An Unforgettable Experience!! Past Review
By A student (Valparaiso University) - abroad from 01/11/2012 to 05/15/2012 with
Valparaiso University: Reutlingen - Hochschule Reutlingen
I learned so much about other cultures and learned a lot about myself and how I interact with people. I definitely became a lot more independent and responsible throughout the semester. Definitely worthwhile!!
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. |
The courses themselves are not extremely challenging but they are definitely interesting and for the most part are relative to everything experienced outside of class. The amount of work expected from students is reasonable given the fact that the semester is still worth 16 or 17 credits, and that many weeks classes are from Monday morning - Thursday afternoon. Professors are flexible and recognize how educational other experiences are outside the classroom - traveling, spending time with other Germans and floormates, etc. Overall a great balance of class and other activities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Prof. Veit was extremely welcoming and helpful on behalf of Reutlingen University, and quickly answered any questions we had. He even helped a couple students who were looking into internships in Germany. The campus in general was very friendly as well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing is dorm-style (doubles) and is very clean and larger than your average double. Furniture is nice (in Reichwein, at least) and beds are comfy. Awesome that many international students live in the dorms, so there can be 15 different countries represented in one floor. Only downside is that the kitchen/common area often got messy because it is everyone's individual responsibility to clean up after themselves. |
| * Food: |
Most of the time we bought groceries from Penny Markt (cheapest option) and cooked ourselves. However, eating at the Mensa was always great and not too expensive for cafeteria-style food. Many different options available which were usually pretty tasty. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
When on my own I felt more integrated (buying groceries, going into downtown Reutlingen, hanging out with people in the dorms) but I felt that I spent a lot of time with Valpo students as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Didn't need any services but we were aware that the options were there if necessary. |
| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe on the campus and downtown areas. Everything is clean and well-lit, and I never was in any situation where I felt threatened or in danger. That being said, I was also cautious/aware, and didn't put myself in a situation where something would be more likely to happen (walking around at 4am alone, etc...) |
| 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) |
During the week in Reutlingen I did pretty well at living on a budget - not going out to dinner much, going out to the campus bar (much cheaper) instead of downtown, etc. I did this so that I could spend more money on the weekends while traveling. Definitely worth it, I could not have seen as many cities/countries as I did if I had spent money on daily/unnecessary things. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $15/week for food (not including eating at sit-down restaurants, which will run about $15/meal) and around $150 for traveling per 2 or 3-day weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | -Don't buy train reservations if they're not required -Cooking your own food or eating at a doner kebap place is much cheaper than going out -Everything adds up quickly. I budgeted everything out (roughly) beforehand and kept a notebook and wrote down how much I spent each day. It really helps to keep track of things if you're on a budget. -When traveling, a lot of times the cheapest hostel is farther out from the city center. Find out how much public transportation costs and add everything up...sometimes it's actually cheaper to pay a little more to be walking distance from everything. -Some hostels offer a breakfast buffett...make a couple extra sandwiches and save them for lunch -Bring a water bottle everywhere! It's not free. |
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 |
Profs. Malchow and Jennings always encouraged us to interact with Germans (students, shopkeepers, etc.) and try to practice our language skills. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Upper level Spanish, but no German |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to mingle with the locals and try speaking to them...most of them are very understanding/helpful if you show an effort to speak their 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? | Take advantage of every opportunity and make the most out of everything. Don't put things off until the end of the semester - it will fly by. If something goes wrong, which it most likely will, realize that you'll laugh about it later...don't stress out, it can ruin the entire mood of a trip. While seeing other cities and countries is definitely a highlight and an amazing experience, don't overlook the area around Reutlingen and the friendships that could be made there. Find a balance between the two. Use train time to get caught up/get ahead on course work or sleep - you'll hate missing out on something else for it. And have fun. |
