Take your experience into your own hands! Past Review
By Bailey R (Psychology, Art History, Lawrence University) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/19/2015 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I gained a lot of confidence in myself as a student, traveler, and ability to be independent.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Perhaps it was a cultural barrier or perhaps they were busy, but I was disappointed in the lack of concern for students issues both personally and academically. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Almost no one in my program enjoyed their housing situation. Most people tolerated it. It's not that the families were bad by any means, it's just without having meals with the families, it made it difficult to interact with them. Also forcing a college students schedule on a family with kids and schedules is not ideal. Students should live with other local students to fully immerse themselves and meet people their own age. |
| * Food: |
Food is cheap and great! Check out Market Halle Neun! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had to find my own way to integrate into culture because the program did not, which is fine if you are motivated to find your own niche. I joined a German rowing team and it was great! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues while abroad, and I did not require any vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Berlin is crazy cheap! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20-50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find an Aldi or Penny. These are some of the cheapest grocery stores. Try not to buy bulk or large amounts of food because Berlin is quite moist and food can get moldy. Plus it can be difficult shopping and cooking for just one person. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I was disappointed that there was not language agreement as a part of the program. We would only speak German in the classroom, and students were rarely encouraged to speak German elsewhere. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 312 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make German speaking friends outside of your program. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had taken the time to find other housing options particularly with German students who would be living a similar lifestyle as me. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Theater in Berlin I: From Enlightenment to Brecht (Fall) |
| Course Department: | Theater |
| Instructor: | Opitz |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | This class was amazing! We would read a play in German, and then attend the play at one of the major production houses in Berlin. The course syllabus had to be created as the production schedule came out during the semester. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Nope! |
