A Forever Experience Past Review
By Patrick Kaltenbacher (Trinity University) - abroad from 06/07/2016 to 07/22/2016 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I gained friends I will never forget, and an experience that will go down in my personal history as one of the best experiences of my life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
German language class was very challenging, but my other class was more relaxed and extremely interesting. Most school supplies were cheap, but for some reason pens were very expensive. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Always someone to help you in the IES building, all very friendly. Not extremely responsive to emails, but that depends on the professor/administrator. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was extraordinarily nice and cool. Loved to talk about differences in culture and perfect to help practice my German as well as tell you fun places to check out around the city. However, I do wish that all IES students were living together in dorms/apartment style housing for a variety of reasons. |
| * Food: |
German food is incredible. Its very easy to get cheap ingredients to cook, or if you want to pick up some cheap street food, Doner Kebab will change your life. Lots of very good and cheap Italian restaurants around the city, but you can find any kind of food you want. Their TexMex is lacking, however, but maybe I'm spoiled from going to school in San Antonio. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Pretty much everyone around the city (especially young people) are extremely nice and free-living. There were a few grumpy old folks but for the most part, if you at least try, Germans will help you integrate into their culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never really needed any kind of health care, but I had a few who did and they were completely taken care of in an efficient manner. |
| * Safety: |
Safety was never a problem for me, but it can certainly be a problem for others. Most places are 100% safe all day and night, it really just depends on the time of day and area of Berlin. Your host family and IES admin will make sure you know what place you need to be aware in. As long as you are aware, you will be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I don't think there is any other place in the world like Germany, and more specifically Berlin. The balance of multiple factors make it a perfect place to learn, experience a culture, party, eat, and anything else you can imagine. |
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) |
It is definitely possible to live cheaply in Berlin on a weekly basis. however, being there for only 6 weeks I wanted to see as much of the city as possible. I didn't want money to be an excuse for having as much fun as possible in a short period of time so I unfortunately went over budget a few times. Also, if you want to travel to other places (which you should do) it will cost much more. Berlin is a relatively cheap city for Europe, so while traveling to other places expect to pay generally more for food and drinks. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $180 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to buy most of your food and drinks from grocery stores. They all close at 8 or 9 PM (a few stay open till 10) so plan accordingly. Also, if going to clubs, try to find out their entry fee before hand so you know how much you're going to pay (could be anywhere from 5 to 15 euros). |
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 |
The German language is tough to learn past the basics. However, I have always had difficulty learning languages, so this may not be your own perspective. You are encouraged everywhere to speak in German, and I think it is a waste of a trip abroad to not at least try to learn some of the language. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High School |
| 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? | Download the free app DuoLingo. Very effective if you devote your time to it. |
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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| 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? | Nothing, however I came to Berlin for the second time for this program so I knew how to get around the city. If you can study the Berlin train map and learn how the trains operate, it is extremely beneficial to know before getting there. Also learn how the buses operate because that will be your only transportation late at night. |
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. |
