In fall 2022, I spent a semester at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, a top world university in the center of Europe. Overall, I would describe my study abroad experience as something of an emotional rollercoaster. While I had some of the most beautiful experiences in my life and made lifelong friends, I also struggled deeply at times with imposter syndrome and loneliness.
The academic rigor at Vrije Universiteit is world class, but the philosophy is very different from what I was familiar with in the US. Some key differences included: longer class times (~2 hours per class), professors had no office hours, 80-100% of your final grade is based on 1 or 2 exams, and a generally very hands-off approach. While there are advantages to this approach, including fostering independent problem solving and perseverance, I think that the main reason behind some of these differences is due to the fact that higher level education is free for Dutch students in the Netherlands. On a society-level, this seems to work extremely well, but on an individual student level, I found it hard to adapt to.
Dutch culture certainly has its quirks, but on the whole I thought that Dutch culture was lovely and relatively easy to adapt to. One of my good friends there was told “you can be anyone you want in Amsterdam,” and I think that quote captures what it’s like to live there. My favorite thing about Dutch culture, though, is the emphasis on quality of life that is built into every facet of the cities. That is, the public infrastructure is built around community with beautiful architecture, public spaces full of art and culture, and some of the best public transport systems in the world.
On the other hand, there were some things I had to work to adapt to. For one, most people will tell you that the Dutch’s cuisine is not their strong suite. More importantly for me though, I found that the locals in Amsterdam were somewhat closed off and difficult to make friends with. Despite trying on several occasions to chat with my Dutch classmates, I was shut down more than once and eventually saved my efforts for other international students who were much more likely to respond positively.
Although I loved the city of Amsterdam, one of my favorite parts of studying abroad was that I got to travel to lots of other countries as well. Throughout my time abroad, I got to go to Brussels and Ghent in Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Budapest, Hungary; Luxembourg; Cologne, Germany; and of course, back to my home country France where I went to Annecy, Lille, Paris, and Lus la Croix Haute. While there is too much to say about how special each of these places were in their own ways to include in this blog post, I think that in this case a picture truly is worth a thousand words. Pictures from each place are included above.
Studying abroad was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had the privilege of having. While I had some difficult moments, I learned that growth comes from both good and bad experiences. Dealing with the challenging parts of studying abroad has given me a greater appreciation for what I have back home. Getting to travel around Europe has been an amazing experience and enhanced my understanding of the world and my independence. At the end of the day, despite some difficult times, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.