Maddi G. Bachelor of Design (Honours)
Amsterdam Fashion Institute (Semester 2, 2018)
Hi, my name is Maddi and I went on exchange to Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) in the Netherlands from August 2018 – February 2019.
Exchange was everything I hoped it would be and more. From the city of Amsterdam, to the content I learned at my host university, to the solo travel, it exceeded expectations in every capacity and I highly encourage anyone who is on the fence about applying for exchange to just do it; you will not regret it.
AMFI is a part of the HvA (Hoogeschool Van Amsterdam) located in central Amsterdam close to the Waterloopleinmarkt and ARTIS Zoo.
Living in Amsterdam
I lived on the Zuiderzeeweg on one of the little islands in east Amsterdam in student accommodation blocks made out of old shipping containers. The area around it was in the development stage so there weren’t any shops, yet however my residency had students from all over the world so I had a great community around me. The friends I made during the International Student Week at AMFI stayed with me throughout my entire exchange. This is the week where you meet all the other exchange students that have also just arrived in Amsterdam. I was put in a group of 30 people from all over the world and your leaders are students as well that have lived in Amsterdam for a while.
Bike Culture
Living and learning a new city has been one of the most exciting things I have ever done. The sense of accomplishment and independence you feel when you don’t need Google Maps to bike around the city anymore is so empowering, because YOU figured it out. What took me the longest to adjust to was the bike culture, and learning the bike etiquette around the streets of Amsterdam.
Accommodation
I lived in my own apartment provided by the university, with my own bedroom, living space, bathroom, kitchen and a little balcony out the back. It was a twenty minute bike ride from the university campus. For future exchange students, I would recommend looking up the campus you are going to be primarily located, and choosing somewhere a little closer to save you time.
So in summary, living in Amsterdam was the best experience of my life. I have endless stories, experiences, and lessons learnt, so if you’d like to hear more, I’d love to have a chat. I learnt so much about myself that I never would have figured out, had I not gone on exchange. I do not regret a single second of my exchange experience, and I highly recommend applying!
