Building a Home Past Review
By Charlie Burditt (Middlebury College) - abroad from 10/02/2017 to 07/06/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Mainz
I learned many things: I improved my language skills, took interesting classes, learned new cultural perspectives and value systems. The most important thing, however, were the friendships I made in Germany, as they are what has made Germany a home for me and are the reason why I will return.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Lower intensity than at my home university, which allowed me to be sure I thoroughly did all my coursework in the foreign language. Optimal situation. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Little direct interaction with the administration, but interaction was efficient and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very solid dormitory housing, much better than my home university. |
| * Food: |
Grocery shopped and cooked 90% of my meals. The quality and price were very good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Was able to connect with Germans and develop close friendships very quickly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Had multiple injuries while abroad that required medical attention in a hospital. While it was often slow, it was free and very helpful. |
| * Safety: |
Never felt unsafe. Especially nice knowing the low rate of weapons and shootings that occur in Germany. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Mainz was a wonderful city to be in. We had a program director who is one of the greatest people I have ever met. There are lots of young people. The city is not overly large or small. |
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) |
Expensive but worthwhile. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No. |
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 |
Used German almost always except for phoning home. |
| 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? | 300 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make friends. Do that through finding interest/sport groups that you regularly meet with. It is very difficult to make friends through courses in Germany except for in very niche academic programs. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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 was lucky to find a sports team by accident during the first week I was there, which led to the friendships and amazing experiences I had while in Germany. However, had that not happened, I wish I would have know the importance of meeting people in a structured way in order to develop relationships and had knowledge the resources with which I could do that. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The American Revolution |
| Course Department: | Geschichte |
| Instructor: | Jan Trubanski |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | Challenging and offered a unique, non-American perspective on the American Revolution. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
