Katie Strohmayer (pictured above) has spent the past semester studying at The University of Groningen through a Geneseo program. Strohmayer is pursuing a geography major and through her coursework and is learning about Dutch history and culture (Courtesy of Katie Strohmayer).
Junior geography major Katie Strohmayer has spent the past fall semester studying at The University of Groningen in the Netherlands. This program has allowed Katie to fully immerse herself in a different culture and learn more about the world.
Strohmayer says that Groningen now feels like a second home. The abroad program in Groningen does a wonderful job of making students feel like a Netherlander, according to Strohmayer. For five months, students live their lives like a true European and they bike everywhere and go to all the locals’ favorite cafes.
Strohmayer wanted to travel the world and living in Groningen has allowed her to do just that. Traveling within Europe is relatively easy and inexpensive—an attractive option for college students. Since being overseas, Strohmayer has been to eight countries and plans on seeing many more before leaving in January.
Four thousand students from over 120 countries study abroad in Groningen annually. Strohmayer has had the opportunity to make lifelong friends from all around the world. She discussed her plan to continue traveling after college and joked that she now has places to stay all around the world.
While abroad, Strohmayer pursued a spatial planning major and is currently enrolled in three classes: Spatial Problems and Policies, Migration and Development and Dutch Studies and Lectures series. The classes allow students to learn the in-depth history of how the Dutch planned their cities and what problems need to be fixed. Dutch culture is a focal point in every offered class, focusing not only on the past but also on what needs to be done in the future.
“My favorite class was my spatial planning and policy classes because I got to travel around the Netherlands and learn about where I was staying,” Strohmayer said. “One thing that stood out to me was the hands-on experience that the university offers through field trips. One day, we visited three major Dutch cities on a bus tour. It was fun, informative and an experience I will never forget.”
Strohmayer encourages everyone at Geneseo to study abroad. Learning about different cultures is an eye-opening, rewarding experience that helped her expand her horizons and think about what she wants to do following graduation.
“Traveling to the Netherlands and countries around the world has made me realize that I never want to stop traveling or learning about different cultures,” Strohmayer said. “Although I still do not know my exact career choice, studying abroad has made me realize that traveling is a must for me. Once you start traveling, I can promise you that you will never want to stop.”