The biggest culture shock I had in studying abroad in Amsterdam was the differences between my home university and host university. I was very eager to experience the different teaching styles, take unique classes, and interact with local and international students. This did not disappoint, but I am here to provide a full breakdown of what it is like taking classes at the Vrije Universiteit (VU). 

Taking the train to school 

Station Amsterdam Zuid stop to VU 

To start, the semester is broken down into two periods: if you are studying during Fall it is periods one and two, and during Spring it is periods four and five. In each period, you take two classes. For me as a psychology major, I took Imaging the Dutch (a Dutch history class that spanned two periods) and Emotion & Social Cognition in the first half. For my second period, my Dutch history class continued, and I took Cooperation & Competition, and Life Writing. These classes were all so amazing, engaging, and unlike any class I could take at my home university! 

Walking into campus 

A strange purple classroom in the OZW building 

The biggest thing that I had to get used to was that there were no assignments and most classes were based purely on the final exam. This was super surprising and slightly stressful for me. 

Rather than relying on assignments to understand content I had to self-study and review often. In the case that students don’t pass the exam on the first try, they also have re-sits which is an exam re-take.  

The New Building 

Studying in the Main Building 

Their grading system is also quite different. Rather than on a 100 scale with letter grades it is based on a 10 scale. The saying in the Netherlands is that a ten is for God, a nine is for professors, and an eight is the highest a student can achieve. I was pretty shocked that this was the norm for them and even more intimidated to start. It is important to solidify strong study habits in the beginning and find places where you can focus well! 

YUSU 

LOT61 study sesh 

Throughout my semester, I found a few places that were laptop friendly and enjoyable to work in. YUSU is a cafe near Weesperplein that is on the smaller side but has both inside and outside seating. It is near two other universities so it can definitely get busy, but it is a cozy spot to study in. LOT61 Amsterdam Centraal was by far my favorite. It was a large cafe with plenty of tables and seats and a lot of really good drinks. They are open until 8 PM so I have spent many long days there, and it is right next to the central station, which is very convenient. NIO Cafe is also located near central and is unassuming from the outside. It is part of a car dealership, and not only does it not get super crowded, but it also has a view of a canal and great windows for people watching.  

A view of NIO Cafe  

There are also many areas on VU’s campus to explore with study spots in each building. I typically studied in the Main Building which has tables on every floor, but I would recommend exploring the whole campus to find a spot best for you. There are so many other study spots like public libraries and cafes everywhere. I think that trying somewhere new each time can help make studying fun and allow for a constant change in the environment!