My Travel Experience to Germany! Past Review
By A student (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/10/2017 to 05/10/2017 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union: Politics, Law & Economics
You learn a lot about the way the EU works.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Easier than UT but you need tha with all the traveling. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Some people lived in a dorm with 12 people, but I was lucky enough to live in an apartment with only 5 other people. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You spend so much time traveling and with other students at the center that it's hard to meet Germans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never used it. |
| * Safety: |
A million times safer than Austin. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I had little integration into the culture and little use of the Lange ha. |
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) |
All the costs of eating out when you travel can get costly. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook in your apartment. |
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 |
A lot of students had no experience speaking German so there wasn't many chances to actually learn. |
| 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? | Advanced German Grammar |
| 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? | Speak with your roommates. |
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? | 0 |
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? | That you live in an American bubble. |
