Unexpected Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 03/07/2017 to 08/11/2017 with
IES Abroad: Berlin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
It was worthwhile. I learned a lot from my courses from the local university, they were challenging but still manageable.
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. |
There were great resources, academic rigor was less than home school. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were always available and were willing to help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I cooked. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were not that many ways to meet the local students and the center did not really promote any of these events. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose the same program because it improved my writing abilities greatly and allowed me to practice German on a daily basis. I would not participate in the internship program again. |
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) |
Food and living was very cheap in Berlin. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 to $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Work before hand to save money and know that transportation around Europe can be cheap but at last minute is expensive. |
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 |
Very much encouraged and staff spoke German with students. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | Intermediate German |
| 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? | Meet people who speak it as their mother tongue and take them out to dinner or lunch. It is a great way to practice language comprehension and speaking. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | What the internship program actually offers versus what is said online. |
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! |
