Christopher Atkins, Bachelor of Design
Short-term program: Amsterdam Uni of Applies Sciences “Amsterdam Summer School”
Netherlands (July 2018)
I completed a 2 week summer course in Amsterdam, Netherlands at Amsterdam University of Applied Science. The course was called “Urban Scan” and was aimed at looking into what makes Amsterdam, Amsterdam. How the city was built and how it has changed over time. I found this a helpful course as I am studying Landscape Architecture and some aspects were quite informative.
The other students in my class were from all different disciplines and the course could be taken by anyone from any discipline. The other students were great and I met people from all over the world. We shared many afternoons socialising after class in Amsterdam. The University is close to the city so it was easy to access. The accommodation however, I wouldn’t recommend. I got the accommodation through the Uni and it was a 4 bedroom shared unit with other Dutch students. The place was a mess and some of the house mates had left for home for their Summer. The bathroom clogged and water was everywhere through the unit. The internet was never working and the area was far from the city and didn’t feel too safe at night. I would recommend finding alternate accommodation in or closer to the city/University instead.
The country itself was amazing, I had been to the Netherlands before so I knew what I was getting into. The locals in Amsterdam all speak perfect English so it is easy to get around. The city itself is a maze! All the streets blend into one and are very similar, with canals everywhere, it’s all part of the fun of Amsterdam I guess. It’s a lot easier if you can get a bike to ride around with, the city is fairly small so if you have a bike you can’t anywhere within 15/20min. The sun is also up till 11PM at night so there is plenty of time to explore the city after class finishes at 5PM.
The highlight of my trip was probably the bike ride we did with our class. It was a 2 hour trip North of Amsterdam but it went through the countryside, past windmills and old farm houses. We arrived at a lighthouse and had lunch then made our way back to Amsterdam. The whole course was really fun and the teacher was amazing. Most days we’d stop in the afternoon for a drink and some Dutch cheese somewhere in the city, with our teacher explaining Dutch culture and everyone else trading stories from their home country. I really learnt a lot not just about Amsterdam but other parts of the world through my class mates.
I would highly advise taking this summer course. It was fun, informative, exciting, eye opening and I made new friends. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough…. Just book your own accommodation.
