I chose to spend my fall semester at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Hague, Netherlands. I chose this university primarily because they offered the European policy classes I had been looking for as a political science and economics double major. I also wanted to study in a country in Europe that had accessible transportation to other countries within the EU. Finally, the Netherlands has a lot of English speakers, so that was easier to navigate in terms of communication. I really fell in love with the Netherlands, and feel that I was able to see so much
of the country during my stay there. The country is comparatively small and very compact, so
day trips were very doable.





I particularly enjoyed my experience because I was able to secure housing in an international student apartment building, and had three suitemates from around the world (Aruba, Belgium, and Spain). I met so many other international students, which exposed me to so many unique cultural differences I could not have ascertained from class alone. My closest friends there were from Sweden and Germany, and I learned so much from them, particularly as we are all studying government and economics and have interest in those subjects.





During my time in the Netherlands, I also traveled to Norway, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and France, in addition to many cities in the Netherlands. Traveling with new friends was an unforgettable bonding experience, and one that I wouldn’t trade for anything! My solo trip to
London was also incredibly rewarding. I had a level of independence and freedom that I really
hadn’t experienced in the States. One of my favorite experiences in the Netherlands was Prinjesdaag, a holiday in The Hague where the royal family parades through town, as well as the
3 October Festival in Leiden. Much of the unique city events I ended up going to were ones I
found out about the day or two before through word of mouth, and ended up being the highlights
of my semester. The Hague was an amazing location because it had a city feel, really unique and
historic buildings in the center, and was only a half hour tram ride to the beach. Scheveningen,
the main beach, was awesome for swimming when it’s warm, and running on the dunes when it’s
not!
Before going abroad, one of my main concerns was financial, and I had to be very strategic about the program I chose and how I went about applying for scholarships. Navigating the process and exploring different scholarship opportunities was overwhelming, but entirely worth it, as I was able to spend the money I had saved for the experience on my travel rather than my classes. The UTC College of Business, Honors College, PSPS department, and study abroad office all provided different scholarship applications that I relied on. Departmental scholarships should not be overlooked as they can provide incredible resources for students. The finances of studying abroad should not hold you back, because it can be done super affordably. It was a life changing and transformative experience for me, and so worth the work to get there!
Erin Yenawine (BS Political Science and BA Economics) spent Fall 2024 studying abroad in The Hague, Netherlands through USAC. Erin had the following to say about studying abroad, “Studying abroad was the best possible decision I could have made! I connected with international students, took interesting classes, and was able to travel through quite a few European countries. Take the leap, and pursue all financial aid opportunities!!!“
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