i thought i’d figured this out, but apparently not. so. does anyone know how the weather is in amsterdam? does it rain all the time, is it gray, is it sunny, is it…what? i’m trying to decide, between lancaster, england, and amsterdam, where to study abroad in the fall.
thanks. :)
if you’re trying to decide where to study, go to amsterdam. I have no idea what the weather is like during the fall (I was there in summer) but if you go to amsterdam to experience it and not just to smoke pot you’ll have the time of your life.
i don’t smoke pot, so that won’t be an issue. why do you think that? that i should go there? and not england?
one it’s easier to travel to other locations from there, two it’s just one of the most amazing places I’ve been. It’s a happpenin’ city and I think it would be an ideal place to study. I also think it puts an american further out of their comfort zone then england does. Although england is cool, I would just choose amsterdam as my base of operations
yes yes. someone else said that, that amsterdam is less americanized.
so. i want to learn to speak dutch, but um, how bad is it if you don’t? will i die?
I’m not sure I agree that Amsterdam is less Americanized. Amsterdam has a LOT more tourists than Lancaster, I’d imagine. When I was there, it seemed like every third person was American. Do you want to spend your time abroad being mistaken for just another American tourist every time you open your mouth?
Lancaster, on the other hand, would probably provide more opportunities to be immersed in the local culture and society simply because there’s nothing else there. I’ve never been there, but it’s pretty isolated, isn’t it?
nooo. you’re right. i would HATE to be mistaken for a tourist. :(
and yes, lancaster is sort of isolated AND it’s beautiful…
The Netherlands is the most English-speaking non-English-speaking country in the world. If you see what I mean. In a recent EU survey 81% of the population claimed to speak English very well.
In my (tourist) experience pretty much everyone speaks good enough English for you to get by very well while you’re learning Dutch.
nah, you won’t die. the level of English speakers in Amsterdam is probably higher than in any other European city. I usually found that people didn’t even give me the opportunity to try and speak in Dutch, but would launch right into English – I don’t know how they knew, but somehow they did!
I mean, obviously you should try to learn and use what you have learned, but you will definately be able to get by as y ou are learning.
i was there late january and it was snowing like crazy. though i am from southern california and NEVER lived in the snow. it wasn’t fun. well, i had fun, but the weather was a bitch… hard to see the city when you’re ducking for cover. but, it’s not like that all the time, apparently. you know the whole tulips of amsterdam thing? it’s gotta be nice sometime. :-) good luck on your decision.
We just got back from Amsterdam last week. It was coolish, but not really cold. You could go outside in a sweater and jeans and be comfortable while we were there. It didn’t rain a whole lot….we had mostly sunny days. But that’s 5 days out of….the season, so it may have been a fluke.
Weather in Amsterdam and Lancaster in the fall is probably not a lot different most of the time, but check weather.com for info, you can get yearly averages.
Can I suggest that you do a web search (including LJ & other blogs) for personal pages of students in both places? Student life in cities can be different to tourists or residents due to things like cost of food, accomodation & travel, plus you have your own bars and clubs ;)
My own OPINION is that Lancaster is a bit remote and a quiet(ish) small(ish) town which is ok if that’s what you are after. It’s close to wonderful (and hard to get to without a car) scenery like the English Lake District, and not too far from a few great cities like Liverpool and Manchester.
Amsterdam is a major european city, although not really very big.
Not speaking Dutch isn’t a problem, it’s the European country with the most English speakers apart from the UK & Ireland. The centre of Amsterdam can be touristy, although less so in fall compared with summer, but you have the advantage of a very good public transport system, plus lots of culture & varied nightlife.
weatherbase.com has really good averages and historical information on temperature, precipitation, and if you’re lucky- sunny days etc for the whole world.
I went to college (in southern California) and studied abroad (in Queensland, Australia) and chose my Fulbright site (northern Chile) partly for the weather- so I COMPLETELY understand, so far it’s all worked out for the best! It’s good to be happy.