Time For School
Written on Sept. 18, 2022
Pictured are the two buildings that my classes are in. My program is at Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) aka Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). The school has buildings all around the city rather than on one campus.
Classes
This week, I finally got to sit down in a classroom and learn about how my classes for the semester will play out. The semester will be broken down into two periods. Until the beginning of November, I will have four classes in the first period: Photo skills, Photography Project, Brand Identity, and Graphic Design.
Click on the class titles below to see more about what I’ll be learning.
For most students, the purpose of this class is to practice camera basics. However, I’ve been practicing camera basics for years — my camera is practically like my third arm to me. Because of this, my professor challenged me to concentrate on evoking feelings and deeper messages in my images. I love this challenge because it forces me to practice the mental basics to make the emotional value behind my photos even stronger. This hasn’t been a focus in any of my classes for years, so I’m excited to redirect my thought process while shooting.
I cannot wait to get started with this class. For the next six weeks, I will be creating a photo documentary about anything I want. Considering documentary photography is one of my favorite forms of photography, I have tons of ideas to discuss with the professor. This project will be added to my professional portfolio and will hopefully open a few doors in the future.
This class is with my other professor, Micha, and will be focused on product packaging. This class’ six-week project involves picking a product from a supermarket and researching the company’s values to come up with new packaging. Later, I will give this to another student in the class and then randomly draw someone else’s product to design that one. It sounds a bit confusing, but we get a chance to experience being a client as well as a designer.
Here, we will use Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop to create the designs for the six-week Brand Identity project explained above. I haven’t done graphic design since high school, so I’m eager to try it again.
Bonus: WIX Website
Throughout the entire semester, we will showcase our assignments and projects on a website that we create. Luckily, I have experience with creating websites (i.e. the one you are reading this blog on) and I even had a web design job this past summer. The layout the professors requested is a bit confusing, but once the pages are set up it should be smooth sailing.
We will learn more about the second period when this first period ends in early November, but it will involve filmmaking and advertising.
Cycling
A photo I took of a cyclist in Vondelpark during my first Photo Skills class.
To get to my classes, I have to bike over 4 miles (6.4 km) from my apartment southeast of Amsterdam to the HvA building. Shifting from not biking at all back home to biking at least 8 miles a day here has been exhausting. However, biking in Amsterdam is a special experience because of the culture based around it.
Cyclists have the right-of-way over both cars and pedestrians. There is a massive system of dedicated bike lanes across the entire city. It is easier to reach most places by bike than any other mode of transportation. One of the reasons cycling has become popular here is because other than the many curved bridges, Amsterdam is mostly flat.
Similar to driving in the US, slower cyclists stay to the right and let those who are faster pass them on the left. Only two cyclists can ride side by side; any more and people will get angry. Also, even though there are a plethora of bikes, 99% of cyclists don’t wear helmets. Since the Dutch begin cycling when they were kids, it’s pretty obvious when someone isn’t from the Netherlands. The Dutch will have no hesitation in using their bell or cursing at you if you don’t follow their cycling rules.
Cyclists are typically carrying something like groceries, dogs, children, and even awkward items like IKEA furniture in creative ways on their bikes. Rain is never an excuse for anything here either, and many people simply ignore it. There also isn’t a specific attire for cycling; I’ve seen people in suits, dresses, heels, etc cycling without a problem. I am amazed by this culture and would love to try and create a little photo series of the unique bike scenes that I see while I’m here.
(If there was only one Dutch word I’d remember after this trip, it would be fiets, meaning bicycle.)
Other Things From This Week
I visited the Van Gogh Museum with a few friends! It was incredible to see so many extremely famous pieces of artwork in one building. I loved the Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer painting because he signed his name in the corner of the painting in bright red paint. Two of us got yelled at for trying to take a selfie with the original Sunflowers painting. Apparently, someone fell backward into the painting doing so in the past, but they could have at least put up a sign rather than yell at unsuspecting tourists.
On Saturday, I went shopping with a friend near Dam Square. I can’t buy too much while I’m here because I have limited packing space, but while I was out I did buy a “European style” leather jacket that I’ve wanted for years. We also went to brunch where I ate possibly the best pancakes I’ve ever had! It was a rainy day but it was as beautiful as ever.
Now that we have classes and assignments, I studied with a few new friends each day. We would look for a new cafe or a new study space near our school buildings and I would usually spend the time helping them navigate WIX. I truly love being a student in this city.
I edited some additional photos I took last week! These were random photos I took for fun with a friend in the rain. We took a ferry north of the city center to go exploring and we found some neat spots near the STRAAT museum.
One Month in Amsterdam
I feel much more comfortable living in a new country and I have made some wonderful friends here! I’ve gotten to explore a good amount of the city but there is still a ton left to see. Now when I am in the city, I recognize many landmarks and can figure out where I am. I can also use the metro easily because I understand the different metro lines and their stops! I’m genuinely proud of myself for picking up these things quickly even if they do seem fairly simple. I haven’t felt too homesick yet — probably because I’ve been so busy — but the nine-hour time difference does make it difficult to talk to anyone back home.
So far, my favorite part about traveling abroad has been connecting with so many people from around the world. It’s fun to compare cultures and bond over shared interests or experiences. It also reminds me to be open-minded about different points of view. Even people from other parts of the US don’t know about many things I’ve experienced from living in the southwest. Going forward, I can’t wait to discover more places around Amsterdam, bond with more people, and start on my class projects.
