Kelly’s Experience in the Netherlands

 

 

Kelly studied in Amsterdam on the IES: Amsterdam, Study Amsterdam Program in Spring 2016.

 

What concerns/fears did you have about studying abroad, and how did you overcome them?

My biggest concern about going abroad was ‘what if I did not make any good friends?’ I signed up for my program completely alone and I knew this was a risk but I wanted to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone. As my date to depart came closer and closer this thought began to worry me even more. I would think to myself ‘what if I don’t meet any good friends and what if I don’Kelly at the I amsterdam signt like the kids in my program?’ Some of my other Penn State friends were traveling abroad with their close friends and I began to think, ‘should I have gone abroad with my group of friends from Penn State?’ Once I got to Amsterdam these worries quickly went away. I realized that everyone else was in the same boat as me and I was not the only nervous wreck. I was able to connect with new people and I had the chance to meet everyone in my program through orientation. After a few days of spending time with these new friends I thought to myself- good thing I took the risk of going alone because I was rewarded in the end.

 

What advice would you give to outbound study abroad students to help them make the most out of their study abroad experiences?

The most valuable advice I would give an outbound study abroad student is to be fully engaged in every moment you spend abroad. The opportunity to study in a foreign country with students from all around the world is a once in a lifetime experience and you will never get to relive the days you spent there. I would advise a student to be fully engaged in everything they approach abroad, whether it is a simple conversation with a professor to an interaction at the food market you should not take a moment for granted. A lot of times students spend time thinking about home or their home school but it is important to realize that you are not there and that you are abroad. Those times when you are feeling homesick or laying around in your apartment all day, get up and make a new friend, have a conversation with someone new and be present in the moment.

 

Share an experience where you interacted with someone in your host culture in a way that taught you something.

One of the most specKelly with bike in front of a canalial moments I had abroad is when my Dutch art teacher invited us over her house for tea and dessert. Throughout the semester my professor was very kind and I learned a lot about the history of Amsterdam through her. She made me and the other students feel at home right away and would answer any questions we had about the Dutch culture. The last week she invited us to her house and we were all very excited but a bit nervous too. I did not know what to expect but I was very grateful she was opening up her house to my classmates and I. When we arrived at her house the kitchen table was all set with delft blue plates and a tea cup for everyone. She had strop wafels, which are a famous Dutch treat, around the table and apple pie out as well. She gave us a tour of her cute Amsterdam house and told us about the art that decorated her walls. Having this experience made me feel like Amsterdam was my second home and I am forever thankful for this experience and my professor Marietta.

Leave a Reply