The best 3 weeks of my life! Past Review

By Anthony DiVirgilio (Salem State University) - abroad from 07/22/2017 to 08/12/2017 with

University of Mannheim: Mannheim - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was definitely worthwhile as I met lifelong friends, had my first experience traveling out of the U.S., had fun, and learned a lot about myself as a person. It was truly a life changing experience!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Learned a lot in classes but work outside of class was not too overwhelming.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Felt welcomed from the moment I was on campus and questions were often answered before they arose due to the thoughtful and detailed planning of the administration along with their willingness to help.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	It was a great experience to have a roommate native to the area and culture.
* Food:	Good food everywhere!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Felt like I fit right in and made many lifelong friends!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes The faculty and administration at the school, international teacher and student selection, along with local students at the school and who I met in Mannheim all made me feel welcomed and included from the moment I arrived.

Finances

* 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)	Could have budgeted money a little better but did good for my first time studying abroad out of the country.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	50 euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	I recommend budgeting to have plenty of spending money for your last week as I could have done this a little better. This is because your last week you will attend dinners with friends, buy gifts, etc.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Native English speaker which was the language used at the school
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	My new friends Culture of Mannheim Always having fun
* What could be improved?	Make it longer!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Spend as much time as possible with your new friends and make the most out of everything as your stay goes by fast.

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 Urbanite A 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:	International Youth Cinema
Course Department:	Humanities
Instructor:	Professor Scott Henderson
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Structured very well with an equal balance of watching films along with discussion and lectures. Also featured an appropriate amount of work outside of class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Cultural Plurality of U.S. & Canada
Course Department:	Humanities
Instructor:	Professor Johannes Fehrle
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Students were always active in class with intriguing discussions and group work/presentations. Work outside of class was very well structured as it utilized an array of different medias such as texts, movies, poems, comic books, songs, novels, etc. that would then be used for the basis of class discussion and activities. Final was also structured very fairly with an option of a discussion based oral exam on thesis statements students formed prior to the exam or essay. This class is structured the way a class should be.
Credit Transfer Issues: