Study Abroad in Amsterdam, do it! Past Review
By Marina (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) - abroad from 01/25/2016 to 05/28/2016 with
IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Psychology & Sciences
There is so much to see and so much to do, from visiting the many museums they have to offer, to visiting Keukenhof (the tulip festival in the spring), and of course biking around trying to understand the flow of traffic. Not only would I recommend that every college student spend a semester abroad, but also everyone should visit Amsterdam; if you can do those both at the same time, that's perfect!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IES did a great job of helping us get acclimated and there were always resources for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
International housing was great! |
| * Food: |
Eat lots of herring and fries and stroopwafels. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Depends on what you are coming from, but it can be expensive and I think going abroad in general has its costs associated with it. |
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 |
I took Dutch at the VU, and I loved it and would recommend it, but everyone in Amsterdam speaks English. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
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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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? | Amsterdam is COLD and it rains every day in the winter |
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. |
