DjHanzel

Hi,

I will be a sophomore in college this fall. I plan to study abroad in Europe my junior year. I will need to make a decision about where I want to go by the end of this year.
Some info about me: Male, will be turning 20 in August, I go to a west coast state school, , sociology major, huge fan of edm(electronic music), I love going to shows and music festivals, also a pretty big sports fan.

I have narrowed down my list to Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague. Here are the things I am looking for in a study abroad location:
-Amazing nightlife: (clubs, bars, music, etc) I am not the type of person who enjoys sitting at home on the weekends. I like museums, nature, sightseeing as much as the next person but having an active nightlife is an absolute MUST for me.
-Ability to travel: This is why I am choosing to study abroad in Europe rather than a place like Australia. I want to be able to travel as often and as easily as I can.
-I will be taking my academic courses in English. While I will try my best, learning another language is not a requirement for me.
- I DON'T want to stay with a family. I would like to live with other students in either an apartment or on campus dorm.

Let me which city you think would match me best. Thanks!

menachem

Berlin.

But in Amsterdam there may be more English language programs

bvlenci

Amsterdam will probably have more university level courses in English. Many of their graduate level courses are taught only in English. Dutch university students usually speak English perfectly.

Amsterdam may also offer better travel opportunities, especially in western Europe. The UK, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and France are easily and quickly reached by train from Amsterdam.

I've never been to Berlin, and visited Prague only for a few days, but I think the night life in Amsterdam should be on a par, at least, with those two cities.

MyriamC

Amsterdam!

PalenQ

Amsterdam is party central for folks you age all over Europe - and if into pot your can legally buy it at hundreds of coffeeshops over the counter and smoke it inside - a convivial feeling for sure with folks your age from all over the world.

Amsterdam also has tons of culture and best of all nearly everyone speaks uncannily fluent English - no need to struggle talking with others as you may in say Berlin or Prague's clubs, etc.

Amsterdam is also better located for weekend sojourns in other cities or on breaks - London is just about 4 hours by train - Paris less than that - Germany is next door, etc.

If wanting to travel around at will take a look at the Eurail Youthpass, for folks under 26 - good for a two-month period it is a flexipass where you can use unlimited travel days anytime over that 2-month period. For lots of great info on European trains, passes, etc. I always spotlight these IMO superb sources: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Overnight trains go from Amsterdam to several cities in Germany and Switzerland - spend a long weekend in Switzerland by hopping overnight trains - and on those many folks your age will be traveling as well.

Christina

I don't think the availability of university courses in English is probably relevant at all -- I bet the OP's university has arranged some courses somewhere already, that's why these are the choices, and they are probably not at a local university. This doesn't appear to be a sojourn related to academics, obviously, as that wasn't given as any priority as a reason to choose a place (note the number one criteria is amazing nightlife). This is fairly common that these trips are just to have a vacation, they are not for academic reasons, even if one is taking some classes cooked up somewhere (I know that is the case for many US students).

I haven't been to Berlin, but like Prague better than Amsterdam myself. However, I think Amsterdam is the best location for traveling to see other places easily. I can't grade the nightlife in these places, I think they all have it.

IMDonehere

My nephew who is dark-skinned spent a semester abroad in Prague and ran into prejudice where people thought he was either Romani or Arabic. It certainly ruined his time there.

The academic expectations are low for the semester abroad since they schools know the kids want to see the town they are in and the rest of Europe. As noted above availability of cheap transportation elsewhere should be a consideration.

We have not been to Berlin, but I am constantly being told that it has the most vibrant art community in Europe these days. I would check out Time Out-Berlin and Time Out-Amsterdam to see which city offers the activities that are most important to you.

nytraveler

Well my first thought would be which city gives you more opportunities to take courses in your major. A young relative of mine spent a year in Edinburgh studying music and she loved both the city and the excellence of her courses (she is a professional musician - two instruments and classical/operatic voice).

If you don't plan on learning the local language (I think a big mistake) I would go for Berlin - which IMHO has way more to see and do than Amsterdam as well as a lot of nightlife focused on young people (you don't want adult night life which will be extremely expensive). I would do Prague after that but it would be more difficult if you won't bother to learn at least some Czech to make it easier to meet locals. (Yes, most university students will speak some English but not all or as fluent as in the other two cities.)

Amsterdam I would make third just because it is smaller - still with a lot to do - but not so much as the other two.

You can travel all over europe from any of these cities.

KTtravel

You might ask your college's study abroad office if they can connect you with students who have already studied at these locations. My daughter was able to speak with students who had been in the programs she was considering and that helped her to make her choice.

PalenQ

If cost of living means anything Prague and the Czech Republic is significantly cheaper than Berlin and Germany and especially Amsterdam and Holland.

powhatangal

I can't comment on which city, but I spent my junior year studying in Paris way back in the late 70's when there was no email, skype or anything! It can be a very enriching experience. All my courses were in French with the Alliance Francaise and I had a literature course at the Sorbonne. Wherever you go, please try to learn the language. You'll never have another experience like it to learn a language. Good luck!

Cowboy1968

There are couple websites that focus on partying across Europe (or the World), like this on:
http://www.partyearth.com/berlin/concerts/

Re. diversity of parties, music, clubs, commercial/non-commercial venues there are no real competitors for Berlin.
Most "off" places are far from the typical tourist trail from Brandenburg Gate and the Museum Island to the formerly hip neighborhoods in Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg, though.

The overwhelming minority lives (or could live) "on campus" - and few of the university housing buildings would resemble a "dorm-style" accomodation. Most would look more like regular apartment buildings where 2-4 people share one apartment, with seperate bedrooms and shared facilities.
Most who cannot or want not afford their own apartment will share one with others. Same concept: individual bedrooms, shared living room, bathroom and kitchen.
In finding either places, you should ask the uni in Berlin for assistance, in case you decide to go there.

Re. traveling.. the days of back-packing students with InterRail tickets are long gone. Some still do it as an adventure, but the overwhelming majority will jump on low cost airlines when they have a cheap offer for Barcelona, Ibiza, Istanbul or London.

PalenQ

Berlin is relatively isolated from many hot spots of Europe tourist wise as is Amsterdam - easy train rides to London, Paris, Germany - overnight trains to Switzerland, Munich even Berlin.

and though Berlin a much much larger city has legendary clubs, etc these I think can be dauntingly expensive - Amsterdam has less expensive night life IME.

Cowboy1968

OP's age bracket will probably have different "hot spots" on their list than the good ole Fodorite (no insult intended). Few young people take trains for such long distances anymore. Hate it or like it, but the days of sipping a glass of red and nibbling some cheese while enjoying the countryside outside the train window are pure nostalgia for those from other continents where rail travel is an adventure. Our youth just hops on planes to go to Ibiza for 36 hours (w/o sleep of course).

Hans

"and though Berlin a much much larger city has legendary clubs, etc these I think can be dauntingly expensive - Amsterdam has less expensive night life IME"

My experience is the exact opposite. I think Berlin can be amazingly cheap while Amsterdam is one of the more expensive cities in Europe.

Much of the attraction of Berlin in the last two decades was the comparable low costs of living, especially rent, which allowed young people to set up shop or bar or club with little funds.

Of course the expensive nightlife also exists and rents in some formerly cheap quarters have gone up but to a great extend the inflormal motto of Berlin is still valid: poor but sexy.

bvlenci

" If you don't plan on learning the local language (I think a big mistake) I would go for Berlin "

I don't understand this at all. Surely the country with the highest percentage of fluent English speakers is either the Netherlands or Denmark.

Christina

I don't understand that comment, either, as certainly language would not be a problem in the Netherlands. I think the country with the highest percentage of people who can carry on a conversation in English is Denmark, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (aside from the UK, obviously). Prague is an expat haven, although maybe not as trendy as it used to be (for Americans, anyway).

I don't think it's a mistake not to learn the local language if it's something of little use to you in the future. German could be useful. I wouldn't bother to learn Dutch myself. I have studied Czech a little and enjoy it, but I like languages. If you didn't intend to go to the CR again, it wouldn't be that useful, of course.

Take a look at this map
http://jakubmarian.com/map-of-the-pe...eu-by-country/

Of course that map doesn't parse by age group, which makes a big difference. But I have friends in Germany and even though very well-educated, we can be with some of their friends who do not speak English very fluently at all. Why should they, they don't use it in their daily life (these are people in their 50s). Learning something in school that you don't use much again doesn't make you fluent, plenty of Americans can attest to that.

bvlenci

I lived and worked in the Netherlands for a year, and found it almost impossible to learn Dutch, because virtually everyone spoke English. I was working in an international research organization, and of course everyone there spoke English.

I put my kids in a Dutch school instead of an international school, and they learned Dutch. They mostly forgot it when we got home, but it was very useful for them when they began to study foreign languages in school. They had learned some of the strategies of learning another language, and the language-learning part of the brain had got a bit of exercise.

Diane

My 20 year old daughter also goes to a west coast state school and she will be leaving in two weeks to study in Amsterdam for the coming school year. She narrowed it down to Amsterdam by considering the following: the course offerings at the university and how many will apply to her major and graduation requirements, cost relative to cost at the state college she attends, the ability to get by speaking English only (although she is taking an intro to Dutch class while in Amsterdam), the ease of traveling around Europe during her free time, activities/night life in the location, lodging options.

Take advantage of all the resources online that are specific to study abroad programs, visit your school study abroad program office for more info, and please take the advice of the poster who suggested getting in touch with students who have studied abroad at the locations you're considering -- this was the single most valuable thing that my daughter did. Students who have "been there and done that" have great stories to tell and experiences to share, including things you never even thought to consider.

Good luck!

IMDonehere

My wife vigorously studied Dutch on her own and in one restaurant when she spoke it they thought she was Bulgarian.