Studying Abroad in Germany/Europe: The Best Decision You Will Ever Make. Past Review
By Sara K (Mathematics Education, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
Exchange: Hessen - Hessen-Wisconsin Exchange
Is this really a question? Of course it was. Best decision I've ever made.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not a lot of work required until June (finals prep), comparable grading system, okay teaching methods (could have been more interactive), a lot less time spent studying during the semester |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were usually readily available and easy to talk to, great program size with lots of people from different countries |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was pretty sad compared to America, but I kind of expected it. Not a lot of interactions with other people living in dorm. I didn't like to spend time in my dorm and I usually went out with other people instead. |
| * Food: |
Great food, dine at street vendors: have really good food for cheaper prices than a restaurant |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I visited a bunch of cities within Germany and next to Germany with the program, including Berlin, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Potsdam. I also visited other places in Germany, as well as other countries like England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and France. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
City was pretty safe as long as you stayed with a group. They had night buses to get people home safely, which was nice. Healthcare is easily accessible (insurance works at any hospital), no specific health issues/vaccines needed |
| 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? | groceries were only 10 euros a week, I would spend some money on the weekends on shopping and food (around 20 euros), other expenses were per month (rent, health insurance) but it comes directly out of bank account |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't waste money on buying items. Spend money on trips and new experiences. When I went to new places, I only bought one or two trinkets. My honored possessions were my pictures. |
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? | German 311 (language and composition) |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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