Learning Lots August 27, 2025
By Grant D (Italian Language, Brandeis University) - abroad from 05/26/2025 to 07/19/2025 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union: Politics, Law & Economics
I became very good with metros. Yes, this was definitely worthwhile. I now understand every country's position within the EU and understand why the leaders make the decisions they do. I also learned how laws are passed and implemented. I have learned how to work in teams to swiftly find detailed solutions in high-pressure situations. I also have learned to pause and evaluate before jumping to conclusions.
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. |
These were the hardest courses I have ever taken (material-wise), and I enjoyed them so much! I had no idea the EU was so intricate. It is crazy how much one can learn in a matter of weeks. I have never learnt more in that short of a time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IES staff and teachers are wonderful. Everyone is very helpful, friendly, and enjoys interacting with the students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked the apartment and roommates. Being on a lake was also very lovely. I would say the only two drawbacks was that there was no AC (granted, not very common in Europe, but it was very hot), and the fans could only do so much. Also, the apartment felt far away from the main city and restaurants even though all I had to do was take a tram. |
| * Food: |
The groceries are very inexpensive compared to the US! I barely ate at restaurants. For Italian food, Antica is exceptional, but to find kasespaetzle, it depended on the day. I found no definitive restaurant. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IES staff were very willing to offer suggestions on community activities or match your hobbies with an event somewhere, but the only activities I really did were go to the lake once and go to Pride Parades in Freiburg and on the Paris field trip. I was so busy working that social interactions were not really on my mind. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any serious problems, but IES took care of me when I was sick, curing my lightheadedness and offering to get me a cab back to my apartment. IES staff have first aid kits and give you both theirs and the cities' emergency numbers just in case. |
| * Safety: |
We were immediately given several emergency numbers, but Freiburg was fairly safe. There are night taxis at reduced rates for women, and the trams run regularly; the trams are continuous (no barricaded doors between cars) and have security cameras. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I was exhausted, stressed, and in a bad mood for a while during the program, but I came out of it with 36 new friends and so much knowledge. I have never learned so much, and the field trips were amazing! I cannot wait to get back to Brussels and Stockholm at some point in life. |
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) |
One trip to the grocery store for 2 days of food was about 20 euros, and I was not really focused on budgeting. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe 70-80 euros between trips and shopping (you need to budget for a lunch at Strasburg and 2 weeks for lunch/dinner in Brussels-Paris-Stockholm). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | IES assigned me the Hotel Ibis in Paris. Bouillon Julien is a very cheap (about four euros for a nice appetizer) restaurant that is also very tasty. |
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 only had foreign language studies for about 2 days, so it was not suoper effective, but it made me more confident about introducing myself, ordering food, or asking questions in German. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I have no formal training in German; I speak Italian. |
| 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? | yes. I conversed with my roommates about 65% in English and 35% in German. Their English was much better, but I kept trying to learn German. |
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 brought cooler clothes. I kept reading how much cooler Freiburg is than Florida...it is not. Stockholm, however, I did need a jacket. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
