Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Learning the European Union by traveling the European Union Past Review

By (Pennsylvania State University - University Park / Penn State) - abroad from 01/10/2017 to 07/07/2017 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned the functions of the European Union while being able to experience different cultures. It was 100% worthwhile and I would do it all again.

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.

I learned a lot through this program, both in the classroom and on field trips through guest speakers.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The only issue I had with the housing was that our laundry machine only accepted Deutsche Bank cards and not Uni cards, so you had to open a bank account if you wanted a Deutsche Bank card. The only other thing was that my apartment did not have an oven, it did have a microwave whereas other housing did not.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

If you wanted to integrate in the culture you really had to try. We were our own little bubble in Freiburg, away from the University students. If you weren't living in a flat with University students, then you really didn't get to know them. It was also difficult because most Germans in this area speak English and they would have rather spoke English with you to help them rather than help us learn German.

* 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

This program was everything I was looking for. It was in Germany so it gave me an opportunity to work on my German language skills, it was all about foreign government and politics which is something that interests me, and you got to travel with the program while learning new things from guest speakers.

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)

I tried to stay within $100 a week, but it was difficult because I was always traveling. So eating out was a big expense along with souvenirs.

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? Once you are in Europe, it is really difficult to stop yourself from wanting to go everywhere; but I suggest you pick maybe 3 places you really want to go besides your program trips and stick with it. This will save you a lot of money. Also, really try to cook in your apartment more often instead of eating out every night. It can be difficult to find the things you need in the grocery store, but it's apart of getting accustomed to your new culture and saves you money.

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

Our program participated in Deutsche Dienstag, and every Tuesday we were only allowed to have a conversation with the staff in German. For the more advanced German speakers, the faculty tried to engage in more of a German based conversation with them.

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? German 3
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Traveling
  • Courses
  • The Friendships I made
* What could be improved?
  • Integration to the University of Freiburg
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing, IES did a really great job of preparing me for my trip!

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!