Berlin - The City That Changed My Life. Past Review
By Shelby Steidl (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities) - abroad from 02/02/2016 to 05/21/2016 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I learned that America is ignorant. We don't understand or even try to understand other parts of the world. I learned that what I thought I wanted to do with my life turned out to be false, and found that my true passion and interest were in international relations and global studies. I learned unbelievable amounts of history, cultural backgrounds, and ways of life of so many different people, and realized that travel and experience is the only thing on this planet that will rid it of the hatred, mistrust, and ignorance that plagues many of its nations. I would classify that experience as worthwhile.
Review Photos
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. |
The courses were extremely educational and the learning sources were relevant and helpful. The classes always provided open discussion in which conjured up knowledge from each other and cultural experiences in order to add to the learning process. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration were always extremely helpful and provided proper assistance when needed. Also gave great suggestions for activities to do in the city. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My personal home-stay experience was incredible, and I was lucky enough to have incredibly helpful and fun host parents. The only issue was that it was on the outer part of the city, so it took about 25 minutes to get to the city center every day. |
| * Food: |
Berlin offers unlimited amounts of options for what ever kind of food you are craving. Berlin is a melting pot - and that makes for great access to incredible food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Berlin can be hard to integrate to for some people, due to the 'coldness' and 'sarcastic' nature of Berliners. This should not be a concern though because you realize they are not trying to be rude, they are just straight forward. In as big of a city such as Berlin, there are enough people that you can meet people fairly easily from any part of the world. Berlin is known as an 'alternative' city, and offers activities of interest for everything from never ending night clubs to some of the greatest art and historical museums in the world. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I luckily did not have any health issues, but the program provided all of us with sufficient information in case there were complications while abroad. |
| * Safety: |
The program provided plenty of safety information and made sure that we had the necessary resources to contact in case of an emergency, but I honestly never felt unsafe anywhere I went. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Berlin is exactly where I wanted to be, in terms of language, cultural experience, and travel convenience. The program also took us on two group trips - one of which was to Russia and I never probably would have gotten that experience if I wouldn't have gone with IES. I also made priceless connections for my future career while there, and could not be more thankful for the experience. |
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) |
Food and beverages definitely added up each week, but with a budget it can definitely be manageable. Eastern Europe, Berlin included, is actually a quite cheap place to live and travel. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around 150 euros. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | MAKE A BUDGET. It is going to be hard and you are going to want to go out and do everything your friends are doing, but try and find other fun free activities. There are plenty of free things to do in Berlin, and there are also a bunch of student discounted activities. |
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 taking my fourth semester of German in Berlin, and I learned more in those three months than I would have learned in two semesters in the States. Using it every day definitely helped. |
| 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? | 3rd Semester of German |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to try it. In restaurants, in the streets, in stores - anywhere! Host parents and families also love trying to help you learn and use it and they can be a great source for answers to questions. |
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? | I wish I would have known just how much my life would have changed coming out of the program. I wish I would have known how close I would get to fellow students in the program. I wish that I would have known how hard it would be to say goodbye to a city that you have become a part of. There really is no way to fully prepare yourself for these life-defying moments. |
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. |
