Once in a lifetime. Past Review

By (The College of New Jersey) - abroad from 08/24/2016 to 12/17/2016 with

European Study Center: Heidelberg - Study Abroad in the EU

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
A sense of independence i didnt have before. yes.

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

Disorganized a lot of the time.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Heat, water, and wifi were constantly in and out. Issues took a while to be fixed

* Food:

Made my own food and it was always really good because I am a really good cook.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very integrated with the local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

One issue and it was solved that day. Easy and helpful.

* Safety:

Very safe, never felt in danger.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Id want to travel to different places and experience new things.

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)

traveled a lot so I wasted a lot of money.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 25 euro on food and 30 euro on beer.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save as much as you can over the summer. Budget wisely.

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

Pretty much never spoke German.

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? It was in spanish so it doesnt count.
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? Read a book

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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
  • Making friends
  • City of Heidelberg
* What could be improved?
  • Wifi
  • Heat
  • Hot water
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Travelling preperations

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Experiential Learning

Course Department: History
Instructor: Dr. Liebreicht
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Semi-challenging but offered a wide variety of field trips that were very interesting and useful. Teacher was always knowledgable and well prepared. Assigned homework every week.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes, I had some issues transferring it back as Historical Change in Social Perspective. Just take it if you need to fulfill international business.