Girrrrrl... Past Review
By Tlhokomelo Lekhutle (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/26/2018 to 07/12/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Mainz
It offered me the chance to reacquaint me with myself. I shan't say more. It was definitely worthwhile.
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. |
It definitely took some getting used to. In comparison to the Middlebury programme, JGU is not as rigorous(or so it seems)--classes meet once a week for 90 minutes. That leaves a lot of free time on one's hands. It all really depends on how much output one wants from the course as it is primarily self-studying followed by a weekly 90-minute seminar. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone is very supportive. Every fortnight we meet up with Heike Fahrenberg, the director, to just talk about life...and stuff related to the university. The Babel Guides also walk us through official obligations like registering at the residents' registration office. And they accompany you to the doctor's, should you break Heike's rule of falling ill. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was absolutely perfect. Great location. Great flatmates. (They. Were. Very. Tidy.) Great view. Great room size. |
| * Food: |
I mean, it's food. It's edible. What else is there to say? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
After a while, I did feel like I was a part of the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No vaccines specifically for this programme. Being sick, however, didn't mean popping in at the uni health office, getting Advil and sleeping the illness away. One requires an official leave of absence from the doctor, which, let's face it, can be annoying and problematic when one's ailment/signs and symptoms do not really permit more than a few minutes away from one's room--diarrhoea, vomiting, you name it. |
| * Safety: |
It's pretty safe. I myself took a number of walks along the Rhine around midnight. Although there was that one time an ATM was bombed at the student residence in K3. But that was an anomaly. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
As a sage once said, "Been there, done that." That's assuming I retain memories from the first experience. But the answer is, yes, it was an incredible experience. |
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) |
I honestly have no idea how much I spent and on what. That just invites a lot of stress, which provokes wrinkles. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I honestly have no idea how much I spent and on what. That just invites a lot of stress, which provokes wrinkles. But I want to say $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You know, we are driven to buy a lot of stuff we don't need. Just don't. |
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 |
I mean, we signed a contract. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Sommerschule Stufe 3 |
| 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? | Watching Netflix Originals in German helps. Watch Dark--you won't regret it. I would also suggest talking to yourself in German, but that's probably not healthy. Uhh, talk to other people in German, even if they are not in the mood. |
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? |
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? | It would have altered the experience if I had known beforehand; therefore, nothing. It'd be like reading spoilers to a film. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Epiphanie--Gott erscheint |
| Course Department: | (Katholische) Theologie |
| Instructor: | Herr Prof. Dr. Thomas Hieke |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | I'd say all courses I took were a bit challenging, particularly in the first semester when EVERYTHING is new--the culture, the very different we-are-not-here-to-make-friends atmosphere in the classroom. Not that it was hostile, absolutely not; it's just not likely to make friends with classmates. Apart from deciphering dense texts in German, the most challenging part was definitely during discussions. It can be hard to follow native speakers in a discussion. The professor, however, was very much aware of the level of my German competence--I made sure he and the class knew during the round of introductions in the first sitting. He always checked in to make sure I followed and summarised the points put forth during discussions. The class as whole created an environment where I never felt too uncomfortable to say ,,I have no idea what you just said. Could you repeat, please?...What does this word/expression mean?'' Anyway, he is the best. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I did Skype with my advisor and discussed the courses I wanted credit for. I sent her the syllabus and we went through it. All was sorted. But I should probably check whether that went through successfully. |
