Hannah (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Amsterdam

Ever since I started my degree, I knew I wanted to take part in the 360 International Exchange programme because studying abroad was a long-term goal of mine. In my 5th year of my degree, I was lucky enough to do my exchange in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam. 

My first impression of the city was that it felt strangely familiar. Looking back on it now, a big part of that was the fact that there was no language barrier and the city is set up so efficiently that it is both liveable and walkable. Naturally, one of the things I was concerned about prior to moving over was meeting new people, however, the programme is set up so well in Amsterdam that I had no reason to be worried. I signed up for the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Orientation Week a few weeks before I arrived in Amsterdam. The week was set up for exchange students to meet each other, form new friendships and explore our new home. During that week, we did team-building in groups, went on a canal cruise and attended welcome parties. In the following week, the University hosted their own orientation in the form of faculty welcoming evenings. In which the faculty talked through all things academia and university life. Overall, both ESN and UvA did such a great job at helping students feel settled in and excited. Funnily enough, the first group of people I met during the ESN week ended up becoming my close friend group during my time in Amsterdam. 

I took two courses in the Social and Behavioural Sciences faculty and I thoroughly enjoyed them. As a Human Geography student, I found that UvA had a much broader choice of interesting courses, covering topics from gendered health to conflict studies. In terms of level of difficulty, I would say the workload was lighter than UoA because my courses were all internally assessed and very collaborative. I really enjoyed the class environment that UvA cultivates, because it broke down the top-down tertiary approach we are used to when it comes to teaching. In all honesty, I wish I could have stayed longer to take some of the other courses that were on offer!

The best part about being located in Amsterdam was the accessibility to the rest of Europe. Being a major and central city, it meant that it was easy to make both weekend and last-minute trips to other countries. My other highlight was the efficiency of the city. I was able to walk and bike to most places, and the beautiful canals and flat roads will make you want to cycle everywhere! 

One thing I wish I did more research on before going on exchange was the living costs of Amsterdam. Groceries were similar to Auckland, but eating out at restaurants was so expensive that my friends and I mostly cooked at home. Rent is also expensive. I was lucky to get student housing, but those who didn’t were paying quite a lot of money for what they had. Amsterdam also has extra costs I was unaware of such as the waste tax you have to pay the and public transport, while very efficient, is quite costly. Overall, I would say the cost of living was higher compared to Auckland, but there are ways to cut down costs such as buying/renting a bike instead of catching the tram everywhere. 

The highlight of my exchange was definitely the opportunities and time I had to explore Europe and the UK, as well as make friends from all over the world. While I loved Amsterdam, a piece of advice I would give to future students is to look into places beyond the main cities. Having never been to Europe, I didn’t know what was out there so I chose a city I had heard about from my friends, but there are so many smaller cities and towns that are just as great (if not better) that I think are easily overseen. The physical landscape of Europe means that even if you choose a smaller town, you are only ever really a train ride away from a big city. Lastly, if you are sitting on the fence about doing an exchange, just go for it! I guarantee you it will be such a memorable time of your life!!

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

The main highlight was having the opportunity to learn from such incredible lecturers and also hearing from guest speakers who have made important contributions to the field of global health. I also enjoyed the creative freedom we were given in our assessments. For instance, instead of writing a report for our final assessment, my group recorded a podcast.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Buy a bike from marketplace or rent from SwapFiets
2. Sign up for the ESN welcome week (you’ll get an email about it)
3. When enrolling in courses, make sure to check which location your classes are in because the campus is spread out throughout the city

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I can’t remember exactly how much I had saved before going on exchange. I think I went over with around $7,000 NZD, but luckily I was eligible for the Dutch international housing allowance and also had the support of Studylink which meant that I had less financial pressure.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

One of the most significant takeaways for me was how important it is to learn to enjoy your own company. While on exchange you meet alot of new people, it is still normal life, in that people are busy and are not available all the time to do things with you. Don’t wait around for others to do things you want to do, go do it solo so that you can make the most of your time overseas!