Adventure of a lifetime Past Review
By Evan M (Business Marketing, University of the Incarnate Word) - abroad from 08/31/2012 to 12/22/0012 with
European Study Center: Heidelberg - Study Abroad in the EU
Knowledge of various cultures. It was definitley worthwhile.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | European Study Center, SRH University |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses are all standard college level courses. If you stay on top of your work you will do just fine. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff here is great! They are all very friendly and are willing to help with any questions you may have. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house we live in amazing! It is literally a giant mansion located in the middle of one of the Heidelberg neighborhoods. Very comfotable, very unique, and very cool. |
| * Food: |
Although the food is much different than your standard American dish, it is still very good. It did not take long to adapt and in fact I think I may miss some of the German food when I get back home. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone living here is very friendly and this makes it very easy to feel welcome. With a fun town and lively social scene, it is not hard to submerge into the culture or social scene of the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I have not needed the use of any healthcare up to this point so I can not speak for this completley. However, we did have one student in the hospital and that student was taken care of and return back to the house very quick. |
| * Safety: |
In my opinion I think the town is very safe. We all feel comfortable walking the streets at night and have not had any serious problems. Overall great city. |
| 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) |
Depending on how much you go out (eat,drink,party) your spending is going to vary. It is very easy to g out and blow alot of money here...your abroad and having a great time. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It all depends on how much you go out. It is very easy to blow 100E a week on social things...but at the same time it is not impossible to live off 100E for a good while. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to save up as much as possible before you come out here. You do not want to be worrying about expenses. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you dont want to hold back because you didnt save properly. |
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 |
Just lving in Germany forces you to pick up on some of the language. The program also offers a German course if you are interested. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | no german |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Just go out and try to learn as much as you can interacting with the locals. German girls like it when you try to speak their language haha. |
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? | The style of clothing is alot like the US. Dont hestitate to bring what you want. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
