Berlin: The Most Spectacular City Past Review
By A student (Communication and Media Studies, Trinity University) - abroad from 06/06/2017 to 07/22/2017 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I learned so much about Germany culture and history, and also how Berlin is its own thriving entity, separate from the rest of Europe. It was the best.
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 and excursions were wonderful and interesting. Because of the shortness of the program, though, we were bombarded with final assignments at the end, which was very stressful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I didn't have to engage much with the staff at the IES Berlin center, but they seemed nice and informative. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At first it was awkward living with someone who didn't speak much English, but I loved my homestay in the end. |
| * Food: |
Food in Berlin is a lot cheaper than in other European countries, so we ate out at restaurants or quick imbisses a lot. It was all fantastic and vegetarian friendly. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I can't speak much German, but Berlin felt like home- especially because we had to use public transportation all the time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues, but friends of mine did and they were good. |
| * Safety: |
I would travel in groups very late at night, or with a male friend. There were few times I felt unsafe, and even then it was simply me being cautious. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Berlin was by far the best city for me. I love the feeling and look of it as a city. I love the art, architecture, and history. I love the food. I love the people. It was amazing. |
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) |
Costs to get into museums and to buy food were decent, but they still added up to quite a bit over time. I budgeted as best I could. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150-$180 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I'd grocery shop and pack lunches as much as possible. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | That there's no way to avoid making friends when traveling with a group for so long and to simply not worry about that. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
