Great Experiences in Berlin! January 08, 2025

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics were very disorganized, with scheduling issues, unclear course requirements, last-minute adjustments to syllabi and course listings, etc. The classes offered were interesting and connected directly to the space we were in, with lots of valuable field trips and opportunities to engage with the city around us. They were not particularly rigorous, though the weeks right before and during midterms and finals got intense.

On-site administration of your program

Available to help with issues that came up, but overall very disorganized. Sometimes hard to figure out who the right person was to contact.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in an arrangement with my own bedroom and bathroom, but a shared kitchen with ten other students. It ended up being a really great balance of privacy and social opportunity, and the shared kitchen was very manageable, even as someone who cooked nearly all of my meals. My only real issue with my living arrangement was that there were a couple of break-ins and students' belongings were stolen.

Not really applicable, we were all responsible for our own food. I'll give this five stars because I made some really fantastic meals in the communal kitchen :)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I mostly engaged with other students from the study abroad program, but regularly spent time with locals, as well. I sought those opportunities out myself, though, and did not feel that the program provided meaningful support in finding local communities in Berlin.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have personal experiences with healthcare in Berlin, but my friends who did generally had positive experiences. Staff at the IES center were available to help find doctors, etc, if necessary.

I felt very safe in Berlin, including late at night. The city is very active, so I was rarely alone on the street or just with one or two others. My primary safety concern was in my residence, where a couple of people's rooms were broken into and their belongings were stolen. So long as we made sure to check that our doors were fully clicked shut, though, there weren't any problems.

Though the IES program was far from perfect, I had a great experience in Berlin and appreciated the opportunities that the program provided.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Berlin is a very inexpensive city, especially compared to Boston. Groceries, tickets to events or museums, and many restaurants and bars are all much less expensive than many other cities in Europe and the US. I cooked almost all of my own meals, which saved a lot of money. Travel from Berlin can be a bit pricey, though.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Hotel

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans

• Living in Berlin, experiencing the unique culture and history
• Community- and location-based courses
• Opportunities for subsidized travel

• Social facilitation during orientation (e.g. opportunities to get to know other students)
• Organization and communication, especially re. academics
• Pre-arrival communication about housing, travel logistics, important documents, etc.

The Academic or Linguist