Trial by Fire. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took several Uebung courses and I did fairly well with them. The teachers really tried to work with students to make sure that they understood and excelled. The second semester I took Seminars and I wasn't prepared for those. The teachers were more concerned with the course content (and less about language improvement, which they should have been), but my language skills were not to up to that caliber of study and instruction.

On-site administration of your program

They did helped us get the essentials: bus pass, cafeteria card, list of extra-curricular classes, etc.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

If you're going to live abroad, don't live by yourself on the outside of town. I wish that I had had the opportunity to live in a WG or an apartment with other students in town, because it would have helped with making friends and being involved with the community.

I like to cook and this was one of the best ways to get to know other people by either shopping in markets or cooking with/for other people. I'm a decent cook and I liked to experiment with new recipes. Whenever I ate out, I really enjoyed the street vendor food and traditional German food. However, please be aware that German food is fairly heavy and in Heidelberg, they are very fond of Bratwurst and Broetchen...

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was my program coordinator (essentially) and I didn't do so well, at first, at making sure I got out and got involved...

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had problems in Germany or the majority of Europe, for that matter. I came and went at all times of the day and night. As long as you know the transportation schedules and such, there really isn't reason to be overly worrisome. I was also very aware of my surroundings and I recommend making sure you remain alert.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My scholarship required me to enroll directly in the university and it wasn't clear that I could have taken courses at the Max Weber Language House, so I took courses at Deutsch als Fremdsprache Institut and my language skills were not quite where they should have been. Some teachers said that they had a hard time understanding me, while people on the street didn't have a problem. I also lived by myself and didn't have regular contact with the host culture. Furthermore, Heidelberg is full of international students and tourists and people will automatically switch to English, so it was difficult to really practice German.

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• Apartment

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• N/A