Berlin: Arm aber Sexy Past Review
By Danielle H (Government, Harvard University) for
FUBiS - International Summer and Winter University
Absolutely. I really enjoyed getting to know the city and people, met very interesting and different people, made really good friends, and my German language ability improved. What more could you ask for?
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Freie Universität Berlin |
| 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. |
The class pushed me and introduced new concepts, but was manageable. I believe my speaking ability has improved immensely and my teacher was incredibly involved and passionate, which made for a great experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program felt fairly small, which meant personal relationships and interactions with those running the program. I felt things got done fairly quickly and efficiently and the program was met my expectations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The neighborhood was very safe, but rather far removed from the city center, so not all that exciting. However,everything I needed was provided and all my roommates were from other countries and all spoke German with me, which was a great practice. A little closer to the city center and it would have been much better. |
| * Food: |
Food is really cheap in Berlin and the cafeteria at the university offers a good deal. The dorm had a kitchen, so I cooked and ate most of the meals myself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I became very good friends with my classmates and teacher, something I think was helped by the small class size. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Berlin is a safe city, especially compared to many large American cities. The public drinking laws are much more relaxed, great for the parties, bad for aggressive young guys. However, I never had a problem as a young women alone in the city, nor did I ever feel unsafe. Of course, wherever you are a foreigner, be on the lookout for petty crime (pickpockets, etc) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The public transit pass is a bit on the expensive side (72 Euros) and there is a 100 Euro deposit for the dorms with this program, which you get back when you leave. Other than that, Berlin is pretty cheap, but don't forget, it is the Euro so even if the price is really low, its more expensive in dollars. |
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? | Intermediate German |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I tried to use the host country language in everyday interactions. Most Germans can speak English, but had no problem speaking German with me. Some American students were more inclined to speak English, so I sought out classmates who spoke German in everyday interactions. |
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
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Students in the intermediate/upper intermediate would probably find a good fit. There are beginner classes too, but students who are extremely advanced would probably fit better with direct enrollment. |
