A wonderful experience improving German and exploring Europe August 17, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Academically the workload was lighter than at Middlebury, which was necessary since we were cooking for ourselves and getting used to living in a different country. During the beginning of the program during the language school at Sprachschule Profil we were speaking much more than later in the program. I found that my language skills improved the most during the first 3 weeks of the program. During the rest of the program, attending classes at the German university, my writing skills improved a lot. I don't think my speaking skills improved during this time. While it was interesting to see how another academic system works, it was a lot to get used to, especially as I was still working on improving my German skills. Writing workshops were very helpful. Sometimes the corrections and feedback were incredibly frustrating because the corrections were sometimes about formatting and content when I was still very much working on a rough draft, aware of the fact that I needed to add much more.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was always there if I needed support or guidance and they were all lovely people. Sometimes it felt like the instructions that they gave were targeted at students who did not really listen to directions and did not do what they were asked to when they were asked to do it, so as someone who follows the guidance of the program administrators it was very frustrating at times, for example closing my bank account almost a month before leaving.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Though my suitemates were very messy in the shared kitchen my room was very large and having my own bathroom was wonderful!

I had the opportunity to cook for myself almost every meal and I loved that! That was made possible by a less demanding schedule and the fact that the dining halls were not open for dinner.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It felt hard to get involved with student activities, but I loved traveling and exploring Europe

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Insurance covered all of my healthcare including therapy and that was great! The clinic was easily accessible by public transit

The program was very supportive

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

It was easy to live inexpensively

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Local Students

• Language practice at real university
• support of the program
• opportunity to live in Europe

• Deadlines/guidelines
• More speaking practice?

The Avid Adventurer