Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Experience Beyond the Campus Past Review

By (Psychology and Art History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/27/2014 to 06/02/2014 with

Jacobs University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I definitely learn the importance of languages as I traveled around Europe and while living on an international campus.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around 20 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you like to travel, please plan your budget and free time as soon as you get a good view of your schedule. I basically wrote down all my important due dates and places that I want to travel to. From there, I look for flight and train tickets. As a result, I managed to go to 7 different countries in Europe and still managed to balance my school work load.

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

There is almost no encouragement outside of my German class since Jacobs is an international school so it's mostly dependent on one's own motivation to converse in German.

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I had 4 years of German
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? Since Bremen is a small city state, I converse mostly in German whenever I am outside the campus since most of the locals are not familiar with speaking in English.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Location = the location perfect for finding cheap tickets to travel around Europe
  • The people = Most people I met are genuinly nice and would seek you out on your first days
  • Traveling = The Jacobs Program took us on many great trips, including St. Petersburg
* What could be improved?
  • Classes = I only like about half of my classes (3 out of 6) at Jacobs
  • Integration with German Culture
  • Host Family Program = I shared my host family with another student from America and they were awful to us. After meeting them once a the beginning of the year with empty promises of future meetings, they were either too "busy" or simply ignored us when we tried to contact them. It was a frustrating for us considering we were looking forward to further integration with German Culture.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To save even more money to travel!

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 Urbanite
A 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.