Learning German in Munich Past Review
By Bethany H (Psychology and German, New Mexico State University) for
EF - LEARN A LANGUAGE ABROAD
I remembered that our culture is not the only one in the world. People from other countries are different from us. We need to learn as much as we can about this in order to coexist in the world.
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. |
One issue was that we did not have the same teacher every week. We had one for the first two weeks, then a different one for two weeks (who would have been our teacher when we got there, had she not been on vacation), and another one for the final week. I was put into a class of my level that was in its final weeks and therefore did not even get adjusted to it before I moved up a level. In the final week, because of scheduling, I was put into the next level up because of scheduling changes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were helpful when you asked questions, but it wasn't as if they were coming to you and making sure you were all right with everything. You usually had to speak up if you needed anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location was great. It was on the same street as the school, but I was very lucky to get it. We only had one person as opposed to a family and the experience wasn't what I was hoping it to be. |
| * Food: |
German food is great, but they also have great Italian and Greek there. Their food does not have the same type of preservatives that we do, so it spoils much faster. Know that in Germany, people do not seat you at restaurants, you find your own table. And they will not bring the check until you tell them to. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wasn't there very long and had been to that part of Germany before, so I was disappointed with the excursions and activities. I would recommend them if you have not been to the country before. Just be aware of what they are charging you. Maybe you could do it for much cheaper. Or free. |
| * Safety: |
Munich is a much safer city, but it was still a city so I was cautious. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be aware of what the school charges for your host to cook you. We did not have the best cook, not worth what we would have paid. We also heard about families that only had frozen meals. Make sure you know what you are paying for. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Do your homework, participate in class, and speak as much of the language as you can. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would recommend this program to a student who is hoping to spend more than five weeks in the program. Five weeks is long, but I feel in order to learn as much as possible, more time would be helpful. |
