Biography
How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?
Studying abroad helped me gain completely different perspectives on situations. I started to truly understand where Europeans come from and why they think in specific ways. I also learned how to be more effective with my time management. The European style of schooling is that you are physically in class for significantly less time, which means there is more work outside of the classroom. The best part of all my schooling abroad was my history and art history because I was learning about how the city came to be and all the impactful people that came out of Amsterdam while physically being in the city. I got a completely different perspective on the city and became so knowledgeable that when I had visitors they were very impressed with me. It made me realize that learning in those types of environments really works for me.
How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?
Being abroad showed me how much I love trying new restaurants or cafes. While I was there, I made it a rule for myself that I would only go to the same place twice unless it was a cafe where I could use a laptop because those were honestly pretty rare. When I would decide that I wanted to go to a new place, I would pull out my Google Maps and then choose one that looked the best and make my way over there. The place had to check specific boxes for it to be a place that I would recommend, it had to have a cute interior, be filled with Dutch people, and be able to make a killer cappuccino. Finding cute places was such a fun activity, but what would make the experience sweeter was when my friends and family would come and visit me and they would also enjoy the places.
Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?
The program gave me the best of both worlds. It gave me a chance to interact with international students from all over the world because I had to take a few courses within the university, and it also gave me a chance to bond with students from around America who were in the same boat of studying abroad as me by taking courses through the program. This balance was incredible because I was able to have a big spectrum of friends. some that were European and knew Amsterdam pretty well and then others that were also just trying to explore the city. The program also did a great job of teaching us about the norms of the Dutch and helped me be more confident to really engage with the culture. Of course, I recommend the city for someone to study abroad in. It was an incredible place to come home to after my many trips because it had every aspect that a city would need. An incredible public transportation system, delicious restaurants and so many museums. I could not imagine studying abroad in any other city than Amsterdam because you can tell that the Dutch people who lived there love it and want to show their love for the city every single day that they are there.
What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?
They should mainly think about the purpose of studying abroad. Why do you feel this need to go and live in another city for a semester, and what do you think will happen when you get back? Students should figure out what they want to get out of study abroad, which makes the steps of deciding what city and what program you want to do a lot easier. For instance, if they want to study abroad because they want to explore a new city and get to know other cities as well, then I would recommend going somewhere in Europe because not only will they be able to get to a city really well, but also be able to see many others ones. I would also say that they should decide to study abroad at a location because they personally want to go there, not because their friends are going.
Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?
I am Jewish, so there were a lot of times when I was more timid to say that to people. It caused me to be warier and make sure that I was reading the room to ensure that it was a safe environment for me to share this information about myself. Luckily, though, it did not hold me back in any way, and I still could be my true self. I just kept some personal details about myself to myself.
Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.
My goal for my time abroad was to be mistaken as European. My least favorite thing to happen was when someone could tell within seconds that I was American. There was one instance where my British friends and I decided to have a borel after we were done with our group project. A Borel was something that the Dutch did after they were done with a group project. They went to a bar and got a beer with their group to celebrate them being done with their project. My friends and I decided to do it, so we went to a bar about a 10-minute walk from the school. When we walked into the bar, it was full of Dutch students and international students who were all boreling. The cherry on top of the whole experience was when the waiter came over to us and started to speak to us in Dutch, and then when we proceeded to ask him to speak in English, he said, "Wow, I would have never guessed that you were America." That was the greatest compliment that I had ever received during my time in Amsterdam, and that was when I really felt like this place was my home.
