An American In Utrecht: The Study Abroad Experience

06/11/2018: More and more students are packing their bags and saying “hola'“, “ciao”, or simply “hello” to a semester abroad. Recent trends show a steady increase in the number of American students taking part in study abroad opportunities. According to research conducted by the Institute of International Education, one in ten students will find themselves in a study abroad program. Last year, of the over 325,000 students that went abroad, over half of them chose to study in Europe. The biggest destinations being the UK, Spain, and Italy. While many more students are participating in study abroad opportunities, the percentage that opt for a long-term program - a full academic year - is just 3%. This means that for 10 months students are fully immersed in a new culture, new land, and at times new language, only to be pulled out and reoriented to their home country. What kind of effect does this year abroad have on mental health, and how can universities build stronger networks to support students going abroad?

I sat down with Bennett Dubrow, a Junior studying Economics at the University of Oklahoma to discuss his experience so far in a year-long study abroad program. He currently studies at Utrecht University and is finishing his first semester.

Can you introduce yourself and explain what you’re doing now in Utrecht?

I just turned 21 and am studying abroad for my Junior year at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

So you’re spending a year abroad, and you’ve been away from home now for about 3 months. Can you talk a little bit about the culture shock you felt when you switched to a university 5,000 miles away from home?

Well, classes are much smaller and more intimate. They require more out of you. There’s more reading, more articles…but the relationship with professors is much more casual. You don’t even refer to them as professors, just use their first name.

What about day-to-day life?

It’s difficult. Everyone bikes in the city. Rush hour can get pretty hectic. I have a bike, but it’s probably falling apart right now with the rain. Bike theft is common, there’s a huge market for it. People will steal your bike and sell it to you for 20 euros.

How is the academic year broken down?

You have two blocks per semester, which is very different. My expectation was, “oh you’re abroad. You’ll get to travel all the time". But that’s not true, I actually have my finals next week, and then I start the next block the following week.

What made you want to study abroad and what made you choose Utrecht?

I always wanted to go abroad. My family travels, and I think it’s important to travel to see and experience new things. The Netherlands wasn’t my first choice, I wanted to go to London and Glasgow first, but that didn’t work out. I talked with my advisor and she recommended Utrecht for it’s Economics program. It’s the highest ranked in The Netherlands, and learning from the best is important.

Since starting his abroad experience, Bennett changed his major three times. That’s fairly normal as a freshman or sophomore, however making three shifts as a junior is rare. He explained that the difficulties came because of the lack of available courses and pre-planning to fulfill all his requirements. He went from a degree in Economics and International Business, then Economics and Finance, and now just Economics.

Why has it shifted so much?

Well, I couldn’t get into a foreign language course which is necessary for the International Business degree, and since I’m staying a full year it would be difficult to fulfill all the requirements so I wouldn’t be able to graduate on time. Since economics and finance are very similar, and since I’m not sure I want to follow a path in economics, I didn’t want to put in the extra effort.

Are you still in contact with your advisor from OU or are you assigned a new one at Utrecht?

The advisors at Utrecht are terrible so I don’t really talk to them. They offer no guidance and have really limited office hours, which is a big difference from advisors at U.S. universities. It’s weird, they’re only open 2 hours every other day whereas U.S. advisors are available every day and through email. My OU advisor is really good, but it’s difficult because of the time difference. It’s 7 hours apart. Figuring out courses is difficult and always on a time crunch.

I asked Bennett to explain the application process and steps involved. He said there were 5 phases to the program, 3 which happen before departure. Phase 3 is the "pre-departure phase” where students meet with a past student who studied abroad at their school. The final phase

The two largest fields of study were STEM and Business.

Bennett Dubrow posing with a sign that reads, “trip of a lifetime, here I come.” outside the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.