Hi everyone, my name is Kyle Tam and I will be a rising junior in the fall. I am majoring in business with a concentration in finance and minoring in data science and engineering design. The reason for studying abroad this summer is that I was interested in pursuing my engineering design minor while immersed in different cultures. I am a strong believer that the environment can influence what you learn. In just a couple of days of class, I have already experienced a unique learning experience away from the classroom from talking to local students and visiting different sites. Europe is very culturally diverse and taking two courses in completely different cities can help me take on new perspectives in my future career.
During this trip, I am excited to explore the depths of Amsterdam’s culture and visit all its popular attractions. From visiting the Van Gogh Museum to eating stroopwafels, I want to be able to experience what it is like to live in Amsterdam. Being situated so close to the center of Amsterdam, I can branch out to different parts of the city with its uniqueness which I appreciate. I also hope to talk to many locals in the Netherlands, as I have heard that many are very nice people.
A good example of this was during my first meeting with the University of Amsterdam students. My group took their time introducing the city to me both in relation to our prompt and also their recommendations. I heard many different stories from each individual as each came from a different country. I thought it was really cool that they were just as interested in our culture and what it was like back home. One of them was even planning a trip to Houston to visit SpaceX and other major cities around the area. Not only was I able to learn the course content in another city, I also really enjoyed sharing experiences with local European students that are just as curious about our respective cultures.
