A Spring Abroad in the World. Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/24/2012 to 06/07/2012 with
Constructor University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a ton of independence that I didn't have before. I also increased my love of travel and my appreciation of other cultures. It was extremely worthwhile.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enrolled in a significantly lighter course load than most regular Jacobs students take (and fewer than 4 transfer credits at Wellesley), so I felt like I had a lot of free time. The history class I took was really great and consisted of only readings and 2 exams. Physics was very difficult and not very well-taught. The Math class I took was very well taught and pretty rigorous. I also enrolled in the Lafayette exchange class, German Politics & Culture, which was not very difficult, but included extremely valuable excursions and I would absolutely recommend to any students at Jacobs in the spring who can afford it. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The International Study department at Jacobs is great. They run a week-long orientation program and are extremely helpful with any problems encountered. They, like almost all of the faculty and staff are incredibly nice and competent. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dormitories at Jacobs are very nice. They are modern and consist almost entirely of two single rooms connected by a foyer and bathroom. The rooms are large for dorm rooms, with high ceilings, and the bathrooms are also large. Because I was housed in this way, I was not forced to interact with my roommate and many other students claimed to never speak to theirs, but I was extremely comfortable in my room. I would definitely recommend bringing decorations for all of the white walls though! |
* Food: |
As a vegetarian, it was difficult for me to find (healthy) choices in the dining halls and often out. If I had eaten meat, eating would probably have been a better experience. Vegetarian options were often starchy and/or involving cream sauces. The meal plan at Jacobs seems to be sufficient and there was a nice coffee bar on campus. The food is definitely not as good as Wellesley's. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Jacobs University is basically a bubble in the surrounding Bremen area. Many of the students rarely leave campus other than to go to the grocery store. Exchange students seem to put in a greater effort, and I relatively often went downtown in the city. It was not too difficult to integrate with the Jacobs culture, which is fascinating and unbelievably diverse. However, I did not feel integrated at all with the German culture. I rarely was required to speak even basic German. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did have any personal experience with healthcare, but those I knew who required some seemed to have positive experiences. As far as I know, there is no on-campus health services, but doctors in the surrounding neighborhood are easy to access and the school will provide contacts for ones who speak English. |
* Safety: |
The neighborhood of the campus is very safe and on-campus is also extremely safe. The city of Bremen is a pretty sleepy city, so following basic safety rules should keep a student away from any dangerous situations. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
* 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) |
After the initial cost of the meal plan, I spent very little on food. As far as other personal expenses go, the attitude is generally focused on spending & buying little. The vast majority of my budget was spent on weekend trips. |
* Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
* Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating out can be very expensive in Germany/Europe, so my friends & I often shopped at the grocery store for sandwich fixings and other foods when we were traveling. Also, bring a full water bottle wherever you go and you will spend much less on drinks. Search online for cheap hostels & train/plane tickets, and you can see quite a bit of Europe for less. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
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? |
|
* What could be improved? |
|
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How much I would miss it when I was gone! |