Berlin. The Everchanging City Past Review

By (HISTORY., Trinity University) for

New York University: Berlin - NYU in Berlin

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Absolutely.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Our apartments were broken into at the end of the semester. However, NYU is moving apartment complexes to a safer neighborhood, so it shouldn't be a problem in the future. They were quick to respond and hired a guard to patrol 24/7 after the break-in (even though I thought there should have been some security before).

* Food:

Berlin has a ton of food options and any dietary restrictions can be easily accomodated. Every type of food is available.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Although the apartments were broken into, I typically felt safe in the city. I wouldn't reccomend walking around alone at night as a female, but during the day I never felt in danger.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I budgeted 250 euros a week. I spent a little less than this during a typical week but this allowed me to have money budgeted to travel on.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Track every euro you spend. It doesn't take much time and really helps you know where you are.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Although many Germans spoke English, it was nice to be learning elementary German in order to communicate more easily. Also, the Germans seemed to appreciate our attempts to speak with them.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you aren't from New York, I wouldn't reccommend it.