Being in Bremen Past Review
By A student (Psychology and History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/26/2012 to 12/23/2012 with
Constructor University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about German Politics and Culture from the study abroad course. It was a very worthwhile experience, and to do that class again I would go back.
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. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were some hiccups about requirements that we did not know about. Do not forget you will need to sign up for German health insurance (and will need a German bank account) while you are there. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing is amazing. Wonderful rooms, and I think all of them have a private bathroom for the two private bedrooms within the suite. College 3 is a very fun place to live. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Jacobs is an English speaking University and can be somewhat insulating as it is walled in. Most students go into the town to shop or to go out, so its a bit hard to make contacts with the outside world. The host family program is excellent, though. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Once you are signed up for the health insurance the doctors are basically free. The administration and other students are helpful in directing you to local doctors who can help you if you have an issue. |
| * Safety: |
I walked a lot of places alone at night and at very strange hours in the morning and never ran into trouble. The train station in the city and train stop for the college are both very safe. |
| 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) |
Depending on how much you want to travel, or where, it is very easy to live on a budget. The train pass you get free from the college allows you to travel to a lot of German cities for free. (Hamburg, Hannover, etc.) |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I only spent money on food when we traveled to other countries. Then I limited it to about 20 Euros a day. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Travel by train always. Trains can get you everywhere you need to go, but plan ahead for cheaper prices and to use your ticket to get to bigger hubs for free. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
|
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had finished the German language program at the 200 level. |
| 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? | Get a host family who speaks little to no English. That was how I got most of my practice. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That it is very important to get off campus every day if you can to go into the city. |
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! |
