When I first signed up for the class, I did it on a whim. I had always wanted to study abroad at some point during my college years, and I have always been interested in mental health issues, so I decided to take this class. Even though it was a rather rash decision to go to the Netherlands, I was interested in learning about how “European socialists” and the always liberal Dutch people deal with many social issues impacting the society, and I was eager to know if their approach can be helpful in the United States, and in my home country, China.
In the Netherlands, we as a class listened to lectures given by many people in, or impacted by, the mental healthcare system. For instance, Daan Keiman, a former “Smartshop” employee and current graduate …show more content…
We could be talking about parties or buildings when I suddenly remembered Dutch drug policies or the pulley on top of every canal houses. My experience in the Netherlands taught me that if I could live life with curious, inquisitive eyes, paying attention to things around as if I were touring a foreign country, I would always learn more about the world. However, often times, I give myself excuses to remain numb to my surroundings, and thus missed many invaluable lessons that the world is able to teach me. After my time in the Netherlands, I have decided to observe the world more attentively and to think critically about what I …show more content…
In the Netherlands, I got to meeting with patients with mental diseases and getting to know the aspects of life that impact this special population the most. This experience will certainly prove to be invaluable in my future career. In addition, previously I had hoped to focus my research on people with normal cognitive functions, but actually witnessing schizophrenic patients talking to thin air as if they were meeting with an old friend sparked my interests in the impaired cognitive abilities in schizophrenic patients. So my experience in the Netherlands also affected me as a future
In the Netherlands, we as a class listened to lectures given by many people in, or impacted by, the mental healthcare system. For instance, Daan Keiman, a former “Smartshop” employee and current graduate …show more content…
We could be talking about parties or buildings when I suddenly remembered Dutch drug policies or the pulley on top of every canal houses. My experience in the Netherlands taught me that if I could live life with curious, inquisitive eyes, paying attention to things around as if I were touring a foreign country, I would always learn more about the world. However, often times, I give myself excuses to remain numb to my surroundings, and thus missed many invaluable lessons that the world is able to teach me. After my time in the Netherlands, I have decided to observe the world more attentively and to think critically about what I …show more content…
In the Netherlands, I got to meeting with patients with mental diseases and getting to know the aspects of life that impact this special population the most. This experience will certainly prove to be invaluable in my future career. In addition, previously I had hoped to focus my research on people with normal cognitive functions, but actually witnessing schizophrenic patients talking to thin air as if they were meeting with an old friend sparked my interests in the impaired cognitive abilities in schizophrenic patients. So my experience in the Netherlands also affected me as a future