Berlin was all that people rave about Past Review
By Jack L (Economics., Harvard University) for
FUBiS - International Summer and Winter University
I gained a better understanding of myself as a student and a person, and of the world. I gave my experience five stars because I truly enjoyed getting to know people from Europe and being able to improve my German so much after working on it in America for so long.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was pushed very hard in a class that met every day of the week. The class was very small, so although the grading wasn't very difficult, the pressure to perform and give good presentations in front of your peers kept the quality of the work very high. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I was very impressed with the FUBiS team, they were very dedicated and accessible. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I arranged my own housing in an apartment not furnished through the program. I lived with an american friend and was about 15 minutes from school. My neighborhood was quite nice and I was very satisfied (I lived on the Halensee stop on the S41/S42 lines) |
| * Food: |
The person I was staying with eats gluten-free and it was easier for them to find food for their dietary restrictions abroad than it is in the US. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took many field trips, particularly the weekend trip to Hamburg and the day trip to see one of the three Soviet war memorials in Berlin were quite nice. They taught us a lot and also fostered a very social environment and helped people in the program become closer as friends. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Berlin is a very safe city. FUBiS provides each student with a list of doctors and was there to help in emergency situations. I did not need any vaccines. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about 80 dollars a week on food. Other than that I spent a few hundred dollars on our excursions and things like concert tickets and souvenirs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just know that Euros are not the same worth as Dollars, so if something is 10 Euros it's more expensive than you might think. This seems obvious but people often confused this overseas. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | In my freshman year I started with German 61 and since then I have taken other courses at that level, so quite high. Currently I am in German 115, which is for very confident readers and speakers. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice with all of my classmates and everyone in the program. I did use German everyday in shops, restaurants and just going around the city. Most people had some understanding of English, but my class was about 70% Europeans, so there was almost exclusively German being spoken. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A very driven student, who enjoys a busy and culturally rich city should definitely look at the FUBiS program. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
German Intensiv C 1:2 |
| Course Department: | C 1:2 |
| Instructor: | Anna Salgo |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | This course was the most enjoyable I've ever taken. It was interesting, challenging and fun all at the same time. Anna did a great job teaching us all about the language and culture of Germany. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
