A Refreshing Change of Pace Past Review
By Spencer S (Economics, Pomona College) - abroad from 09/02/2015 to 12/18/2015 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union: Politics, Law & Economics
I tested my comfort zone in a lot of ways and learned a lot about how I react to things when tested outside of my usual support systems. It basically showed me how I interact with others when I have no preconceived notions to fall back on. I also learned how important it is to truly have an open mind to new opportunities and ideas. It was all incredibly worthwhile. Even when I encountered challenges it felt very rewarding to confront and overcome them.
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 quality of the academic work expected of us abroad seemed slightly easier than that of my home school however we had a lot of class time and the professors we learn from have interesting perspectives as most of them currently work in the institutional systems they are teaching us about. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration staff was incredibly friendly, supportive, and organized. I could not have asked for better. They were phenomenal all semester long. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really liked the area where I lived (Vauban) and got very lucky to have a flat that was clean and had a plan to keep it that way that was well adhered to. However it is definitely an adjustment to live in apartments that are 10 minutes away from the academic center. That said a large portion of the program lived here so it felt like a hub and I think learning to commute, cook for myself, and other things of living independently was great for me. |
| * Food: |
The food in the city is fantastic, lots of options with very reasonable prices. I was particularly a fan of Doner. I miss the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was mostly my own doing as I was traveling a lot and very hesitant to try my hand at the German language. That said Freiburg is a college town so you get a very authentic young German experience if you look for it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Did not have any experiences with healthcare but I heard from others that it was relatively good. |
| * Safety: |
Never felt threatened or in danger. Freiburg is a very safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The European Union Program in Freiburg had everything I would have wanted in a study abroad program and so much more. When I think back to my semester abroad I basically have nothing but positive memories and appreciation for the unique amazing experience the program created for us. |
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) |
Prices are pretty reasonable in Freiburg especially if you have some cooking skills going in (which I did not) you can definitely get by on a tight budget with the grocery stores they have there and still get chances to try local cuisine. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to cook in groups to maximize use of ingredients and pool costs. |
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 |
They encourage us a lot however they do not force you to use it outside of the German language classes for the most part. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | n/a |
| 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? | Push yourself to practice German with your flat mates regularly. Exposure to the language is the key to picking it up. |
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? | Don't come in with too long a list of things you must do. There are so many amazing things you won't learn about until you get there that you will want to and should do you only do yourself a disservice by coming in with preconceived notions of exactly what you want to get done abroad. |
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. |
