Food, Water, Atmosphere! Past Review
By Emily C (English Language and Literature, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) - abroad from 07/11/2014 to 08/11/2014 with
AIFS: Berlin - Humboldt University
The biggest thing I learned on the trip was how to let go of my fear of doing things alone. I was able to go places and walk around town by myself without any anxiety hanging over me. This transferred back to my life in America really well, as I feel a lot more independent than I did before my trip.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching was fantastic, but it takes some time getting used to the difference between American and German teaching styles. I took a German language course, and the professor spoke in German nearly the whole time. You have to remind yourself not to get frustrated when you can't understand what is going on. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The resident director for AIFS's Berlin location is amazing. She know Berlin like the back of her hand. When I studied abroad, this was her first time working as a resident director. She did a great job, so I can only imagine how much she's improved since. She was always available if we needed to talk or wanted to hangout. She always had great suggestions about where to and what to do while living in the city. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I personally loved our apartments. They were a bit out of the city, so our daily commute to class was something around half an hour, with several switches from U-bahn to S-bahn. This wasn't something that bothered me, as the underground system runs fantastically. The apartments themselves suited us well. Everyone has their own bedroom with a shared kitched and bathroom. The building is located right next to two grocery stores and a short distance from restaurants, a zoo, and a bar, too. |
| * Food: |
Food is something Berlin has down pat. Whether you're going for something more expensive or just picking something up from the street, the food was the best part of Berlin. The traditional German street foods like currywurst and Döner were big hits with our group. Berlin also has a big weekly international food festival of sorts where you can find foods from all over the world, not just European cuisine. I believe the main thing about being abroad is not being afraid to try anything new. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the end of the summer, I was able to successfully navigate the public transportation system and we had our regular spots around town that we would hangout. At Humboldt, students from all over the world have classes together, which made it easy to meet people and learn about German culture from those that lived closer by. I personally did not meet many Berlin residents, but others in the program reached out to locals in a way I did not. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No vaccines were needed to travel to Germany. The cool thing about AIFS is that they have health insurance that covers you when you're abroad. I did not personally have any need for it while I was there. I did get a slight cold while I was abroad and found that their medicine worked just as well as the medicine I am used to in America. |
| * Safety: |
There were never any moments I felt unsafe. We were told to be aware of pickpockets while in the city but none of us ever experienced anything of that sort. The city felt safe to me, where ever I was, and whatever time of day it was. It is a city that is always on the move; if you adapt to that well, as I did, the potentially threatening looking individuals just blend into the scenery. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
For the Berlin program, AIFS gave each student a card pre-loaded with (if I remember correctly) 200 euros. Because this was an expense we paid pre-departure, we didn't have to worry about spending new money while abroad. The card was mostly used for food, but since there was so much, most of us were able to use it on personal expenses as well. I only reloaded the card once or twice, using maybe $200-$250 of my own money. Berlin is a relatively cheap city, so if done right, you should be able to get by with spending very little. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Convert US dollars to Euros before leaving. You never know how the exchange rate will change when you are abroad. Also, make use of the grocery store. Eating out is a fun experience abroad, but the grocery stores can have just as much authentic cuisine and gives you more food for longer (just like home!). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I used the language while in the classroom and when studying, but rarely elsewhere. I had to use it a few times when ordering or talking to locals on the train, but most people in the city speak English very well. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate I |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Insist on using German when speaking to locals, even if they try to insist on practicing their English with you. Speaking German at home and speaking it in it's home country are two entirely different things. The accents are so much stronger and harder to understand. Listen to the people around you when you're on the train. This way you can pick up on the subtle differences between your German and their German. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think as Americans, we're told that people won't like us when we're abroad. I didn't find this to be true at all. While it was a nice surprise, I think we need to stop telling students that Americans are only seen as annoying tourists. I found the Germans to be very interested in American culture and wish I would have known how welcomed we'd be before leaving. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
