A once in a lifetime opportunity January 04, 2022
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/29/2021 to 12/23/2021 with
Jacobs University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I definitely think that taking time to study in a different country and be surrounded by people who have been raised very differently from you have was a worthwhile experience. Not only was I able to take in more of the world by traveling, but also by learning about my friend's backgrounds and their lives.
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. |
It was very interesting to experience learning in a different nation as the way classes are taught and structured was very different. Most of the classes tended to be lecture base rather than discussion and problem solving based. Most of the real practice and learning happened outside of class with TAs or in groups. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international studies office on campus was very helpful with any questions we had. They were able to quickly place us with independent research locations and take care of any travel or living requests we had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed the suite style living arrangement we had. It offered enough privacy as we had our own room but it was nice to have a roommate so we were not completely alone. |
| * Food: |
The food was not always great but I did appreciate that there was always a vegetarian option |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most people in Germany speak English so it was relatively easy to communicate with the local people. People are very kind and thus it is easy to quickly pick up local practices and integrate in. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
With health insurance, it is very easy to get an appointment with the doctor. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I really enjoyed all the people I met and the school environment. The location of Bremen made it really easy to travel around Western Europe. |
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) |
Bremen is a relatively inexpensive city in Germany and there are many cheaper food options in town and inexpensive grocery stores. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Since I was traveling a lot, I spent upwards of $200 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save more money than you think you will need. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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 wish I knew how different the academic culture and class structure was going to be. |
