Amsterdam: Where You Will Find Yourself Past Review
By A student () for
CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities
Yes. Going abroad, experiencing the world and different ways of life while you are in college is possibly one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. It is important as you reach the precipice of graduating college to explore various ways to live life and learn of the different avenues that you can go down. Before going abroad, it seemed to me that the only options after graduation were graduate school, law school, or try to get a good jump on a career with a stable job with horrible hours. Perhaps I was naive in thinking this way, but after going abroad and seeing that these are not the only viable options, life seems much more interesting, open, and exciting. Not only will you come back with a new outlook on your future, but also with a new sense of self. I gained such a deep understanding of myself which I never thought possible. Being abroad in such an open-minded and seemingly taboo-less place allows one to truly come into his/her own without the judgments and speculations from others which seem to plague campuses at the more conservative American universities. The challenge of being in a new country and where you know no one will force you to experience new things (duh) that you never thought you could do or would ever try. Therefore, I would say the type of student who would gain the most from this program is one who wants a change in his life, who wants to experience a new way of living, and who wants to gain a deep understanding of himself.
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. |
I took Dutch Culture through my program. It proved to be a very easy yet extremely interesting and helpful course. It is best that it was easy academically because the knowledge I gained from this course is not the type which can be accurately quantified by a grade; we discussed the cultural differences between the Netherlands and America, learned Dutch cultural norms, and broadened our view of the world. My university classes were much more demanding. However they were still quite different from my American university courses. Unlike American courses, Dutch classes require class participation and a deep understanding of the course material. Professors expect opinions and will call on you randomly for yours so it is important to do the readings. Class participation is a great deal of one's grade so it will be impossible to pass by sitting quietly in the back of the class. The grading system is not inflated in the slightest, which might be jarring for those students who are used to getting straight A's. The grading scale is 1-10, with 10, 9, and 8 being an A, 7 being a B, and 6 being a C, and so on. Though 10,9, and 8's will be given, do not expect them to come as freely as A's tend to in American courses. Anything 6 and above is considered to be a fine grade. Dutch students are not so concerned with their final grades and/or GPA but rather focus on the what they get out of the course as a whole, the information they learned, and what they take away from it personally. So, take a lesson from the Dutch:focus on actually learning, not the grade you earn. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was amazing. Renee, Annabell, and Hannah were more than helpful and so nice. The program size was perfect. There were forty of us so it was large enough to have all different types of people but small enough so we all knew each other quite well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Prinsengracht was the best dorm ever! If you have the option to choose which dorm to live in, LIVE HERE. Each student lives in a single bedroom with a small personal kitchen. Bathroom and shower are shared with one other student. It is conveniently located in the quaint and lovely Jordaan area, which is home to some of the best restaurants and old brown bars in the city. |
| * Food: |
If you are lactose intolerant pack lots of lactate, the Dutch are big on dairy. Cheese, cheese, cheese. Advice of what to get in the supermarket: stroopwaffel (wonderfully delicious cookies), vla (pudding, comes in lot o flavors. if you're there in the fall try herfst), room ijs is ice cream. If you go to Albert Heijn go to the cookie section and get the chocolate chip cookies that have melted chocolate on the bottom -- only a euro and possibly the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Coming back from a night out? Go to chipsy king, get mayo and ketchup. you wont be sorry. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My program offered many cultural events. One of the best ones was a day that we took a steam boat to some tiny Dutch towns in the countryside. We took a tour of the old town that was nice. From there, we took an olde time steam train across the countryside. We had a traditional Dutch lunch on the train and it was a lovely day. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Amsterdam is a very safe city. I never encountered anything unsafe. Obviously, like any big city, one has to maintain an awareness of his surroundings and be alert. Use common sense: do not walk alone late at night. If one needs to get to the train station early in the morning for an early flight later on, do not walk to the train station. Pack light and ride your bike there. Though Amsterdam is a safe city, it is not safe to be walking alone at 4 in the morning in any major city. |
| 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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Going abroad and experiencing the world and different ways of life while you are in college is possibly one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. It is important as you reach the precipice of graduating college to explore various ways to live life and learn of the different avenues that you can go down. Before going abroad, it seemed to me that the only options after graduation were graduate school, law school, or try to get a good jump on a career with a stable job with horrible hours. Perhaps I was naive in thinking this way, but after going abroad and seeing that these are not the only viable options, life seems much more interesting, open, and exciting. Not only will you come back with a new outlook on your future, but also with a new sense of self. While abroad I gained such a great understanding of myself that I never thought possible. Being abroad in such an open-minded and seemingly taboo-less place allows one to truly come into his/her own without the judgments and speculations from others which seem to plague campuses at the more conservative American universities. The challenge of being in a new country and where you know no one will force you to experience new things (duh) that you never thought you could do or would ever try. Therefore, I would say the type of student who would gain the most from this program is one who wants a change in his life, who wants to experience a new way of living, and who wants to gain a deep understanding of himself. |
