Adventures in Amsterdam

The Study in Amsterdam program through IES gave me one of the greatest adventures of my life so far. I experienced more in four short months than I had in both my freshman and sophomore years of college. While the classes I took at the University of Amsterdam were not nearly as challenging or time consuming as my classes at my home university, I still found them to be engaging and they allowed me to interact with not only the Dutch students attending the school, but the students from all over the world as well. Because I only had classes three days a week, I had plenty of time to explore the city of Amsterdam, and to take weekends to travel Europe with new friends. I also took advantage of some of the field trip excursions offered through IES, which were fun ways to hang out with the other American students in my program. The IES administration was very supportive, always ready to help with whatever I needed, and shared information frequently regarding happenings and events around Amsterdam. IES also had a few casual, "check in" group hang outs throughout the semester, in which we discussed our feelings toward topics like initial adjustments, homesickness, and upon leaving, "reverse culture shock." Overall, my study abroad experience was a growing experience, a chance to discover new places, an opportunity to establish friendships internationally, and to fall in love with the city of Amsterdam. My time with IES has left me excited to return to Amsterdam, and I can't wait for that day!