Fantastic experience, but needed better organization. Past Review
By Tanner Mobley (Bellarmine University) - abroad from 06/26/2016 to 07/29/2016 with
European Study Center: Heidelberg - Summer Program in the EU
I have really grown as a person because of my experience at the ESC. I learned many basic French and German phrases. I learned how to use public transit. I learned how to travel on a budget. I met many students from other countries.
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. |
Overall, my professors were rather uninteresting and I did not feel challenged academically. The business marketing professor was fantastic. I do not think that the courses themselves need to be harder or have more homework. However, there needed to be a more productive use of class time. I also did not like my evening class because it made it verz difficult to have time for homework or doing other traveling. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration though a little unorganized... were absolutely fantastic. The adminstration of this program were one of the reasons that I enjoyed my trip so much. They were very helpful and knowledgable about germany and traveling throughout europe. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house is beautiful and it is in a perfect area of Germany. |
| * Food: |
The food during excursions and our welcoming dinners were all delicious. I really liked trying food that was local to germany. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Heidelberg, even when I was traveling on my own. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Classes need to be restructured. 1. Evening classes should not be a thing. 2. No more than 2 professors should teach the same class. 3. More discussion and excursion based. 4. Double check to make sure that classes and ESC events are not scheduled at the same time. 5. Teachers need to be more engaging...Frankly I was very unimpressed with the teachers. |
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) |
The groceries in Germany are extremely cheap. Even though I ate out a lot, I could have easily bought food on a budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | At least $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy groceries and cook as much as possible and book tickets in advance. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | German lol |
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. |
