Jacobs Exchange Crew Past Review
By A student (Neuroscience, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/25/2015 to 12/21/2015 with
Constructor University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I definitely gained a greater independence. I now feel completely comfortable traveling on my own and trusting my instincts when it comes to foreign places. I have had to navigate certain situations that I feel have equipped me for the real world in many ways.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 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 |
I was not incredibly impressed with the Jacobs University study abroad office. The system was incredibly hard to navigate and I felt we were not given enough guidance during orientation week. It felt like I was expected to show up at the school and all would be taken care of but I found it quite unsettling. It would be beneficial for students coming in to have more guidance throughout the program because the German system is quite different from the American system. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very clean and nice rooms. Would highly recommend! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt like I had a different experience because I have been to Germany before and have family around so I felt like I was well integrated into the culture and society. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was a huge problem for me and I hope that there is more guidance for students in the future. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think there are certain aspects of the program that could generally be improved upon, mainly transparency and preparing one for all the administration stuff that needs to be taken care of. I found there were so many little things that I needed to take care of by the end with the German system that I had no idea how to tackle. Other than that I had a wonderful experience with the people I met and was able to meet a variety of students from all of the world. Germany is very centrally located and I was able to travel quite a lot on a student budget. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Come up with a budget per week so that it is less stressful if money is starting to become an issue. |
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 |
The school was international so many people spoke English which was kind of a shame. But when out in Germany I was able to practice my German and integrate with the culture |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | German 200 level conversation course |
| 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? | Talk to native speakers and don't be embarrassed if you're speaking is not perfect. It is only benefitting you to speak as much as possible. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | I think it is important to mention that Bremen is a smaller city and may not be the traditional study abroad experience that everyone is expecting. That being said, I did find an incredibly close community of friends and was able to travel and have a great time even though I was in a smaller 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 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. |
