Study Abroad in Germany: Getting in Touch with Yourself Past Review
By Amber Follin (Berea College) - abroad from 01/09/2017 to 05/13/2017 with
CIEE: Berlin - Open Campus Program
It was most definitely worth while. I gained a new sense of self confidence, and was really able to learn who I was as a person and gain a new respect for not only myself and for other people as well.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration at CIEE Berlin Open Campus were very kind and very willing to help you in any situation. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very satisfied with the dorm itself. It was very spacious and had ample storage space for my things. Although it was mostly cement floor and walls (with black furniture), the carpets provided and lamps along with my photos from home made it more homie, and I was not spending most of my time in the room anyways. My roommate pairing during the second block, however, made the experience a little frustrating and forced me to not be in my room, even if I had wanted to be (to do homework, relax, etc), but to sleep. |
| * Food: |
Food in Berlin.. good restaurants. Good prices. That's all you need to know. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt mildly integrated. CIEE does put you in somewhat of an American bubble, but they do a good job of encouraging you to go out and explore Berlin and also installing programs/clubs to involve you in the local German culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was very easily accessible and if you had any problems, administration was able to help you without a problem. Insurance is also included in the price of the program, so there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about. They really encourage going to the doctor if you need it. |
| * Safety: |
There were a few pick pocketing events, but most likely because of a students inadequacy to pay attention. I felt very very safe in Berlin. I never had any worries about being out whether it was day or night. There are children that ride on the U-Bahn by themselves, who walk around on the streets playing, and no one seems to really bother you most of the time. The point is not to say you shouldn't be weary of people that might try to lift your wallet, but I wouldn't say that getting mugged or shot is a top concern in Berlin. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Although the CIEE program does put you in an American bubble, I was able to learn about topics that interest me (the Public Health courses) that are not offered at other institutions. I was able to make friends that will last a life time, and I was able to explore on my own and develop my own sense of Berlin and German culture without it being forced on me. I was able to ease in to it at my own pace. |
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) |
This was very easy for me to do, especially in Berlin. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent 50 Euros or less on food/personal necessities each week. This includes groceries and eating out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would say that during your first week, go to the grocery and get a typical weeks worth of what you will need and also go out to a typical restaurant. See what the prices are. Base your budget on this. You will grocery shop once a week, and this is about how much it will cost. And if you eat out about two or three times a week, it will be this price times 3. This is how much you will spend on food. And make a budget including other costs (Laundry, housing, transport). Then you will know how much you have to spend on the "fun things" during your trip. Try not to go out of your budget. |
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 |
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| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate German (GER 103) |
| 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? | I would speak the language every chance you get. Think in the language and look up words that you don't know. A pocket dictionary seems tacky.. but I wish I had gotten one! |
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? |
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 wish that I had known how much I would grow as a person -- except if someone had told me this prior I wouldn't have believed me. I also wish that someone had told me to keep better contact with my friends back home instead of the opposite. Yes, immerse yourself in the host culture, but don't cut yourself from your home as well. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Holocaust Studies: Ruin and Revival |
| Course Department: | HIST |
| Instructor: | Kate |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was very challenging, which was appreciated and different from all other courses at CIEE, but the professor expected too much from her students. She wanted you to speak out, but if your answer was not exactly what she was looking for, she criticized you harshly for it. She expected you to remember every detail of three 40 page readings assigned four days prior, etc. This made the course not only difficult, but near impossible for most students. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I did not have transfer issues. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Challenges in Global Healthth |
| Course Department: | PUBH |
| Instructor: | Marina Merten |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course in its entirety was not particularly challenging, but we had three different professors for this course. This itself had its ups and downs. For example, each professor was very knowledgeable on their particular topic, but there were communication problems between them, leading to retaught material and also sudden assignments. This was the same case for all the PUBH course at CIEE Berlin. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, the credit was just unable to transfer back to my institution. I knew it would not before hand. I took this course for my own interest. |
