A semester of personal and academic growth July 26, 2024

By (Psychology/German, Dickinson College) - abroad from 02/02/2024 to 07/22/2024 with

Dickinson College: Bremen - University of Bremen

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained many life skills and learned how to be adaptive, as well as of course improving my German. It was a worthwhile experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The size of the program lends itself to both independence and support, the supporting faculty and staff are extremely competent, and Bremen was lovely to live in.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100/week

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? B2
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • The excursions
  • The hands-off yet supportive attitude of program staff
  • The apartment being found and furnished before I arrived
* What could be improved?
  • Some kind of guidance on phone plans would have been nice
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing I was stressed about before going ended up being stressful, so the best preparation would have just been getting excited for the trip.