What's it like to study in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is a diverse city; you will find students from all over the world studying in Amsterdam. You can see this in our student body; over sixty percent of the Rietveld's students come from outside the Netherlands. Many people in The Netherlands speak English.
Amsterdam is a real city, but not too big. It is easy to get around by bike. This brings us to another strong point: Amsterdam's cycling culture. It is a bicycle-friendly city. It's a cheap way to get around and it's very rewarding to cycle along the pittoresque canals and the many great architectural sites, you can even take your bike on the ferry over the Amstel to go to the north of the city.
One of the great things about Amsterdam is its culture. There are many creative hubs, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces. There's the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum. And smaller contemporary art exhibition sites like de Appel, W139, Rozenstraat, Framer Framed, Oude Kerk and so on and so. There are many galleries in De Jordaan and beyond.
The Rietveld Academie even has a gallery in the public space in the city centre called Eight Cubic Meters (eight shop windows where we exhibit art made by students and graduates).
The downside? Let's face it, we don't get as much sun as we'd like. Bring your rain coat, it will be alright.
And, as in most European cities with a large student population, it can be difficult to find a room in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the Rietveld Academie can only offer temporary accommodation to some of the new students coming from abroad. That's why we advise you to start looking for accommodation as soon as possible. Still, this shouldn't discourage you to come to Rietveld!
Read also The Guardian: Six ways the Dutch are nailing student life
If you'd like to know more about what it's like to study in Amsterdam by talking to students, come to the Open Day in January or the Graduation Show in July.