Berlin is the most fun city and Europe Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 10/02/2017 to 08/01/2018 with
Middlebury Language Schools: German Language School
it was incredibly worthwhile and even though it was challenging, I grew and became more resilient as a result.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses were challenging but the program had us set up with tutors which was helpful |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Because of the Middlebury language pledge only to speak German, the administration did not do anything to connect us with other foreign exchange students while there. Further, the onsite Berlin Director (Lena) left in December and the replacement was not as involved as the previous director. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was incredibly lucky to have a found an apartment with my friend, but it was very hard for other students because the Berlin housing market is competitive. |
| * Food: |
I was able to cook on my own. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt well integrated in spite of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I was sick the program took care of me. |
| * Safety: |
Berlin is very safe; general common sense is required, but that goes without saying. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Middlebury is rigid and does not have a program that actually helps students socialize to a different city. They offer robust academic support but do little to nothing to help students find appropriate living or groups to help students integrate into their base city. |
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) |
Berlin is cheap; I was able to live on about 1000-1200 euros a month (including rent which was 450 euros a month). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent probably 30-50 euros on food each week, and 50 euros a week on outings |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you actually follow your budget. |
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 |
We had to sign a language pledge saying we would only speak German while in the program, (Which is ridiculous because almost everyone in Berlin speaks English, and often I would meet people from other countries like Syria or Italy and English was their preferred language). My issue with the language pledge is that it does adaptive or |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 229 |
| 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? | Get a German roommate who will speak with you |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | I wish I had known how hard it would be the first semester but that the second (summer) semester would make up for the difficulty of the fall. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
