I have been home for two days now, and it feels like I was just packing and preparing to start my adventure in Salamanca. One month felt like a week, and when the end of June rolled around, I was shocked that I had just finished a month in Spain. Studying abroad in Salamanca was one of the most rewarding and transforming experiences I have ever had.

Coping with Mental Illness in general can suck, but coping with it while studying abroad can be even harder, as many expect it to be a life-changing, wonderful experience. In many ways, studying abroad in Amsterdam has been beautiful and life changing. From Amsterdams museums, beautiful architecture and canals, there are so many things to do and life-changing experiences to be had. At the same time, however, being in a country and environment that you are not used to is hard. With so many unfamiliar things, it can be hard to find grounding.

Amsterdam is a city known for its progressive tolerance. From the legalization of sex work, relaxed drugs laws, and LGBTQ history, Amsterdam is unique in many ways. Although often praised as utopian, when it comes to matters of race and anti-blackness, Amsterdam, like most countries, has its issues. Below is an overview of my experiences and what I’ve learned so far here.

History

Four months ago I got off the train in Freiburg, tired and nervous about the next four months in this city. But I was also so incredibly excited to get started on this adventure. And what an adventure it has been. Our IES Abroad program officially ended on Saturday, but I am still in Freiburg with the other students who will be staying for university courses. Although I will still be here for another month, this will be my last blog post as I look back on the past four months of living, growing, and thriving in Freiburg.

In recent years, Parisian summers have faced rapidly rising temperatures that can nearly bring this metropolis to a standstill. The French call it the dreaded canicule, which translates roughly as the dog days of a heatwave. This summer has been no exception. Although the past month and a half has been delightfully frigid, the last week has brought ravaging heat that can make daily commute, activity, and work unbearable. Here are some cooling tips I can offer after making it through a week of la canicule.

One of the most common questions I got before coming to Argentina was, “Are you gonna eat meat?” I’ve been a vegetarian for a little over three years now, and my close friends and family thought it was absolutely hilarious that I chose to study abroad in a city known for its meat. When choosing Buenos Aires, I didn’t really factor food into my decision, so as the questions continued arising, I became super nervous that I was going to be stuck eating side dishes all semester. Luckily, that has been far from the case! 

Recently, one of my classes took a trip to the Irish National Museum of Archelogy in Dublin. The museum is large and spacious, consisting of multiple rooms where artifacts dating back to the Mesolithic period sit, each waiting to teach students of history about their small but profound contribution to historic Ireland. At first glance the items in the museum appear rather stale and uninteresting.

Finals at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are not too different than finals in the United States, format-wise. For one of my classes, the final was in a computer lab and proctored. For two of my other classes, the final was written and in-person. Another class, the one offered by IES Abroad, did not have a final. Instead, there was a symposium in which we all had to participate (I’ll talk more about this in detail later on in this post). All in all, the format of finals for me were not an issue.

I have been in Cape Town for about two weeks now, and I think I’ve started to get my footing here. It was definitely an adjustment at first, mostly with learning some new terminology, figuring out how to order at restaurants, and understanding the layout of the city, among others. The IES Abroad staff have been very helpful in providing tips on how to get around the city like a local and are amazing at suggesting things to do.

Hi everyone! This blog is about the differences between classroom environments in the U.S. compared to Europe—specifically Madrid. To preface, it’s important to note that I only had two instructors while abroad. My experience during my six weeks may not be the most accurate representation of abroad classroom culture entirely, but it’s something I would like to share regardless! It’s important to note that the culture in Madrid is very liberal.