Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best Semester So Far Past Review

By (Wagner College) - abroad from 01/13/2016 to 05/13/2016 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to be more independent, and I became much more social.

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:

In the program you pay for your own food. So it's what you make of it and the food in Freiburg is amazing.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You don't become integrated in the culture unless you actively try to. You take classes at the IES Center with Americans, so your exposure to locals depends on how much you go out and try to conect with them. I wish I'd done that but I still had a great time.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health care experiences while abroad

* Safety:

Freiburg is very safe

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

The travel aspect alone is enough to do it all over again. I made great friends and Freiburg is great.

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)

This is because of my personal spending habits. Some of my friends did very well.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat out all the time, go grocery shopping and cook for yourself.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Travel
* What could be improved?
  • Better planning of trips
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Any ounce of German, how trains work...

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 Urbanite
A 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.