my wonderful experience in berlin! Past Review
By Alexandra M (COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS., Wartburg College) for
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I would love to live abroad again. This is the best thing I have ever decided to do. It really has given a new perspective on life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I read about 300 pages a week for my classes, had 2 10-page papers, tests every week in German, and very hard tests. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Things were done in a timely manner, the program was small but a good size. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My neighborhood was very safe and very pretty. My school was one hour away, but I loved riding on the trains so it wasn't a problem! My host family was probably the best part of my time in Germany! |
| * Food: |
na |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Stasi prison trip was amazing and very powerful! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
i never went to the doctor, but i heard that you need to be sure that you pay your bills! |
| 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? | I didn't spend much because my host family provided most of the my food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget and stick to it! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | zero |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced my language with my host family as well as my professors. Our German instruction was very good. I could understand most everything |
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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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