My Integration in Freiburg and Europe Past Review
By Tyler Adams (Wofford College) - abroad from 08/31/2016 to 12/16/2016 with
IES Abroad: Freiburg - European Union
Yes, I wish that a couple more classes would have fulfilled my major requirements, but I understood that this was mainly for Political Science and International Relations majors.
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. |
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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? |
Berliner Allee was a fantastic student housing apartment. I was enthused to be rooming with German students and learning about their culture firsthand. The internet connection was fantastic and the amenities were consistent and effective |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Freiburg is a vibrant, small town run by the University students, and you could feel the young, progressive atmosphere all around the city |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was in Berlin, and I fell very sick during the trip, and a IES staff accompanied me to a clinic and was very easy to do. |
| * Safety: |
Any time you are out and about at night in a town, there could be some trouble. But I think as long as you are with someone and conducting yourself in a non-antagonizing manner there should be no problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The experience was very vital to my understanding of Europe and how the history is very different with that of the US. |
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) |
Freiburg is a university town, and so all of the living expenses and on the weekends were based off of the expectations of a college student. And so most things were very affordable. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Germany is a country where most restaurants and bars do not accept card and even if they do, are very reluctant to do so. Having cash on hand is not something regular for Americans, but in Germany it is very necessart to have cash on hand and not rely on credit cards. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A2 |
| 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? | I would say just speaking with your flatmates in German and insisting that they speak in German with you. With the EU program it was very difficult to maintain the German language as we were always traveling in other countries. |
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? | For my flatmates, I had already known before that Germans have a very different living style versus the American students. Their room is a private area that is, in most times, not to be disturbed and it is a "closed door" policy. I knew that this was not anything personal against me, but it was very difficult at least in the first couple of months to have good contacts with my flat mates as they, for the most part, stayed in their rooms and did not hang around in the living area. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
