Language skills improved quickly and enjoyed Berlin Past Review
By Erica E (German Studies, Art History, Brandeis University) - abroad from 03/04/2014 to 06/28/2014 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Gained a lot of independence and became more city-savvy. I also became conversationally fluent in German. This program was worthwhile.
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. |
Some IES courses were really well-taught (The Multicultural Berlin one was fantastic) while others didn't teach me anything about the subject matter. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IES staff tried to be very helpful, and were accessible and nice, but sometimes would not know the answers to very fundamental questions. They also didn't seem like they shared information with each other. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family could not have been better. They were so kind and welcoming, and I was very sad to say goodbye to them at the end. |
| * Food: |
It's definitely true that Germans love meat and potatoes. Berlin has a ton of different ethnic restaurants (with an overwhelming number of Asian restaurants). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having a host family of native Germans helped me feel more in-touch with the culture. I attended an Easter dinner with my host mom out in the Brandenburg countryside. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was accessible. A staff member at the IES center was very helpful in getting me into see a physician. Once in the doctors office, though, it was unimpressive. I had to prompt the doctor to do a lot of basic medical tests like taking my blood pressure and temperature. I also did not get a copy of results of my blood test despite asking. |
| * Safety: |
Berlin has a few sketchy areas where I wouldn't want to walk alone at night, but for the most part was very safe. I would walk home from Alexanderplatz at night and feel completely fine. |
| 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) |
Berlin is fairly inexpensive compared to other cities. I spent money mostly on going out to eat and buying groceries. Credit cards and debit cards are not widely used in Germany, so always make sure to have cash on hand. |
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 |
All classes were taught in German and I only spoke German with my host family. |
| 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? | Taken German for many years. |
| 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? | Watch movies and tv in the foreign language. |
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? | The cell phone system in Germany is very confusing. I would recommend coming with an international phone already. It would also be helpful to know that credit cards and debit cards are not widely used, even in doctor's offices and emergency rooms. |
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! |
