Less fear, more confidence; more confidence, more independence! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It challenged my way of thinking and perspectives over certain issues. I had no idea how much I lacked in German and EU history until I studied in Germany. My professors were tough core from what I was used to in the states from the paper assignment to exams and speeches.

On-site administration of your program

There were so many things that were lacking which made me stressed and frustrated. I felt some of the people I was told to get in contact with were not prepared to answer my questions, were not available, or incompetent.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Moving in was great, however leaving was a hassle. The semesters in the U.S and Germany are quite different, so when the semester ends in December for the U.S, it ends in March so terminating the housing contract was challenging, and there are fees for leaving early. Another downside was that my contract was given to me in German, at that time I was only a beginner in German so luckily for me, my fiance is German, and he translated. Apart from that, the building and area were beautiful, I was near a park, and it was easy commuting from where I was located.

I loved German food. It was very diverse and healthy, so there is nothing negative in this matter.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I am not entirely sure how I feel in regards to being integrated. I often had gotten looked down by people especially older folks. It was a bit easier making friends from those around my age, not so much German but international students. Over time I realized that it's just how Germans behave, it takes longer to build relationships however those that I did become friends with are there for life. I picked up a lot of German, I now understand conversations, but I lack in speaking skills. The number one thing to becoming fully integrated is learning the language. At first, I thought it was just a textbook thing, but nope, they prefer you to speak their language or attempt. It was hard, not going to lie, but I pushed through.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had a bit difficulty signing up for health care at the beginning, but everything worked out. It was more affordable than I thought. There were some occasions where I had to be seen by a doctor, it wasn't a hassle and didn't take long.

During my stay, it was around the time where there was an influx of refugees and Germany was accepting most of them. As a liberal person, I welcomed this move as a sign of progress. However, it was during my 4th week of class, and I went out with Koreans but had to leave early, and as I was walking home an Arab refugee spoke to me, I wasn't uncomfortable at first. He gave me compliments on my makeup and lipstick color, but then he kept wanting me to go with him. There were hardly any street lights where I was located, and I politely refused him, he then grabbed me and kissed me on the lips. I called my fiance, and he told me to call the German police, at that time I was drunk and scared for my well-being. I ran to the nearest people available and pretended that they were my friends. It was the scariest moment in my life. I don't view all Arabs like predators, but it prevented me from going out at night. My advice is to always stay with a group of people at least 2-3 others.

I said no, not because of the faculty but because I want to try new places as well.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was affordable as far as a budget. However, since my fiance lived only one hour away, I was able to do more spending and site seeing than most.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Learning the language is the key component to successful integration so from the first day of class we spoke only German with a little English in between when explaining.

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