiest. They all take time and effort to pass. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I probably had a better living arrangement in Amsterdam than I'll ever have again in my life. I had a huge room with a patio over a canal. The building (PMG) was very international, and fostered a great sense of community. |
| * Food: |
The food in Amsterdam is a little pricey, but really good. Being one of the most international cities in Europe, the city had food from all over the world. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had many international friends, however, almost none of them were Dutch. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had need to experience the healthcare system, however, my friends all had good experiences. |
| * Safety: |
Despite its reputation, Amsterdam was one of the safest cities I had the opportunity to visit in Europe (of 15+). As a male I never felt unsafe at any point, and neither did many of my female friends even at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Amsterdam has all the components that one looks for in a study abroad experience. Don't allow its false reputation to skew your decision from choosing it as your destination. |
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) |
All depends on how often you're willing to cook and how often you want to go out at night. Going out at night is where most expenses went. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook with your friends and split the costs. |
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? | Bring a waterproof jacket. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Behavioral Economics |
| Course Department: | Economics |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Best class to take. Material isn't particularly difficult, and very interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Easy to transfer credit! |
