“I’m Amy, I study History of Art, and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad for a year at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
I always knew I wanted to study abroad. The opportunity to do this as part of my degree was one of the reasons I chose the University of York. The History of Art department has links with lots of universities in Europe, close to world-class art galleries. I attended University talks about my options for studying abroad and how the process works. I opted to do an additional year of study, which meant my course changed from three years to four. My year abroad took place in my third year.”
The process
“When making my application, I did lots of research on the various institutions. Leiden University’s proximity to the UK and its similarity in size to York drew me to study there. Leiden is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and has its own collection of famous art works. These include lots of original prints by Rembrandt, who was born in the town!”
My experience
“Studying abroad is not without its challenges; you are pushed out of your comfort zone. When my mum waved goodbye on my first day, it dawned on me how alone I was in a country I didn’t know. However, the experience has taught me that I can do anything.
As I adapted to living in a new country, I discovered a quiet self-confidence I hadn’t known before. I was fortunate enough that the people have amazing English skills, but I still pushed myself to learn some Dutch. By the end of the year, I was confidently ordering drinks in cafés.
I also gained a new passion for my degree subject. I had never studied art from the Netherlands before, but specialists in the field taught me the subject and inspired me to write my dissertation on the subject.
It was interesting experiencing a different way of teaching and learning. It opened up a completely new perspective for my degree studies, and the staff even allowed me into the archives, where I saw and experienced first-hand etchings and engravings by Rembrandt and Hieronymus Bosch. When I returned to York, I had a fresh new perspective, and this has made my final year even more enjoyable.”
A different culture
“I really enjoyed experiencing some of the Dutch national holidays, which complemented learning about Netherlandish history. On Leiden’s own Independence Day, 3 October, everyone gets up at dawn to sing and eat herring on white bread. Then there’s a big festival with rides and fireworks in the evening.
Day-to-day, I loved cycling around the city and sitting by the many beautiful canals with my friends, reading, swimming, or hiring boats with a picnic. There were so many amazing art galleries and museums on my doorstep.
I really enjoyed getting the train to discover the many amazing towns and cities in the Netherlands. I was able to travel around Europe too, getting the coach to Cologne and Paris, and seeing Berlin and Milan.”
University support
“The study abroad team at York were instrumental in helping me secure this opportunity. I received excellent support and guidance throughout. I attended a series of workshops ahead of my year abroad, and this ensured I was well-prepared with essential information. All the University support networks were still available to me whilst I was overseas, and my department supervisor continued to have regular meetings with me.”
My key takeaways
“I think it is easy to be cliché about a year abroad. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed and was shaped by this experience, and I was lucky to be surrounded by other like-minded international students who also wanted to get the most out of the opportunity.
“In my fourth year, I chose to work as a Global Assistant in order to help other people with global opportunities. My advice to anyone considering studying abroad is to go for it! It is such a unique experience that stands out on your CV. The skills and friends you make are life changing. When else do you get the experience to study and live in another country, to fully embrace another culture for a whole year.”
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