European Culture & European Journalism (2011)

I chose a semester exchange in the European Culture & European Journalism cohort-based program at the Hogeschool Utrecht for the Spring 2011 semester. I was the only American student in the cohort with about three Dutch students, five Canadians and the rest from all over Europe and Asia.

The Academics: The European model is more independent study and research-based than American universities. This was an adjustment, but I think I gained a lot of independence and creativity from it. For example, our final project was to pick a city, spend a week there researching, interviewing and writing on some aspect of culture in that city. I chose Barcelona and interviewed an artist, a journalist and a professor on how the Catalonian identity manifests itself through art and urban development. I navigated the city on my own for a whole week! I was scared but so proud of myself for accomplishing it.

Safety: The crime rate in Utrecht is very low and I always felt safe. Everyone gets around by bike and you get very attached to your bike! In fact, the biggest crime is bike theft, so you do need to invest in a powerful lock immediately!

Housing: I lived in an international student dormitory with shared bathrooms and kitchens. The building has since been torn down. As is the case with most of Europe, housing is quite expensive here. I found my housing through the school’s international student office. Other friends lived in cute Dutch apartments with international roommates.

Support: When I was there, the semester began in late January, but we could not move into our housing until Feb. 1. This was inconvenient to live out of a hostel for my first several days in-country. Sometimes, professors were a bit distant but that is just the difference, again, between American and European education!

Overall, Utrecht is a lively, safe and beautiful city I would recommend to anyone interested in getting outside their comfort zone, learning more about themselves and the world, and making lifelong friends!