Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Heidelberg is a beautiful place to study abroad! Past Review

By (University of South Florida) - abroad from 01/05/2015 to 05/09/2015 with

European Study Center: Heidelberg - Study Abroad in the EU

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about German culture, but also about myself. Being in a foreign country with people I had never met allowed me to be anyone I wanted to be. I discovered my deep passion for travel, and after visiting different countries every weekend, I can't wait to start planning my next trip abroad!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I prefer having a class multiple days a week for shorter time periods than how it is here where each class meets once a week for 3 hours. However, this schedule did make it much easier to have travel time and to plan trips around classes. The classes are not too difficult either. As long as you put in the effort it's easy to do pretty well.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff was almost always available and helpful when I had an issue. Everyone is very friendly and willing to help.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

I personally am not a huge fan of German food,

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The only way I really met Germans was through my class at SRH. I highly recommend taking a class there. Otherwise, it was very difficult to meet locals.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to go to the doctor two times during my semester here, and both times the staff was great about arranging appointments for me and having someone go with me to translate.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe here in Heidelberg.

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)

I personally spent a lot of souvenirs and traveling on weekends. However, food in the grocery stores is not very expensive and its easy to save money if you needed to.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-150 Euros

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

I took German 1 during the fall at my home university, but didn't use it much while I was here. Living with all American students didn't allow for me to use my German on a daily basis. It was nice to be able to read food labels and signs though.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? German 1
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Traveling on weekends
  • Making friends in the house
  • Challenging myself in a new environment
* What could be improved?
  • Classes could have more in class participation to keep it a little more interesting
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Heidelberg is a smaller city than I thought! It is charming and beautiful, but I was expecting a little more action. Things close pretty early here, and I didn't know all stores in Germany are closed on Sunday.

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 Urbanite
A 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.