Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Really solid abroad experience Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/15/2019 to 12/21/2019 with

IES Abroad: Amsterdam - Psychology & Sciences

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot, met a lot of cool people, and had a lot of fun. Definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

School was very relaxed at the VU compared to Middlebury. I put in only a little time and got similar grades. Some classes were interesting, but not fantastic academically.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I didn't have any issues with IES, although I didn't need much from them.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived in a well situated apartment with other American students.

* Food:

Cooked mostly for myself. There is some good food in Amsterdam obviously. Similar to US prices.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was difficult to meet Dutch people outside of classes, but I met lots of people from all over the world.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It's easy to get a doctors appointment as a tourist. It costs 50$ and the IES insurance had a 100$ deductible.

* Safety:

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

Pretty much everything worked out well.

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)

Similar to US prices for most things.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Getting a bike from facebook is the cheapest, and you can sell it at the end.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • Amsterdam
  • Housing
  • The program left us independant
* What could be improved?
  • Hard to meet Dutch people
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Ask to live in Hotel Jansen if you want to meet people from around the world. Smoking cigarettes (unfortunately) is a great way to make friends.

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 Urbanite
A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Phil and Ethics of Political Violence
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Good class with good teachers. Reasonable grading and interesting lectures.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Climate Science
Course Department:
Instructor: Han Dolman
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Basically a crash course on everything climate related. Not too hard to get an A although it helped that I have a physics background.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Dutch Literature of the Golden Age
Course Department:
Instructor: P.H. Moser
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very minimal work. All of the grade was the final which was easy if you prepared.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Discrete Mathematics

Course Department: Math
Instructor: Ilke Canakci
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Good class. Harder than other VU courses but easier than the Middlebury equivalent. Tests were reasonable.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Statistical Methods

Course Department:
Instructor: Dennis Dobler
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Boring, the final was somewhat hard. My grade got messed up because one assignment submitted one day late.
Credit Transfer Issues: