IES Abroad - Study Abroad in The Netherlands

First of all, Amsterdam is an incredible city to live in! I lived right outside the city center near Vondelpark, and I felt at home very quickly. Naturally, it took me a little while to adjust, but before I knew it I felt very comfortable going about life in Amsterdam. Dutch culture and life in Amsterdam is very unique and something that is easy to appreciate. Even though I have only been back in the United States for 1.5 months, I am already looking forward to my next visit! Secondly, the IES Abroad staff are amazing. During our orientation they educated us on Dutch culture and customs, and took us on various field trips around the Netherlands. Even after orientation, the staff were extremely accessible and made sure to check in with us periodically. I had a great experience with IES Abroad and I would highly recommend spending your time abroad with them!

I didn’t want to be that person who said study abroad changed my life, but now I realize they are right — my experience abroad was life changing. This summer (2019) I had the incredible opportunity to travel abroad with IES to Amsterdam. Making it to Europe has always been a dream of mine, and when I saw the immerse and customizable curriculum that IES has to offer, including a course on Intersexuality and its history in Dutch medicine as well as a gendered approach looking at 17th century art history, I knew this program was right for me. Since pre-departure, the IES Staff made the process incredibly easy — consistent emails and working alongside the study abroad office kept me ahead of schedule and prepared for in advance of boarding my flight. This communication remained if not flourished as the program began and I was starting my summer in a new country. The summer went by quick (sad), but by the end I can say that I left with a completely new cultural perspective, an expansive amount of knowledge, a ton of new experiences (and photos!), and of course 20 new friends. I thank the IES Abroad Faculty for the incredible experiences I got to live out this summer, and hope that the many prospective students of the program have an amazing time in the upcoming semesters!

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Spending a semester abroad in Amsterdam was an awesome experience that I am so grateful for. Not only did I meet amazing people in the program, I got to live in the city and experience so many different things about Dutch culture. The living accommodations were fantastic and I was able to live comfortably and travel quite a bit. Not to mention the school system in the Netherlands allowed me to have a lot of extra time and learning outside of the classroom. I visited world class museums and saw masterpieces. I explored Amsterdam's historic streets and wandered Vondelpark where I found the Picasso sculpture. The program was very supportive and I really enjoyed my time abroad.

IES Amsterdam was the most incredible time of my life. This city provided unlimited amounts of opportunities to get involved in the community and explore the in's and out's of this city! The staff was extremely helpful in providing us with the knowledge of what was going on every week and providing options of all different interests and costs. They facilitated our academics, housing and periodic events in new parts of the city to keep us engaged. I had an amazing time in Amsterdam and everyday I wish I could go back.

I loved my time in Amsterdam. The city was the perfect mixture of old and new! The people were extremely welcoming and always open to interesting discussions. Amsterdam is extremely safe and It was so easy to feel at home. The school system is very different but it was great to learn about the differing systems and the pros and cons. Overall, the semester left me refreshed and I wish I could have stayed. IES did a great job making sure we were safe and ready for anything that was thrown at us!

Studying abroad in Amsterdam was one of the best decisions I have ever made. IES Abroad provided all participants with an extensive orientation program that lasted a few days, and by the end, we all felt extremely ready to take on anything that happened to us in the city. Our housing was located incredibly close to the center of the city, and IES was able to help us get discounts on renting bikes for all of us to get around. Biking became a huge part of life and was one of the most memorable parts of living in Amsterdam. Our IES classes would frequently take field trips, and we would all have the option to ride to the destination on our bikes together. Our program group grew very close and my roommate and I are still very good friends (I'm going to visit her soon!). Alongside taking classes at the IES center, we had the option to take classes at the University of Amsterdam, which was located only 10 minutes away from our housing. Taking classes at the UvA really expanded my world view, as I had classes with students from many different countries. I became friends with people from Germany, Indonesia, and Amsterdam! IES also organized program-wide field trips and excursions that really helped get us out into the culture of the Netherlands. We went on biking trips to see the tulips and windmills, we went on a weekend trip to Rotterdam to see some cool modern architecture, and we also visited the Delft where we made our own Delft Blue tiles. Now that I'm back home, I miss Amsterdam every single day. And I'm incredibly grateful to IES for giving me the opportunity to have this experience.

Amsterdam is a great study to spend an entire semester or even a whole year in. After my first semester was up, I tried to find ways to stay the entire year. The entire IES staff is extremely helpful and friendly. They are always there to answer any questions or concerns you may have. They are your first point of contact when you first get to this new country and they were able to help me with every question I had. IES does a wonderful job at organizing program wide trips and activities. These activities force you to do things you typically would not go out and do on your own, such as several day trips around The Netherlands, outside of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a great place to try new things and make new relationships. It is located centrally in regards to other European countries, making it easy to travel to other countries for just a few days. Overall, the city itself and the IES staff made my experience one I will never forget.

Studying abroad in the Netherlands through IES Abroad was the best choice I have made in college thus far. I can say with confidence that it changed my life for the better. Going into it I wasn't sure what to expect, but I come out of it with a heightened sense of self as well as a greater awareness of others. The IES Amsterdam staff were with me every step of the way, always eager to answer questions, have discussions, and check in with me. My program was well organized, I always felt safe, and was given many opportunities to learn about Dutch life and culture. Overall I don't think I could have chosen a better program for me, and would encourage any student to consider studying in Amsterdam through IES!