Opening My Eyes But All Alone Past Review
By Stephanie V (Math, Political Science, Valparaiso University) for
Valparaiso University: Reutlingen - Hochschule Reutlingen
Definitely. Every person should go abroad for at least a semester at some point in their life.
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. |
We didn't have a chance to compare the different educational systems since ours was an American program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program leader was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The contact we had at the university was extremely knowledgeable about German and American education, but had so many other obligations also and so could only be fairly accessible, not as much as I would have liked. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Good dorms, but no wireless access except for in the common rooms, and I never figured that out on my computer. Everything was pretty much provided by the program (sheets, cookware, etc.) and living in the dorm was a great way to meet everyone. |
| * Food: |
The Mensa is pretty cheap and good (eventually it all starts to taste the same, but it's a lot better than Valpo's cafeteria). Lots of places downtown are good for eating out at, especially when it's nice outside. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Berlin and Luther-Bach trips were amazing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safer in Reutlingen than in many cities in the U.S. As long as you're not walking alone at night being stupid, you'll be just fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | I spent about $4000 for the semester, including food and every other expense besides the Eurail pass and plane ticket. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even with the Eurail pass, international trains often require an additional fee, which is no more than 10 euros per train, but that adds up fast if you're using multiple trains in a day, and many days. Travel is very expensive, while staying in the dorms is actually extremely cheap if you just cook your own meals and don't go out that often. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice the language with anyone around me. I did not need to use the host country language most of the time, since almost everyone spoke at least a little 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 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? | If you're interested in a more integrated experience, go with a longer program, or something not taught by Valpo profs at least. If you want to have fun with students from around the world and travel a lot then this is great. |
