Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best Semester of My Life Past Review

By (Political Science and History, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) - abroad from 01/08/2013 to 05/10/2013 with

IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union: Politics, Law & Economics

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Not only did I learn all the ins and outs of European political and economic systems, but I also learned all about the culture of different European countries. Understanding and experiencing the diverse cultures of Europe is something you cannot do unless you travel and see each culture in action. This program allowed me to do just that.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 70-90 Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Go to the grocery store and cook! Don't go out for dinner every night.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The included trips
  • Freiburg itself
  • The people I met
* What could be improved?
  • No class on Fridays!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known just how much I would love my experience so that I could have applied earlier and done a full year!