Adventures in Amsterdam Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/29/2018 to 05/11/2018 with

SIT Study Abroad: Netherlands - International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
1. That I am not worldly 2. I need personal time even though I am an extravert 3. I learned so much about the Netherlands 4. I feel more cultured.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

A lot of learning but not too rigorous

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Sweet people. Director weak in some areas. Administrator chooses favorites

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Host families!!

* Food:

What I’m used to plus cheese!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We learned A LOT about Amsterdam, I had a bike, and took Dutch class. But we really only interacted with the other students on the program and did not meet a lot of Dutch people.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

no health issues but some friends felt unsatisfied

* Safety:

It feels safer than the US

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

There were definitely difficulties in the program with staff and group dynamic, but I loved the topic and the city was fun. I am really glad that I got to study WGS abroad and that I learned about many cultures.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

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? 3 - hebrew
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Talk!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Guest speakers
  • The connections that were built
  • Home Stay
* What could be improved?
  • Program organization
  • Better staff-student boundaries
  • engage with more dutch people
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? n/a

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.