A near-perfect experience Past Review
By Jack Huffman (University of Missouri - Columbia) - abroad from 01/26/2017 to 06/02/2017 with
Constructor University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I made many lifelong friends, enhanced my language skills, and experienced many different cultures and cities.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
No other program offers such a diverse student body. The friends you make here will be from all corners of the globe. It greatly opened my mind to life in other places. |
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) |
Once on campus, you have everything you need (food, water, stuff to do, etc), but you want to travel during your time. That can be expensive, but there are cheap ways to do it. |
| 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? | Plan trips in advance. Use services like Ryanair or Flixbus for travel. |
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 |
Students were required to take a German course |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | I had already completed my German minor |
| 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? | Get off campus where you're forced to use the language |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | 10+ |
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 knew this going in, but be social with the actual students there and not just the exchange students. Too many Americans spent their entire time together and didn't make many international friends. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
