MY LIFE IN GERMANY Past Review
By ANGELICA K (BUSINESS, Hamline University) for
Trier University: Trier - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I LOVED THE TIME I SPENT IN GERMANY. I MET SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS THERE AND LEARNED WAY MORE THAN I COULD IN ANY CLASSROOM. BECAUSE I STUDIED ABROAD, I WANT TO DO SOMETHING AGAIN THAT IS SIMILAR.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
WORKLOAD AND EXPECTATIONS WERE MUCH EASIER THAN AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY. TEACHING METHODS WERE DIFFERENT FOR EXAMPLE EVERYTHING WAS A LECTURES AND THE STUDENTS ASKED MANY MORE QUESTIONS THAN AT HAMLINE |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CARSTEN KLUGER WAS VERY HELPFUL AND VERY AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT I HAD. GETTING THINGS DONE IN GERMANY WAS OVERALL MORE COMPLICATED THAN IN THE STATES. THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION WAS COMPARABLE SO IT WASN'T A HUGE SHOCK. THE PROGRAM SIZE WAS GOOD, IT WASN'T TOO BIG AND MY CLASS SIZES WERE COMPARABLE TO HAMLINE. I THINK THAT OVERALL ALL OF MY EXPECTATIONS WERE MET. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I LIVED ALONE IN A STUDIO-STYLE DORM ROOM WHERE I HAD A LARGE ROOM AND A SMALL KITCHEN AND BATHROOM TO MYSELF. ALL OF THE ROOMS WERE THE SAME AND I REALLY DIDN'T SEE MY NEIGHBORS MUCH, ONLY IN THE HALLS AND THE FRONT DOOR. MY DORM WAS DIRECTLY ON CAMPUS WHICH WAS VERY CONVIENENT BECAUSE IT TOOK 3 MINUTES TO WALK TO CLASS. THERE WAS ONLY FURNITURE AND A PILLOW AND COMFORTER WHEN I MOVED IN. I NEEDED TO BUY TOWELS, KITCHENWARE AND BEDDING. |
| * Food: |
I MISSED AMERICAN FOOD BUT I COOKED WHAT I LIKED. I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF EASTERN EUROPEAN FOOD. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
MY UNIVERSITY ORGANIZED MANY TRIPS AND GET TOGETHERS AND I ATTENDED ALL OF THEM. THEY WERE THE MOST HELPFUL AND MEMORABLE FOR ME. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
GERMANY IS OVERALL VERY SAFE AND TRIER WAS VERY SAFE. I FELT COMFORTABLE WALKING IN THE STREET ALONE AT NIGHT. I NEVER GOT SICK OR NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION. I DID NOT NEED ANY ADDITIONAL VACCINATIONS IN ADDITION TO BEING UP TO DATE WITH MY REGULAR VACCINES. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
ALL OF MY CLASSES WERE IN GERMAN SO MY PROFESSORS ALL SPOKE GERMAN TO ME. I NEEDED TO SPEAK GERMAN ON A REGUALAR BASIS AND THERE WAS NO WAY GETTING AROUND IT. A LOT OF PEOPLE SPOKE ENGLISH AS WELL BUT WOULD ALWAYS SPEAK GERMAN TO ME FIRST. THE PROFESSOR ALWAYS SPOKE GERMAN, NO EXCEPTIONS. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | TRAVEL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND GO ON EVERY TRIP YOU CAN OR YOU MIGHT REGRET NOT GOING. |
