Berlin: An Eye Opening Experience Past Review
By Orion K (Global Studies, Middle Tennessee State University) for
KIIS: Berlin - Experience Berlin (Summer)
The country was amazing, the experience overall, good. The program itself, limited. Again, one thing my friend and I realized, especially being with a group from the southern United States, was the level of discrimination in the U.S. that people don't notice until they go to a country as accepting as Germany.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
classes taught by US professor in private hostel room; reasonable quality, no complaints |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
again, discriminatory; felt isolated within the program itself and only free to equal treatment outside of the program (i.e. with German and Russian friends at the Humboldt University whom I relied on for academic assistance); knowledge given was adequate, though received more knowledge from British tour guides and locals |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
both the one other LGBT student and I felt far safer outside of the group than we did within the group; I was forced to room with females based on biological sex, they refused to acknowledge my gender identity, refused to call be by my preferred name (which is now my legal name) and made very rude comments to both me and my friend |
| * Food: |
food provided by hostel was exceptionally delicious; food provided by Mrs. Silvia was also very good |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
while trips planned by the program were adequate, and the Potsdam excursion was the best of all, most exceptional social and cultural experiences were those of individual effort |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The safety of the city was exceptional, however, within the group itself there were issues of whether I felt safe, especially being forced to room with the opposite gender |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Mostly things I already learned in school |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | As far as the program itself, I won't say much about it. But Berlin as a whole is an eye-opening experience for those who branch out to it. It is very open and accepting, and after going to Berlin, my friend and I both miss it's accepting atmosphere. It's a kind of equality and respect that you don't get in the United States. |
