I found my 2nd home! Past Review
By A student (English Language and Literature, Law, Texas Lutheran University) - abroad from 08/17/2015 to 12/20/2015 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Law & Criminology
I gained better observation and navigation skills. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Definitely a rigorous academic load! It's probably best if you have a background in law, although I didn't and ended up with good grades, just a lot of stress. Vrije University is very large and the teachers don't keep up with you. If you have a question or want to talk to them you have to track them down. I had to send multiple emails and make appointments to talk with mine. Their library doesn't have as much in English as I would have liked, but there were a lot of online sources in English. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I loved my program administration! They made sure everyone was doing good and helped us with anything we had questions about. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was happy to have my own room. The bathrooms are so tiny. Your shower and toilet share the same space practically. I liked that there were people from my program as well as other international students where I lived at. Sharing a kitchen and laundry room guaranteed interaction. The only thing I would say is it would have been nice to live with Dutch people, not just international people. |
| * Food: |
Being from Texas, I am used to spicy food. The food in the Netherlands is very bland. I didn't have a meal plan I did all of my grocery shopping and loved it. The food is so healthy and good for you!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Other buildings around where I lived had Dutch people, but mine was only for international people. Dutch people are not very friendly and it takes work to get to know them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was able to see a doctor when I needed to and get medicine for cheap. |
| * Safety: |
It's as safe as you make it! You really have to pay attention to your surroundings. If you're out in the city at night always make sure to have someone with you! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved the city life. It was easy to get around. There was a lot of public transportation and having a bike made things really easy. |
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) |
$40 a week on food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have an international friendly bank so you don't get charged a bunch of fees. You have the option to open a Dutch bank account but it costs to open and close it and it will cost your American bank when they transfer your money. |
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 |
They helped us. |
| 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? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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 believed people when they told me it rains everyday there!! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
