A time of growth and pain and isolation and confidence in myself. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/28/2018 to 02/10/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Mainz

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself and about what is most important to me both as a student and as a person. I learned a lot about independence and became so confident in my language skills.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was thoroughly disappointed with the academics through Johannes Gutenberg. I was challenged linguistically, which was great to have, but not challenged with the material, especially lab and research type skills, in a way that would prepare me for graduate school. Also just the fact that classes met once a week and didn't gave constant classwork, and people just didn't regularly show up, was disappointing. But, I loved my Middlebury german writing course. The one-on-one aspect was really special and helped me grow so much.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Absolutely the most amazingly supportive people I have met. Heike is someone I will never forget and she helped support me through a home tragedy that occurred while I was abroad. So understanding.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was very satisfied with my housing arrangement. I think I had the best deal out of all of the students. I lived within 10 minutes walking distance of the campus and had a subway stop right outside my building that got me into the city within 10 minutes. I also was close to fields that were great for running. There was construction going on on the outside of my building for nearly the whole semester. This meant that my window was blocked with plastic for at least a few months and that was unfortunate. I understand that my rent was slightly cheaper though, so that was considerate. Sharing a kitchen and common area with 3 others was a wonderful experience and helped me to make some friends.

* Food:

I had my own kitchen and cooked almost all of my own meals, which I loved. Suggestions on where to eat when I wanted to go out were provided my the middlebury administrative staff.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was quite hard to make close german friends, but I felt decently integrated through choir, ultimate frisbee, and rock climbing.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Did not have any health care issues. Was sick for a few weeks and felt support was there if I had needed any medication or anything.

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Mainz. Was able to go out late a night and use public transportation alone at early mornings.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I had a lot of personal hardship due to home reasons that made this experience difficult, but I can only recommend Mainz and the support of the faculty in place there. I wish that the academics had been better suited for science/were better in general, but as an overall experience of life, I would do it again.

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)

I was getting money from a scholarship (~500 euros per month) and that completely covered my rent and some of my food costs. This helped considerably and meant that I was able to eat some nicer food and travel a bit more than otherwise. Food was cheap though and I didn't have to pay extra for public transportation in the surrounding areas of Mainz, which was super helpful.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~40 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook your own meals. Go to Aldi. Use RyanAir and FlixBus if you are going to travel to other countries.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • The location. Mainz is amazing.
  • Heike and the other Babel guides were wonderful sources of encouragement and support.
  • Extracurriculars!! Loved being able to play frisbee and rock climb and sing in a choir!!
* What could be improved?
  • support for getting an internship your first semester
  • Ability to take science classes with labs and field trips (maybe at the Hochschule?)
  • It would be so much more helpful to see the class listing earlier so that more time could be spent on choosing classes, because that has a huge impact on your experience and it was stressful to have to do it while also taking the advanced writing course.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How the style of education just doesn't mesh well Middlebury's style and how important it is for me to have hands on experiences. I also wish I had known just how isolating it could be.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Microbiology

Course Department: Biology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: German
Comments: No class participation, no engagement. Was lectured at once a week. Had one final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course does not have a lab attached to it so I had to take an additional lab course on the side as supplement to get this course to be accepted as a biology credit.
Course Name/Rating:

Intensive German Writing

Course Department: German
Instructor:
Instruction Language: German
Comments: So fine-tuned to each student's needs. Lots of personal growth.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.
Course Name/Rating:

Special Isotope Geology Work

Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: German
Comments: This was a masters course and so it was a small class size, more similar to that of my home university. But, we were studying things relevant to locations close by and never took a field trip or did anything hands on. Only read articles.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues. Geology took it as an upper elective credit
Course Name/Rating:

Hinduism

Course Department: PHL/REL
Instructor:
Instruction Language: German
Comments: Engaging, but almost no one showed up regularly. Disuccions were weak, we weren't assigned enough reading to really understand anything within Hinduism. Took a field trip to a local temple and learned more in that evening that in perhaps all the classes combined.
Credit Transfer Issues: No. Got AAL/PHL credit.