Spring/Summer Sanssouci Quintessence Past Review
By Valerie Blakely (Middlebury College) - abroad from 03/26/2019 to 07/31/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Potsdam
First my language skills got better, and I also had to become ok with speaking to people in less-than-perfect German, which is something I really struggled with prior to going to Germany. I reflected a lot about cultural differences and the experiences of people who move away from their homes forever and have to integrate into a place with a new language and culture. I think I developed a greater degree of sympathy for people with that experience. I also sort of developed a greater appreciation of how easy it is for me to speak English and live in my home culture.
Review Photos
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 definitely less rigorous than Middlebury, but since I was doing it all in German, I think that was a good thing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We were sometimes confused about the bureaucratic tasks that needed to be completed. Our program administration team was extremely kind and helpful, and I appreciated having frequent meetings and meals together. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was very comfortable and wasn't too far from campus. I shared a kitchen/bathroom/common space with three other girls and I didn't have to buy any kitchen-ware because the apartment already had a lot. |
| * Food: |
Our group had multiple meals together and they were always amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I definitely felt that I could bend in, and I felt less like an outsider as time went on, though I also think that living in a different culture than your home culture will always take a little more energy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any serious health issues, but when I got a cold my program director made sure to let me know that I could come to her for support if it got worse. |
| * Safety: |
Potsdam seemed very safe to me. I was only out at night a couple times, and I never really felt unsafe then. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Part of me wishes I had chosen Mainz because the town is so nice and it's in southern Germany and closer to France, and because that program was already fully established whereas the Potsdam program is new. But I am glad that I was in Potsdam. Potsdam is also a really nice & smallish town, and I am glad that I got to go into Berlin so much because it's such an incredibly interesting city. I also valued that our campus was pretty close to Potsdam's downtown area. |
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? | 150 |
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 |
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| 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 360 |
| 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? | It helped me a lot to watch Netflix in German because it kept me in German-mode, but it was also a relaxing thing I could do. |
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? | It would have been nice to have known that we would have a writing tutor who would be correcting our texts. That would have decreased my worry prior to the program a lot. |
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 AdventurerThe 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: |
Jean-Jaques Rousseau |
| Course Department: | Philosophy |
| Instructor: | Pierre-Héli Monot |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | We read four of Rousseau's books and had really interesting discussions about them. Everyone had to give a 5 minute presentation. The professor was really kind and the class was only about 12 people. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Technikethik |
| Course Department: | Philosophy |
| Instructor: | Felicitas Krämer |
| Instruction Language: | German |
| Comments: | We had really good conversations about the potential ethical implications of technology. The professor was really nice and welcoming. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
