Deutschland=Awesome Past Review
By Natalie S (International Relations and Affairs., Saint Anselm College) for
Wayne State University: Junior Year in Munich
I learned to become more independent and to really appreciate nature. Germany has some stunning places to see... I wish I could see them all!! I wish I was able to travel more too, but I have seen so many great places surrounding Germany. I even walked across a country in one day!!
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 workload is much different with the Junior Year in Munich program compared to America. You have much more time to procrastinate, so you have to use your time wisely. You also don't have NEARLY as many grades, which can be a good or bad thing. One of my classes I only have 2 grades. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
StudentenStadt is a great place to meet people from around the world. This is where the dorms or rather apartment buildings are located. We have 5 different bars in StuSta, and it is always a good time. Going into town can be expensive for a night, so it's great to have a cheap alternative right at your door step. The buildings are a little ghetto, but you honestly get used to it so fast. It doesn't seem nearly as ghetto now as I once thought it was. I did have to buy some items for my room, such as cookware, silverware, plates, etc. |
| * Food: |
I love the food in Germany! Definitely different than America, but it's very good. While I definitely do miss some American food, I absolutely enjoy the cuisine here. It can be a bit heavy at times (ie. meat and potatoes), but the Germans know how to prepare it! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I can not stress enough how fun the festivals are here. Frühlingsfest was a blast, and from what I heard, much less touristy compared to Oktoberfest, which is good since you can mingle with the locals. I have gone hiking in the Alps quite a few times, and it is an incredible experience. StuStaCulum was also an awesome 4 day festival right here in StuSta for only 5 Euros for the 4 days! Definitely a good time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I generally feel very safe here. As with any city though, just make sure to stick with people at night and not go into any sketchy areas. |
| 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? | probably around 60 Euros. Sometimes more, sometimes less. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SAVE!!! I have quite a few friends here that cannot do much because they just didn't save enough. And don't spend all that money you saved just because you can. Be wise with how you spend your money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate German 1 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced German with German students in my building. I generally have to use German everyday, but most people do speak English. I unfortunately speak way too much English with my friends. Thankfully I have a Sprachpartner (a German native) who helps me with my German, while I help her with her English. My pronounciation has improved greatly, although my grammar when speaking is still not up to par. |
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? | Definitely have a good German background! I so wish I knew more German before coming. Some of the students in my program were completely fluent, since their parents were German or they had been studying the language for years. |
