A Memorable Semester Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall, less work than a Middlebury Semester. For many classes, did not have assignments until the last month of class, which was both good and bad. UvA classes were difficult due to the lack of transparency about expectations/grading. CIEE classes more similar to home classes, although for some they were all discussion/seminar/presentations, which was not necessarily useful.

On-site administration of your program

CIEE Staff was great! Responded quickly to emails and was always available in their office which was right next to the UvA campus.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Maassluisstraat Dorm (De Key Housing), and the room itself was nice with its own kitchen and bathroom. however, the location was far from the city center where classes were located, and though we were given unlimited metro cards for the semester, I think I must have wasted at least an hour a day on the metro/tram. Also, the lack of common rooms in my dorm was isolating and I ended up spending more time that I would've liked alone in my room. About 60% of the program was located in this dorm though, so it was not isolating in that way, just being anywhere closer to the city center would've been definitely worth it.

Cooked own food with personal kitchen in my dorm room. Grocery store was nearby so wasn't a hassle, but cooking alone in my room most nights was very isolating. Community kitchens would've been better. Easy to save money by cooking own food at home, as meals at restaurants add up quickly (Amsterdam is pretty expensive).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Location of dorm very much felt as if I was integrated in the local culture on the outskirts of the city where most people actually lived. However, for the sake of being a student, being in the city center would've been a lot easier. Was forced to integrate with the local culture through the use of public transportation, and though this was fine, being closer to the city would've made it easier to bike more often and avoid this.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

Very safe, never felt threatened. Always felt safe getting home at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Really only used in Dutch class, but was useful for using public transit/grocery shopping/restaurants, etc.

Select all that apply

• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• The city itself
• Other students in the program
• Independence

• Housing Location
• Social Spaces to hangout with the other students in the program
• Pre-Arrival Class Schedules

The Academic or Linguist