Adventuring Abroad in Freiburg Past Review
By Katrina K (Environmental Science, Music, Texas Christian University) - abroad from 08/30/2014 to 06/25/2015 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - Environmental Studies & Sustainability
I learned alot about the culture and had an amazing time with the people from my program. It was completely worthwhile and I would highly recommend it.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program was great but there was a lack of academic rigor (perfect for study abroad). The majority of our classes were field trips, which served the purpose of labs. The classes were in module format so they were in three week blocks. This was nice because classes went really fast, but it meant that sometimes we would have 6 hours of class straight in a day. Low intensity/rigor, high volume of classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Helpful and friendly. They tried to make the adjustment as easy as possibly. It is up to you to find extracurricular activities on your own though. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I arranged my own housing, but everyone else lived in the student dorms. I would recommend living in the dorms as it is easier to get to know other people in your program easily and germans as well. |
| * Food: |
Our program hosted a few dinners throughout the program which were all fun and had good food. All other food is a personal responsibility obviously. Our program frequently cooked together which is a really good idea because it cuts down on food costs before you go out. The Münstermarkt and Weihnachtsmarkt were both awesome places for getting a small snack or lunch. If you come in the fall make sure to try the Glühwein at the Weihnachtsmarkt. My favorite cafe is called Kolben Kaffee, it is next to Martinstor. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program does not integrate largely with the German community because the majority of the classes were only with people from the program. I felt very integrated with the culture because I corresponded with two Tandem partners (which are university students who meet up with you and either speak German or English with you). I would highly recommend trying to immerse yourself when you first get here because it takes a very long time to get to know Germans. The best way is to hang out with people from the 3 week language course in the beginning because that will be the best time to meet people out of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no experiences with health care. |
| * Safety: |
Freiburg is an extremely safe city. I never had any situations in which I felt uncomfortable (other than those arising from cultural differences). |
| 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) |
It was easy as long as you try to budget. Eating at home is a great way to do that. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~100 Dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get either a BahnCard 50 or a Eurail pass for travel. Plan flights ahead about a month to make things much cheaper. Eat at home and shop discount. |
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 |
After the language course was over it was up to everyone to make use of their german. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Second Semester German (A2.1) |
| 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? | Get a Tandem Partner. Force yourself to go out. If you really want to speak german only respond to people in german if they speak english to you. They will start speaking to you in german once they see that is what you want. |
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 knew how hard I would have to try to get to know German people. |
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.' |
