Hello everyone! This is Chloe Diehl! I am a rising junior studying cognitive science and psychology with double minors in business and entrepreneurship.
Going into Rice, I found myself in a predicament: choosing between pursuing Bioengineering on the Pre-Med track and exploring the social sciences. While I excelled in STEM and engineering courses in high school, I also had a strong interest in psychology and Philosophy. Thus, for my first semester of college, I took a mix of engineering and Psychology courses. What I noticed was that I thoroughly enjoyed both classes and disciplines in their way. I loved the methodical process of STEM research and design. I also appreciated how the psychology course provided me with a new and empathetic perspective on society. I wanted to find a discipline that blended the two, and that’s when I was directed to cognitive science and the field of UI/UX design.
Although I am very content with the career plan and study I am pursuing, I do get these itches to become a “beatneck” backpacker and go on a world tour. I believe that my age is the best time to explore. I am not at the time of adulthood where I need to thoroughly weigh my consequences, being bound to a job, a spouse, and kids. Additionally, I believe I would have stronger, more vivid memories of seeing these places for the first time. I feel like this plan B is a total cliche but for the record, I have lived in the same city for too long of a time, so this desire to leave is definitely strong.
My Plan B is outlandish, but a more stable alternative was to do a study abroad. I wanted to immerse myself in a completely different location from Houston fully. Amsterdam seemed like the polar opposite of my hometown from the weather to preferred mode of transportation. Additionally, this blends both plan B and plan A in a way that satisfies my desire to travel out with more freedom to explore while also tying in and developing strong design processes that can be applied to my future career.
During this program, we collaborate with students from the local University of Amsterdam on a project aimed at addressing issues in the city. Today was our first day meeting the groups of students we are working with. So far, they were all incredibly sweet and had unique national backgrounds. In fact, the majority of the students I am working with are not Dutch.
Outside of my class in Amsterdam, I have been exploring the city’s music scene, climbing gyms, and runner-friendly parks. I wanted to emulate the activities I love to do at home in Houston, just to compare. Additionally, participating in more athletic activities helped me form deeper connections with locals by sharing a similar hobby. Doing this has allowed me to learn more about the city and its customs, and I plan to continue this exploration, as it has served me well so far.
Overall, I am really excited to see where this program will take me. While I did a bit of research about Amsterdam, I am acting like Forest Gump and letting the wind take me to unexpected parts of the city.