The reward of a lifetime
I stayed an extra year in college to do this program specifically--that's how valuable I knew it would be. And after the program ended, I loved Amsterdam so much I extended my stay with the help of IES to live abroad for an extra 3 months. The academics were top-notch and flexible. I designed my schedule around the courses I wanted, which I could take either with IES or at a Dutch institute (I did a mix). The IES law course was one of the best criminology courses I've ever taken, with all-around knowledge from a great professor who made the class worth every second. My courses at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) were challenging but incredibly rewarding. Navigating the academic differences is certainly a task that takes time, but I networked with students, professors, and IES staff to ensure that I was completing my work to the Dutch standards. My program was tight knit, so we bonded through fun cultural trips together and in our shared kitchen mostly. I cannot rave enough about the IES Amsterdam staff. Every single person was available and prompt in answering any question I had. I've never had better communication from a group of people in my life. And they didn't just treat us like lesser students, but respected us as adults and tailored each meeting and activity to fit what our interests were. I do not know one person in our program who did not fall in love with how darling Amsterdam was. There is no shortage of things to do, and travel between cities is very easy to figure out. I wish I could continue studying in Amsterdam because I enjoyed it much, but I know that I will for sure end up visiting again. As a plus, the IES network is amazing. During my travels I have met with other IES students in Germany and France! Definitely worth it to do an IES program, especially to Amsterdam!
