Biking, Canals, and Poffertjes! Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/23/2016 to 12/23/2016 with

CIEE: Amsterdam - Social Sciences + Humanities

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, it was worthwhile. I gained confidence in my ability to travel alone and in a foreign place. I really came to appreciate my home school and how things are done there after seeing the differences with my host university.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes at the UVA were not particularly rigorous or interesting, but the CIEE classes were great and had wonderful professors. Screen Cultures taught by Jonathan Key was definitely one of the best classes I've taken.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

CIEE staff was amazing. Loved going into the office and chatting with them, and they were always very helpful with problem solving.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

N/A, cooked own meals.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was hard to meet people outside the program.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Had no experience with health care.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

CIEE has a lot of advantages: they offer free excursions around the Netherlands and cultural activities in Amsterdam that are awesome. I took advantage of these and got to do a lot of amazing things (film screenings, food tastings, documentary film festival). The staff is amazing and they really help you figure things out. The classes offered by CIEE are also great.

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)

I was averaging about $150 a week on food, travel, all other costs.

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? Don't buy drinks at bars or clubs! Way too expensive!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Activities
  • CIEE classes
* What could be improved?
  • More access to info about UVA classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had connected more with international (non-American) students earlier in the semester.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.