I will never have an experience like I did in Paderborn! Past Review
By Adrianne M (Accounting, Illinois State University) for
Paderborn University: Paderborn - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Absolutely!! I learned a lot about how I handle new things and how I adapt to the unfamiliar. This experience has shown me how much I love learning about new cultures and the history of different cities. It has also taught me that I love traveling and I will definitely be back in Europe some day.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | N/A |
| 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. |
the grading was much harder than at Illinois State. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The housing cordinator was unorganized! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
the housing I was offered was very nice and much like an apartment at home. |
| * Food: |
the food was very good. But my diet changed a lot while I was here because of the cultural difference between Germany and the US. There was a lot of bread and bratwurst! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to see a lot of Europe and loved different things about each country I visited. I had fun and learned a lot! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never had any health issues asside from a cold and it wa very easy to get medicine and a local pharmacy. Safety was never an issue! I felt very comfortable in Paderborn! |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 euros on average |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | set a budget early and stick to it!! Only make exceptions for trips that you and whoever is helping pay for your trip have agreed upon. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
In the classroom. I didn not know enough german to speak it in everyday conversation. Most everyone spoke english. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | if you are open to the unfamiliar and excited to learn another culture in a small town, then Paderborn is a great program. |
