Turns out, the world is not as terrifying as I thought it was. Past Review
By Nicole H (Animal Sciences, Missouri State University) - abroad from 07/19/2015 to 08/15/2015 with
AIFS: Berlin - Humboldt University
That I was able to. I gained so much confidence in myself because I survived on a whole other continent for four weeks. The world is just another place and it's no different than the US. I guess it seems less scary? More attainable, and I'm not afraid to go for something anymore.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The class was interactive with not only the other people in the class but also with the city and I couldn't have asked for a better class to accompany my study abroad experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Nele was always available and willing to help us in any way possible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Air conditioning would have been nice, but wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Internet in the apartment is also in the same boat, but there were ways to work around that with the personal internet sticks and the numerous wi-fi spots around town. |
| * Food: |
The food at Humboldt's cafeteria was delicious and much better than almost every meal I've had at any other cafeteria. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were just enough out of the way that we didn't feel suffocated by Berlin life, but it was still easily accessible through the public transportation. It would have been nicer to be a bit closer to Alexanderplatz, but we were also right across the street from Tierpark and that was a dream come true for me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
One person needed real medical attention and Nele helped him out right away and he was taken care of really well. And when we needed just general medicine Nele made sure to send us to the pharmacy that we needed. |
| * Safety: |
I mean, it is the capital and it can be dangerous in any big city. I almost got robbed twice but just by paying attention you can prevent that. A few others in the group got stuff stolen from them, but Nele knew just want to do for reporting a passport stolen or getting accomodations for anything else. |
| 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) |
Living there for four weeks I didn't expect it to cost as much, but I didn't buy as much groceries and eat at home as much as I probably should've. I ate on the street stands and at some restaurants so the cost was a bit more. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Mostly just to watch how much you eat outside of your residence. Eating home cooked meals with food bought at a local market is just as tasty and will still give you that foreign experience. |
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 didn't have a german class, but there were others who did, and through learning online I was able to interact will a lot of people in German. Everyone was encouraged to speak German, but outside of class no one was forced to. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| 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? | Order food with it. Learn the little words. When talking to a local, try the native language first, and then if you blunder and fail you can ask if they speak english, and if they do they will be much more willing to help you out than if you started out speaking english. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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? | more german. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Land in the City - Green in the City |
| Course Department: | Ecology |
| Instructor: | Volker Minks |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The class proved to be challenging and engaging at the same time. Spending more time in the city at different parks and rooftop gardens was a great way to apply anything we were being taught, and we were able to integrate the city into our reports much easier having seen the aspects first hand. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Nope! I was even able to transfer it in as a credit for my major, and not just a general education credit. |
