Classes

Monday was our first day of classes. Registering for courses is not at all the same here as it is back home. Like in the States, you register for classes prior to the start of the semester, but unlike in the States it is pretty much impossible to add a course once the semester starts. This means that you're stuck with whatever courses you get at the beginning. You may not attend the first day of a class you wish to get into and there is no begging and pleading with professors. It just isn't done. The education system in the Netherlands is very different than that of most liberal arts schools or even large universities in the US, although university systems in other European countries are quite similar. In general, there is much less hand holding and students here expected to learn more independently. At the beginning of a course you receive the syllabus and course list and often students are expected to simply have all the reading done on their own schedule. There are only two or three grades and at least 50 to 60% of your grade is determined by your final (either an exam, presentation, or final paper).
The first course I went to was Global Politics and EuraAsia which is my fifth course and the one that I will probably drop.The professor had a very strong accent which I was unable to place, although I believe he is from somewhere in the Middle East. The course examines the current and past states of international order but focuses on the relationship between the EU, central Europe, the Middle East, Asia. However, since I like my other four courses better I think this is the one to go.
Last night I also went to the University's Institute for Second Languages, where I will study Dutch. Because the CIEE course offered is for beginning Dutch and I have a bit of an advantage, CIEE pays for me to study at a higher level. At the exam I met Thomas, who is a CIEE student from last semester, and is also moving on to another level of Dutch. The first part of the exam was a series of fill in the blanks, reading three paragraphs of a Dutch story and then answering some questions, and writing an essay. Needless to say this part did not go as well for me because I have never really learned Dutch in a formal classroom setting. I therefore, have never learned to write or spell. After the exam I met with a teacher who judges how well you comprehend and speak Dutch. She was stumped because I placed into the beginner class based on my written exam but into the intermediate class based on my speaking and comprehension. Eventually she decided that I should start with Beginners and get a good basis and then move up halfway through the semester if I do well. I'm a little relieved that I won't be thrown into writing essays in Dutch right away, since my essay of the exam read " I speak a little Dutch. But I can't write anything."
This morning I had my first Regulating Cultural and Religious Diversity class with Marcel Maussen. This is the class that I am most excited for and one of the primary reasons why I wanted to come study here. The course is a case study of Dutch immigration, immigration policy, immigration integration, and examines the conflict between many Muslim immigrants and Dutch society and culture. I'm incredibly excited! The professor seems wonderful too. He seems a little more relaxed than others here and is very accessible to his students and suggestions we may have for the class.
Later that afternoon I had Current Dilemmas of European Integration. Unlike my other courses, this is within the program for Social Studies and Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and not the International school. The course is taught in English but there are many more Dutch students in it. I'm a little intimidated by the course because many of the students have a strong background in the EU, which I do not. But the course seems interesting and I think I'll learn a lot about the EU.
My final course is Social Trends, Social Problems, and Social Policies in the Netherlands. This is a general study of the different social policies and problems the Netherlands faces, including prostitution, euthanasia, drugs, immigration, abortion, homosexuality, crime and justice, and poverty and the welfare state. Our final project is a huge research paper which includes doing fieldwork, so interviews and talking to NGOs, to prepare for our papers. I'm hoping to write about immigration so that I can do some sort of fieldwork in the area. We'll see.