My Favorite Semester!

This past spring I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Amsterdam with the IES program. It was an experience that I will never forget and one that I am extremely grateful for. Amsterdam was an incredible city, practically a utopia -a word I and my friends/ family who visited me used to describe the city many times. Amsterdam has an incredible peaceful vibe to it with lots to offer. There was always something new to do, always a new street to discover and great people to meet.

Being part of the IES abroad program made my experience in Amsterdam even better. Not only did I get to take classes at a local university with dutch and other international students, but I also got to take a class at the IES center, which ended up being by favorite class (with an incredible professor). This research seminar class allowed me to discover more about the city and myself that I ever expected. The professor gave us lots of support to help us figure out what we wanted to research but also lots of freedom to make the research our own and get whatever we wanted out of the work we did.

The living situation was also great! Being able to have my own room and bathroom was incredible- something that most programs don’t offer! Being able to share a kitchen and living area allowed me to never feel lonely. Everyone on my floor always had their doors open and we were constantly hopping from one room to the next to hangout with each other.

Through this program I got to meet tons of great people, travel around in Netherlands and Europe and take really great classes! I highly recommend the program!