The Discovery of Fernweh Past Review
By Teresa Wolf (Babson College) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 05/11/2016 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union: Politics, Law & Economics
I learned the meaning of true friendship. Even though we only were with each other for four months, I made many lasting friendships! The lessons I learned about this where so important to my growth as a person!
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 academic variety that IES was able to offer allowed me to create a wholesome scholarly experience while in Germany! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff genuinely cared about us and treated us like family! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with German students was a great way to be immersed into German culture! |
| * Food: |
There was little to no provided food. Good and bad. Good: I learned how to cook! Bad: Students who didn't cook ended up eating cheap foods like Kebap and Pizza most nights. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Freiburg is a great cultural hub for Germany. My local friends took me lots of places: Hiking, Bars, Clubs, etc. It was a lot of fun! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Germany, and Europe as a whole, has an amazing drugstore system. All medicine is herbal! I wish the United States had Apothekes as their drugstore system. |
| * Safety: |
IES does an amazing job keeping us safe at all times! Spring of 2016 was a troubled time in Europe, but I felt safe wherever I went! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I absolutely loved the program! I learned so much about myself, and really grew up! |
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 surprisingly difficult to budget while on this program. With the amount of traveling we do with the program, you end up spending lots of money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Invest in tupperware. I made sandwiches in the hostel/hotel breakfast rooms that I ate as lunch, so that means two out of three meals were free! Also, do not shop at Alnatura. It is so much more expensive than Rewe or Aldi |
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 |
We had German Fridays in which our staff would only speak to us in German. Our German classes were 100% in German too! |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | None! |
| 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? | Insert basic phrases into your vocabulary, and stick with them! |
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 had purchased an unlimited train pass for 4 months. Train travel is the best thing about Europe, and I would have been able to hit up more countries! I bought a month long pass and it was the best! |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
