SEP Report 1. Student Information Name (as in myisis) Matric No Host University NUS Semester and Year of Exchange (eg. AY12/13 Semester 1) TEO Ge Wei A0085867J University of Amsterdam AY13/14 Semester 2 2. Study at Host University Please provide information on the academics at your host university: - Studying or learning culture at your host university. How were classes conducted? - What did you like most or dislike most about the academics at your host University? - Advice on module registration and module mapping The number of classes in English were limited and the class size was generally small, as the first language in the Netherlands is Dutch. However, this became a benefit for us, the exchange students, because we had more time to interact with the professors and gained a deeper understanding of what we learn. Furthermore, we also had more time to clear our doubts with the professors and also develop a deeper relationship with our peers from the other countries. Unlike NUS, the results were based on a different marking system, i.e., on a scale of 1-10. Therefore, it requires a bit of getting use to in order to know how we fare for the assignments that we have done. Furthermore, the classes were small and the students are not graded against a bell-curve. As such, it seems that the students were generally more helpful towards one another. Finally, the module registration and module mapping procedure was generally easy as we just had to follow the instructions that we received from the emails via the coordinator in our partner university. However, do note that some modules are in Dutch, which limits one’s choices. In addition, do note that you might not get the modules that you have chosen, therefore, be prepared to take modules that still have vacancies, which you were not keen to take in the first place. Please list the courses that you took during SEP. (Please take note that the list of modules available to exchange students at the host university are subject to change. This table merely serves as reference.) Host University Module Course title code 7202AK1 Human Evolution 7XY 7203BO3 8XY 7203BA0 5VY 7302000 6KY ECTS Credit 6 Sports Psychology 6 Working in Groups 6 Social Trends, Social Problems and Social Policies 12 International Relations Office (IRO) SEP Report 2. Accommodation What kind of accommodation did you stay in during your exchange (eg. on campus / off campus)? Would you recommend this accommodation to future outgoing students? Do you have any other suggestions? I stayed off campus because the University of Amsterdam is a campus college. As such, all accommodations were off campus. However, some of the accommodations were close to some of the colleges, which required a 10 minutes walk at most. However, my accommodation was a 30 minute cycle away from the city, which my college is located. Still it was a great experience for me because I got to immerse myself in the cycling culture of the Netherlands. Furthermore, I felt that it was a great way to break the ice and interact with the locals when they see that you have a bicycle like them. In addition, one of the modules actually required us to cycle to the Prostitution Information Centre in the red light district to gain more information about the prostitution situation in Amsterdam. Therefore, having a bicycle definitely makes traveling a lot easier and helps you to save on transport as well. Finally, do note the it is illegal to buy a bicycle from a stranger on the streets and you will be fined if you were caught by the police, so do not ever put yourself in that kind of situation. 3. Activities during SEP Were there any activities organized by school/student group/external organizations at your host university which you would like to recommend to other students? Do consider getting a International Student Network (ISN) card to get discounts on museums and theatres when you purchase the card. Refer to the following for a list of discounts that you can get with the card. http://isn-amsterdam.nl/discount-your-isn-card However, the real deal is that the organization organizes several trips at a discounted rate during the school term which one can join. Therefore, not only are you able to know more about the Netherlands but also make new friends during the trip. Some of the events that they have organized could be found in the link as provided below. http://isn-amsterdam.nl/events Although this activity is not held in UvA, I would also highly recommend the Sandermans Tour for students on exchange in Amsterdam. The three-hour tour is conducted by volunteer guides, and works on a tipping basis. http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/daily-tours/new-amsterdam.html International Relations Office (IRO) SEP Report 4. Cost of Living Please provide an estimation of how much money you spent during your SEP? Please list travel expenses separately. Total: SGD $15,000 Food: SGD $3000 Accomodation: SGD $4000 Transport: SGD $200 (I own a bicycle) Miscellaneous: SGD $800 Travel to other countries: SGD $7000 5. Challenges Did you face any challenging issues during your SEP stint? How did you overcome it/them? There are two main challenges that I faced during my SEP stint. First, the Internet connection in my room was not working and so I could not use my laptop as a router and contact other people via whatsapp. However, after contacting the person in charge, I was able to rectify the problem, albeit, only after a few days. Therefore, within the few days without a mobile data plan and Internet connection, I had to wake up early in the morning and go to a shopping mall to tap on the wireless network and contact the other people who came on exchange with me and to send the various emails to the people-in-charge to ensure that I got my modules. Second, I was staying in a place away from the city and so I had to procure a bicycle to save on transport costs. It took me some time to figure out the cycling rules and regulations including the use of bicycle lights and the hand signals when one is turning, etc. However, after learning all these, it was a pretty liberating experience to be cycling to your destinations without worrying about tram breakdowns, etc. In conclusion, I feel that one should try to be calm when things happen, think of possible solutions, and finally to persevere and maintain a positive mindset. 6. Overall SEP Experience Please write one paragraph about your exchange experience and attach some photos that represent your exchange experience. The exchange experience was indeed a life changing experience for me, mainly in three areas. First, the academic aspect, second, the opportunity to develop my hobby, and third, the life skills that I got to pick up. First, it exposed me to a different academic environment, which I feel that people are learning for the sake of learning and not so much for the results. In addition, I also got to experience first hand, how independent the Dutch were as most of them took on temporary jobs as they study for their bachelor International Relations Office (IRO) SEP Report degree. Second, I also had the opportunity to photograph some of the interesting sights in Amsterdam. As an avid photographer, I felt that the exchange experience allowed me to hone my photography skills as the travels to new places inspired me to explore new genres in photography, such as street photography and landscape photography, which I’m not use to. Finally, I felt that the exchange experience taught me to be more independent and learn to adopt a positive mindset when things happen. Some of the other more tangible skill sets that I picked up include cooking and learning to talk to people of a different culture. 7. Suggestions for future outgoing students Please share any other suggestions for future outgoing students. Plan ahead (as far as possible). However, when things crop up, ditch the plan and adapt. Finally, reflect. International Relations Office (IRO)