Not Your Average Study-Abroad Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I am disappointed in the facilitation of German university courses and found that my the work that we tasked with completing (by our program) to be unnecessarily strenuous.

On-site administration of your program

The administration of the program was great in that the staff was extremely welcoming, warm-hearted, and always available to help. With that being said, the tutoring program felt forced and not very as fruitful as I would have hoped.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It is a hit or miss type of deal. The process of finding housing in the first place can be nightmarish, however, there is nothing that the program can really to do skirt around such difficulties. I ended up very pleased in my apartment, but that was a result of my own time and dedication. With that being said, the program was always open, available, and willing to help me and offer tips to ease the process.

Food in Berlin is amazing and inexpensive, same goes with groceries.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local culture of Berlin is largely an international culture, and not overly difficult to find one's place in. With that being said, it is quite difficult to get to know young Germans.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fantastic, the one time that I had any sort of health care my administrator jumped in to set me up with a local doctor's office. The doctor was fantastic and our HTH Insurance program took care of all payments immediately. Furthermore, I was required to submit a claim for some blood work and HTH took care of it within 10 days.

I felt completely and entirely safe while in Berlin. Outside of the Christmas Market terror attack, which is first and foremost no reflection of Berlin's safety, I never felt that my well-being was threatened during my time abroad.

While I loved my program administrators and their availability/willingness to help us at all times, I was very disappointed in the work required of us. I found the work to be more than simply challenging, and it impacted my ability to be able to enjoy my time abroad in a beautiful, big city--especially as the end draws near.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including living costs Berlin was extremely managable on a "student's budget"

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
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• Staff
• Administration
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• The work
• The tutoring program
• Meeting new people

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer