The Hessen Wisconsin Exchange program changed my life, it gave me a new world perspective! Past Review

By Brent J (German/Economics, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for

Exchange: Hessen - Hessen-Wisconsin Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

A completely worth wile experience that I will never forget. I will always cherish the friends and memories I made during my time in Frankfurt. I will be pursuing employment in Frankfurt within the next year and plan on spending a few more years of my life in Germany.

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 found the classes that were designed for international students to be a little more laid back. A big part of this was due to a pass/fail grading system of how my home university accepts credits from abroad.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The down side to the program was all of the paper work that had to be filed before leaving and shortly after arriving in Frankfurt. Most of the classes I had were filled with a variety of students from all over the world.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The quality of food was good. The only down side was trying to find spicy food in Germany. There was a great variety of meats and breads which was nice and different, but I found myself missing some good spicy Mexican food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	It was really good, although the best trips were organized by fellow students not the University.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The German medical community is 2nd to none. Every problem I had was taken care of promptly. Also I found the insurance to be cheaper than insurance I have purchased in the US.
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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?