Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Unforgettable Summer Abroad Past Review

By (International Relations, University of Rochester) - abroad from 05/27/2015 to 07/17/2015 with

IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The opportunity to study abroad is one that every student should take. Not only do you meet great people from around the world, you make great friends, experience cultures that you may have never considered exploring and you expose yourself to different situations that you could not get from your University. My time abroad was unforgettable and definitely worthwhile!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Completing two classes in the course of 5 weeks was not as difficult as I had originally thought. The criteria was new, but the professors were understanding and held discussions that helped one understand the content.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The IES European Union staff was helpful during move-in day but we rarely had much interactions throughout the rest of the program. Those who went on the field study trips, for the most part, were helpful and treated us like adults.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living in a student apartment was quite nice and really added to the Freiburg expereince. I was lucky enough to live in an apartment with another IES student, but our German roommates were friendly and welcoming. The location of the apartments/dorms varied, where one was about 10-15 min. walk while the other available location was a 15-20 min. tram ride to the IES building.

* Food:

Frieburg is filled with many restaurants (including German, Turkish, Italian, etc.) and there is market in front of the Münsterplatz during the week from 10-2PM that sells local goods and great food!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Frieburg is not an expensive region to live in, you can find yourself spending less than 4 Euros for a coffee and pastry and about 10-12 Euros for a typical dinner. A monthly tram pass is 38 Euros, but allows you to ride the tram as many times as you wish during its hours of operation and will even give you a discount to certain regions surrounding Frieburg (including France and Switerzland) during the weekends.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Having a budget for transportation and external trips is important, especially if you get place in the Vauban apartments and wish to go to other countries while in Europe.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Academic Content
  • Field study trips to Bosnia and Turkey
* What could be improved?
  • Who the IES EU decides to take students to the field study trips
  • More engaged Frieburg student IES volunteers
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that I wanted to travel to other countries and that I had planned the trips more during my free time.

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 Linguist
You 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!