Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It was an amazing semester! Some of the best 4 months of my life:) Past Review

By (Biology and German Studies, Tufts University) - abroad from 09/05/2012 to 12/20/2012 with

IES Abroad: Freiburg - Environmental Studies & Sustainability

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot of German, got more confident when speaking and gained a lot of knowledge about German life and culture - which is exactly what I wanted to gain from the program. However, one of the best things about this program were all the people I met. We were about 40 Americans, from all over the US, and at the end we were all such good friends that it was really hard to leave.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Challenging, since all the classes were in German. But at the same time we never had too much homework or assignments/tests that required a lot of work. We learned a lot of German and also had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Awesome people!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a suite with 5 other native Germans. We only spoke German together and I learned a lot of German that way. However, I spent most of my time with the other Americas living next door in other suites. I like the fact that they made us live with people who weren't on our program, cause it made us get to know more people and practice our German with people our age.

* Food:

German food is amazing and soooo cheap!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We spent a lot of time getting to know the German culture and Freiburg itself. Since school did not take up too much of our time we had plenty of opportunities to explore Freiburg and it's surroundings. The local public transportation is also cheap and good.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

IES has it's own doctor and dentist. Both were easily accessible. The IES Staff were also very helpful.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe in Freiburg.

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)

German food is cheap and good:)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 20-30 Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook your own food! Cheap German grocery stores like Edeka and Penny have good, cheap food and are often located close to the dorms.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? German 22
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? Try and speak as little English as possible! It is hard to speak only German to the other Americans on the program, but try to speak German to everybody else!!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* 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?
  • The people
  • Chance to explore the local area
  • Lots of free time
* What could be improved?
  • no
  • no
  • no
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Don't be scared of going abroad or for missing out on stuff in the US. It's so worth it!:)

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!