Study Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the best cities to study abroad in in Europe. The people are friendly (and almost all speak English) and it is a city with rich international history. It is easy to be a foreigner in the city and explore another culture. Amsterdam is incredibly easy to navigate by bike-museums, restaurants, and nightlife are all just a short ride away. The city provides many varying opportunities, while still being a relatively small European city. After 4 months I still feel as if there are a million things I never had time to experience. However, while I loved my time in Amsterdam and learned a lot, I do not feel as if I really experienced Dutch culture. As a result of living with so many other American students it is easy to interact only with them and not get out and become immersed in the Dutch culture. Additionally, taking classes through IES and participating in activities at the center encourages spending time only with other American students on the program. Meeting Dutch students and really immersing yourself in the culture requires a great deal of effort. While classes at the University of Amsterdam are available, the classes tend to consist of mainly international students and few Dutch students. At the beginning of the semester my coursework was extremely easy but toward the end it became more challenging. If you are looking for an academic challenge while studying abroad, IES Amsterdam is likely not the best choice. However, if you want to travel to other European countries like I did, the easy academics leave a lot of free time for travel and exploring the city.