Sam In NL

3rd August 2011

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Answers From Amsterdam: Part Ten (Final)

Have you experienced any particular incident of culture shock (difficulty adjusting to a new culture) and if so, how did you handle it? 

When I was first researching the option of study abroad and going through the overly complicated application process the phrase “culture shock” was thrown around quite a bit. I heard it from my study abroad advisor and in meetings hosted by ETSU’s International Office to familiarize students with issues they may encounter while abroad. According to the standard culture shock graph, the first few weeks are the honeymoon phase in which everything is new and exciting. Then comes the negotiation phase in which one tries to reconcile the differences between their home and host country; a period often associated with homesickness and depression. After a few months, one becomes accustomed to their host country and begins to feel comfortable in everyday life. Finally, there is a second wave of culture shock upon returning home.

Written Last November 2010
But I think the whole process applies to everyone in a different way. If you’re more open to change and new environments (as I feel I am), then you may tend to skip stages of culture shock. For instance, either I’m still in the honeymoon phase (which I can surely say I’m not) or I’m already in the adjustment phase in that I feel comfortably acquainted with life in the Netherlands. While I miss friends and family, I’ve in no way felt ‘homesick’ or ‘depressed.’ I think those states of mind are the result of not holding the right perspective on life. Some might say that I’ve only been away from the States for three months, so I guess I’ll have a better answer to this question in six or nine months. But something I’ve thought a good deal about is returning to the U.S. and how that will feel. I think if there is any culture shock to come, it will be upon arriving back in the States. 

Written July 2011
Being abroad for nearly a year is a long time. I’ve missed birthdays of friends and family, weekends at the lake, hanging out with friends, and countless things I have yet to realize I missed. I find myself wondering what will have changed more upon arriving back in the States: me or everyone at home?

While I wrote the above nearly eight months ago, my general feelings regarding cultural shock have not changed. The main difference has been the past month or so since classes in Amsterdam have ended. I find myself with more free time, and likewise find myself thinking more and more about how my time here is coming to an end.

The main reminder that the end is near is the constant final parties, goodbye dinners, etc that seem to be occurring on a weekly basis as the friends I’ve made over the course of the year leave Amsterdam one by one to return to their home countries. I wouldn’t classify it as a period of depression, but more of a period of unsettledness as I recall the memories and experiences of the past year and anxiety about returning home where I’ll have to find some way to explain everything I’ve felt and experienced while abroad.

Though I’ll dearly miss the unique atmosphere of Amsterdam (my home away from home), my flatmates and other close friends, and the exhilaration of traveling to new countries, I’m also looking forward to returning home to friends, family, and things that make America…well so American.

Tagged: answers from amsterdamculture shockreturning home

30th July 2011

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Answers From Amsterdam: Part Nine

Seeing as you are an exchange student, what are some major differences in how the Dutch universities approach education as opposed to American universities?

Apart from the excitement and rush of living in such an international environment (created by the huge variety of nationalities that study in Amsterdam), the educational system of the Netherlands is one of the best things about studying in Amsterdam. The most noticeable difference between the university system in the Netherlands and the States is the course of difficulty and required independence in studies. My courses at VU Amsterdam are much harder than any course I’ve taken at ETSU (including Software Engineering). Even Media History (essentially film history) was a much more difficult course than it would be in the states. Strangely enough, it is the difficulty of the Dutch system that makes it an immensely better education system. Gone are the standardized, multiple choice questions, that often only cover part of the course. Instead, most classes involve massive amounts of reading leading the student to discover and pursue their own interests in a course. Additionally, testing is administered through comprehensive exams involving open-ended questions, often with a paper or experiment proposal (as I had to do in my Neuroscience Attention course) in addition. Other methods include weekly essays and writings replacing the need for an end of course exam. Finally, one of the best parts, though subtle, parts of the Dutch education system that universities in the States should adopt more often are breaks about every 45 minutes. A 10-15 minute break for food, coffee, and socialization can do wonders for refocusing one’s attention. 

Tagged: answers from amsterdamdutch universitiesamerican universitieseducation2011

25th July 2011

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Answers From Amsterdam: Part Eight

What mode of transportation do you use most frequently and on average how far do you have to travel this way to get the necessities? 

Biking, the lifeblood of the transportation system of the Netherlands. Biking is to the Dutch as driving is to Americans. They bike to school, to the supermarket, to the movies, to other cities, and even all the way across the city just to find a cafe bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun (something to be treasured in the usually raining/cloudy weather of Amsterdam). And by ‘they’ I also mean me. I literally bike everywhere, whether it is five minutes to the grocery store or campus, or 30-45 minutes to a cafe/bar on the far side of the city (I live in suburb south of the centrum of Amsterdam), and 60-90 minutes to a a nearby city or the beach. Rain or shine, cold or hot (well semi-warm because I’ve yet to experience hot weather), day or night, with winds up to 30mph, and even snow and ice, you’ll find me biking (or sliding when it is snow and ice) around the city. Being able to bike anywhere anytime creates a feeling of ultimate freedom. I really can’t imagine a life without a bike, and I’m already wondering how this will change my life upon returning to the States. 

Tagged: answers from amsterdambiking