Whirlwind German Adventure Past Review
By Suhana Chowdhry (The College of New Jersey) - abroad from 08/21/2018 to 12/14/2018 with
European Study Center: Heidelberg - Study Abroad in the EU
Because I traveled so much before, I really have not learned much. The one thing I would have learned is German culture, but I had limited exposure so not as much as I would've liked
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
While the classes are enjoyable, they are lacking in academic rigor. I appreciate being able to focus more on seeing Europe, but it still worries me that I am not learning as much as I should for the classes required for my major. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
This process was very unorganized because the changes requested were not implemented in an orderly manner. This put many students, including me, into a frenzy when we found out that the classes offered were not the same as the classes we expected to be there. On top of that, once the solution was figured out, it was introduced to us with little to no warning making it very difficult for us to get into the swing of things. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
While the dorming was what I expected, it is very common for insects and large spiders to be found. Usually, it will be about 3-4 a night either in the corridor or the rooms themselves. |
| * Food: |
While it was understood that we would cook our own food, the kitchen situation is very complicated. It is constantly messy, and other students are held accountable for messes that are not theirs which creates resentment amounst the students. If this could be remedied somehow it'd be very much appreciated. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In this house, we are very isolated from German culture. There are only people from the US here, and they make little to no effort to integrate us. While we get tips, it is difficult to integrate when there is little to no opportunity to be around them other than going out at night, which is not always something all students are comfortable with. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The staff is excellent at getting us medical attention if we require it. |
| * Safety: |
This city is extremely safe and I have yet to feel unsafe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
While this program is a well established one, it failed to give me the immersion experience I craved. |
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) |
It's very easy to live on a student budget IF you're not planning on traveling a lot. When going abroad, especially to popular cities in Europe, things get pricey. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you know where you want to spend your money and stick to it. If you'd rather eat budget ramen meals and travel do that, but if you'd rather be cooking yourself amazing meals then you have to limit traveling or going out. |
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 |
They did encourage it, but it is very possible to go through this program without learning any 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? | N/A |
| 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? | Learn some German before you get here, it will make you more encouraged to learn more. If you know nothing then you will not want to learn any German. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How isolated you are from German culture and locals. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
