Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Jacobs, an international experience with incredible science and research! Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/04/2013 to 06/10/2013 with

Jacobs University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was so incredibly worthwhile. I learned a lot of advanced organic chemistry and organometallic synthesis and gained a lot from research experience. I met people from all over the world and saw a lot of Europe, taking advantage of my convenient location. Music, art, ultimate frisbee, clubs, beer, good food, good people, language, culture, science - I gained everything from this experience; it was the best!

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.

Academics were WONDERFUL if you took challenging classes you were interested in (and got a good professor, the norm at Jacobs). It was also very possible to take an easy, relaxed schedule with less academic rigor, intensity, etc. All resources necessary were available (and more).

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were so unbelievably helpful at Jacobs; everything was easier than I could have imagined and everyone was so nice and willing to be that helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Single; shared a shower with one person; clean with plenty of space

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt really immersed in the "local" culture, but this was not German culture (perhaps a possible point of confusion). Immersing yourself in German culture is definitely possible, but takes more work and independence. Jacobs is a international school (and English speaking) in which over 110 countries are represented and only about 20% of the students are German. International students are much more diverse (especially socioeconomically) than I have found at Wellesley/in America. So, Jacobs has a unique multi-cultural culture that I loved and felt very integrated with - from classroom to extracurriculars to social events.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

This was negligible for me, but other American peers found it easy (easier than at home even)

* 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)

It was the same as Wellesley - not necessarily easy, but there were no horrible surprises after two years of Wellesley. I should note, though, that trips that came with the program did not include meals, which I did not realize and was an added expense, especially because I had a lot of meal plan money left unused (even though I eat a lot). Travel was an added bonus, as convenience airlines like RyanAir made it fairly cheap and affordable for students and lucky for us, Bremen airport (very easy to reach cheaply and quickly) has a RyanAir terminal.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? roughly $50, but I went to a major European city almost every weekend. Those who spent more tended to do so on more abundant alcohol supplies. For pleasant survival, it was only technically necessary to spend on weekends with trips (~4) and on toiletry/converters/phone.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? RyanAir, planning ahead, not getting too excited about alcohol legality for those under 21. It would be nice if we could opt out of the meal plan our buy a less expensive version so that we weren't spending extra unnecessarily when we weren't there (for me, every weekend, which was 3 days, so half the week!). I also used meal plan money to buy food for during travel, as did most others, which was helpful to an extent.

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
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • science/research
  • people/international component/host family
  • European location
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing; it can be absolutely perfect if you plan ahead well enough!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I would not be eating at Jacobs often enough for the meal plan to be worthwhile.

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!