A lot of the time, when thinking about studying abroad, we mainly focus on where we plan on going, the culture, and its proximity to other countries. At least, that's a big reason why I chose to study in the Netherlands. One thing not mentioned that often, however, is the academic side of studying abroad. Just to give a peek into what school is like in a different country, I thought I would show you what my week looks like. 

Working on a group project at a cafe before class 

Walk to Vrije University for my first class 

This week, I only had three classes, but this quarter, I usually have four classes with Fridays off. On Monday, I had class later in the day, so I met with a friend from class, and we worked on a group project together until class time. We worked on our project in this edgy café with graffiti all over the walls. Around 2 p.m., I went to my first class, Biostatistics. The class was in this cool room that I like to call the egg room. It floats in the middle of the building and is shaped like a giant egg. 

Class in the cool egg room 

After class, I went to the school's library and caught up on some work with friends. 

Vrije University highly values independent study and critical thinking, so I tend to spend more time studying than actually being in class. 

Studying with friends in the silent library in the university 

Studying for Calculus at a cafe 

My next class that day was an environmental studies class. The professor in that class is very eccentric and passionate about the environment, so he decided to dress up as a monk to warn us about our carbon footprint. It was so random, and he just changed in the middle of class; my friends and I were dying of laughter! 

Our professor warning us about our carbon footprint 

Beautiful walk to find a cafe in the city center 

The next day, I had a field trip with my Dutch language class. This class is special because it is only for study abroad students. For the field trip, we went to the FOAM photography museum to describe various photos in Dutch. 

Collage of photos from the FOAM museum 

My final class for the week wasn't until late in the day, so my friends and I from the CEA CAPA program went to a café in Amsterdam Centraal and “studied” for our classes. One of the best things about studying abroad is that you can go explore the city and go to cafés with your friends and call it studying. Before my class actually started, I had to work alone at the school so that I could actually prepare for my final class, lol. 

More study in the atrium of the university 

Leaving campus after a late class 

Although my classes are done for the week, I still try to study a little on days I don't have class so I can retain the information. The thing I love the most about studying at Vrije University is the variety in my schedule. Each week, it is a different class at a different time, so you never really get bored of doing the same thing every week. Additionally, there aren't many late-night classes, so you are able to explore more of the country or travel to a different country earlier in the week!