An American Werewolf in Leipzig Past Review
By Erin Fischer (Oklahoma State University - Stillwater) - abroad from 04/01/2016 to 07/15/2016 with
Universität Leipzig: Leipzig - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The people I met while here made it worth my while
Review Photos
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. |
German courses involve considerably less homework than in american universities (for example, the only homework I ever had to do while studying here was to prepare for two group presentations) |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt that when I initially arrived, things were not explained to me as clearly as I would have liked, and that I had a great deal of trouble understanding the process of enrolling in courses. It did not help that the international students office is closed on Mondays, which includes the very first day of classes, which was when I needed the most help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My dorm room had more than enough space to accommodate me, though I would have preferred a bathroom that was bigger than one square meter. |
| * Food: |
The Mensa at the main campus was very cheap, and their dining options were usually very nice; better than the cafeteria food that I had expected |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I socialized mostly with other international students but I never felt like I was terribly out of place. People have asked me for directions at least three times so I at least looked like I knew what I was doing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The first week I was here, I sprained my ankle on the beautiful cobblestone streets that litter all of Germany. It took me almost a month to find an ankle brace at an Apotheka, because those are basically useless stores. (I will admit that I had health insurance so that I could have seen a doctor, but all I really needed was an ankle brace, which turned out to be ridiculously difficult to find - especially one that wasn't 60 euros) |
| * Safety: |
I have never felt safer in a city. Not to say that there was no crime or suspicious persons, but I was never afraid to go anywhere. That being said, I never walked around at night all by myself, and my friends were very good about making sure I got home safe late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
There is nothing else I would rather study in Germany than German, because if it wasn't this, I would have stayed home to continue to study English. There is also no other German city I would rather live in |
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) |
The cost of living in Leipzig is nothing - most everything is dirt cheap |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 30 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | In Germany, buy a bag for shopping, because literally every store will charge you extra money for a bag |
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 |
All my classes were in German, but all my international friends preferred to speak English |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced German Grammar |
| 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? | Make friends who are natives to the country so you'll be encouraged/forced to speak the language |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | How bad I would feel when I first arrive |
