My First Study Abroad College Experience Past Review
By A student (CUNY - Queens College) - abroad from 05/27/2019 to 06/06/2019 with
FUBiS - International Summer and Winter University
My experience abroad was extremely worthwhile. It taught me how to take care of myself, and live independently in another country. I also gained many friends, from Germany as well as from other countries, and it was a lot of fun to learn about other cultures and learn a new language.
Review Photos
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. |
Forcing American students to learn German by teaching in German, instead of teaching German in English is extremely useful and a nice change from U.S. language teaching methods. |
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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? |
My host family was generally friendly, and pleasant to live with. However, it also felt as if they only took international students in for the money, and didn't truly have any particular interest in the students coming in and out of their home. |
| * Food: |
Food offered on FUBiS campus was sometimes plain, but other than that, they had many options to offer, and what was really great was they had options for all students of every diet. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was beneficial that campus and housing were not in the city center of Berlin, this allowed students to get the real experience of living locally in Germany. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety advice was accurate, and useful. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
There were a few cons to choosing FUBiS, such as not being in the city center of Berlin. However, there were more pros to choosing FUBiS than cons. It was more beneficial living outside of the city center than if I had been in the center. I was surrounded by locals, and this forced me to use my German skills much more than if I had been in the city center where many speak English. I was highly encouraged to speak German in my neighborhood where my host family lived (Lichterfelde), and it was much more useful to be totally immersed than if I had been given the chance to speak English frequently in the city center. |
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) |
Living on a student's budget was quite doable. Because I was living with a host family, it was easier for me to save money and eat breakfasts and dinners with them. But there were also times when I wanted to eat out with friends, so I was also still spending money, but this was not bad, because Berlin is relatively cheaper than pricing in New York City! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I was there for 6 weeks, and spent about $800, because I ate meals with my host family, as well. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try not to eat out every night, instead go grocery shopping with the international friends you make, and cook together at the dorms. |
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 |
Speaking German was highly encouraged. |
| 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? | Intermediate 1 |
| 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? | Practice with your international friends that are also studying the language! Also force yourself to order in the language, and get out of your comfort zone. People will be happy you are at least trying. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | That some host families mainly host international students, because it is an easy way to make money |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
