Where are you currently on exchange?
“I'm currently in Rome, doing an exchange at Luiss Guido Carla, a private university. Rome is absolutely amazing, the university is super nice and the campus is so beautiful. It is the first time at PPE that we have the possibility to go to Luiss, so it’s very exciting. I’m here with five other PPE students from Amsterdam. We could choose different packages of courses ourselves. One course I’m taking is from the actual PPE programme here. The other four courses are Master’s electives. Personally, I am mostly interested in politics so I choose very different politics courses. For example, one of my courses is diplomacy and negotiation, which I think falls under the Global Politics and Management Master. Another course I’m taking is Global Politics, which is an elective of the International Relations Master. I think it's amazing that the programme Amsterdam gave us the possibility to choose those electives ourselves and go after our own specialisation or interests, because I think in the third year, that's what you should be doing!”
Why did you choose this specific university for your exchange?
“So first of all, Luiss is a really high ranked University, especially for social sciences. They have a lot of politics courses, which appealed to me because in Amsterdam I already chose the philosophy and the politics track. The second reason was to learn the language. I've had Italian back in high school, but it's been some years. Already being around Italians in daily life here makes a huge difference. I mean, it's not like in Amsterdam where everybody speaks English. So when you're in a restaurant or in a cafe, you actually need to speak Italian if you want to be understood. But that's amazing, because then you actually learn a lot. I had never been to Rome before, but I thought it was a great opportunity, and I'm super happy with my choice!”
Do you spend a lot of time with the other PPE students from Amsterdam?
“We do see each other, but we all have our separate friends as well. Which i think is very good, since I guess the point of an exchange is also to get out of your comfort zone also in regards to meeting new people. So for me it’s the perfect balance. I also don't live with them and we chose mainly different courses. But I must say it is always nice to know there are other people from Amsterdam here, who know exactly what kind of situation you are in, especially in the beginning when everything is still very new and partly also overwhelming.”
Was it difficult to find housing?
“I must say it was not that easy. But I mean, when you come from Amsterdam, you know the worst housing situation ever, right? In that sense, Rome was easier and less expensive. However, what made it a bit more difficult was the time constraint. We're only here for five months and finding something for five months is difficult, especially if you want to find a furnished shared apartment. I was lucky I ended up finding a shared place with three people from different countries, for a decent price. The other PPE students also all found something, so I can assure it's easier than Amsterdam, but still a bit tricky because of the time constraint.”
How is the study load ?
“PPE at VU Amsterdam prepares you for a lot. So after two years of PPE, you are definitely ready for most exchange programs. You need to pass all courses, but your grades don’t count, which simply takes some pressure off. However, since we are taking Master’s courses, they can be quite challenging sometimes. The workload is fine, I am studying and I'm going to uni every day. I do have a lot of projects and papers, but I still have enough time left to go to the centre and explore and do day trips. I'd say it's a perfect combination. I am learning a lot, but I'm not suffocated or stressed; I'm actually enjoying the courses. PPE in Amsterdam can be really tough, and I think we are all less stressed here. I think it is a good balance to be honest.”
Other than workload, what are the biggest differences?
“You can really tell the difference between the Dutch system and the Italian system. In general, you get higher grades in Italy compared to the Netherlands. The relationship with the professors is also a bit different, it's a bit less formal. Furthermore, Luiss is a private university which would normally cost way more to go to, which is reflected in the even higher staff to student ratio and stuff like equipment and the campus itself. But I think education- wise, PPE Amsterdam is definitely excellent. It is good to have a comparison now and to realize that your study prepared you well enough to keep up even with second year master students. That is really cool to see. Even though it is tough at times, it’s worth it!
Another point is that Luiss is way less international than VU Amsterdam. Even though it’s in Rome, and the programme is taught in English, the student body is around 70 or 80% Italians compared to 50% Dutch students at PPE VU. Amsterdam is such a bubble of different nationalities, that everybody feels like it’s their city. In Rome, I feel more like a foreigner, because sometimes in classes or at parties, I’m the only non-Italian. It's just different, but it's a nice experience.”
You said PPE prepares you very well for everything that is about to come. Do you feel ready for your thesis in the second semester?
“When we finished the second year before summer, I saw the third year students working on their thesis, and I thought: ‘Oh my gosh, I have to do that so soon!’. I didn’t feel like writing my thesis because I didn’t even want my studies to end. Now that I'm here, in such a new challenge again, I feel more ready than ever. I have different courses, different professors and different sorts of assessment and tests, and it's all okay. That gave me confidence that the thesis is also going to be alright. I'm enjoying my exchange to the fullest, but I think the last six months in Amsterdam are also going to be amazing. Everybody will come back to the fourth floor, see professors again and take on this last challenge of writing their thesis. I'm just excited for it, to see everybody back. And I think we're gonna have a lot of fun.”
What are your ambitions after you finish the PPE programme?
“I think I'm going to take a year off to work because I would like to gain some working experience. Afterwards, I definitely want to do a Master’s programme, maybe even at Luiss. I'm pretty confident it is going to be something towards international security, international relations or political risk analysis. The fact that I was able to choose the electives from different Masters at Luiss, gave me so much insight into what kind of Master I would like to pursue one day. I'm shaping my own programme and seeing where my interests truly lay.”
What advice would you give to PPE students who still need to go on exchange?
“Don't be afraid or nervous. You'll be totally fine! There's also a huge Erasmus community here in Rome that is especially helpful in the beginning of your stay. I was nervous about going to a new city that I don't even know of, but I'm telling you, an exchange is the greatest opportunity. It’s just five months without attachment. When in your life are you ever going to have the possibility again to go somewhere for five months, have everything organized for you, and even get the financial support to do it?
Furthermore, if you have the possibility of choosing some courses, choose the ones that interest you most. It’s a period that is supposed to give you new ideas, so really go after your interests. I'm very thankful to the programme that we get this possibility and I would suggest everyone from PPE who has the possibility to really go for it and not be hesitant!”
