Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

For incredible art, history, drink, chocolate, & adventure, Berlin is the spot. Past Review

By (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 05/14/2013 to 05/31/2013 with

University of Northern Iowa: Berlin - UNI Studio Art in Berlin, Summer Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This experience opened my eyes to how I can play a role in Iowan, American, and International art-making/observing. It was extremely beneficial to work within a functioning artist studio (Werkstadt) and have artists talks almost every day of the second week. I learned how to budget when abroad and how to prioritize when in a large group of strongly opinionated artists. This trip was definitely worthwhile and made me closer to my fellow artists, my artwork, and my travelbug's addiction to adventure!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

We had some wonderful "New Food Experiences", but I wish we had been exposed to a few more authentic German foods/restaurants. Being located in a Turkish neighborhood made this somewhat difficult, so most of the German food we had was fast food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I wish we had all known more German. We had one or two sessions where we went over words for Germany, but I wish we had been offered a private or more intense session where, if some of us wanted to, we could really learn some valuable words.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Being from small-town Iowa, I feel that a few of the participants would have benefitted from some big-city pick-pocketer advice (put money in a zipped bag or within a second layer of clothing, etc.)

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About $250-$300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Check with the TSA website beforehand to see if you can bring back food/drink. We could bring chocolate from Berlin, so that was a cheap and easy way to cover souveniers. Also, be sure to pack light on the way TO your destination, because souveniers may add quite a bit of weight when you're traveling back FROM your location.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Where we lived/worked
  • Artist talks/museum walks
  • Having time to explore on our own/smaller groups
* What could be improved?
  • Better meal preparation. We had a couple of days where we weren't sure where our next meal was happening, which eventually lowered morale.
  • Better language preparation.
  • Artist talks earlier in the trip. Felt like most happened during the 2nd half.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The weather is like Iowa but a little bit colder. It is very difficult to find a post-office. Berlin is more similar to New York City (gas stations, subways, diverse people/foods/events) than an American's stereotypical image of a German city (lederhosen, beer, mountains).

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'