Magic Past Review
By Colette T (University of Tennessee - Knoxville) - abroad from 08/17/2014 to 12/10/2014 with
Philipps-Universität / University of Marburg: Marburg -International Undergraduate Study Program / IUSP
Marburg is like living in a fairytale. I gained independence and learned so much about myself. I cannot describe to you how amazing this place is, you just have to go.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
LOL the culture class. aside from the weekend trips which were amazing, it was painful. The business classes I took there were not very well organized and often canceled which left a lot of time to travel. To make up for it, the professor took us to wine and Schnitzel which was amazing. The language class was very intense though. You will learn a lot of German. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone is very loving and helpful. Such an amazing staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were all split up around the city so where you lived was luck of the draw. Wehrda was the farthest away from the city center, and the bus took about 30 to 40 minutes, but it was very quiet and the rooms and kitchens were very nice. |
| * Food: |
The bakeries are amazing, and the mensa (student cafe) was ok. It had cheap food, but got old very fast. You are better off going grocery shopping and cooking for yourself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made many German friends. The university has a program where they set you up with a German student to meet for coffee and practice your language skills. Just riding trains and talking to local people will teach you so much too. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There is a hospital very near by which I went to with a friend. They were very efficient as you would expect a German emergency room would be. I have never seen anything like it. The program makes sure you have proper health coverage. |
| * Safety: |
So So So safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
You can budget well, I was just bad at it. I had a lot of time to travel so I traveled almost every weekend, which cost money. In addition, the student food gets really old after about a month and going out to eat can get expensive. If you want to save money, cook for yourself. (Beer is cheap), the state train pass is a lifesaver |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | cook for yourself, get group state train passes ( you can put 5 people on them and travel anywhere in a state if you want to go out of Hessen it is the best way), buy wine from aldi and sit by the river instead of bars (it is way cheaper and more fun) |
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 |
The language course is very intensive, but my classes were in english with american students. My close friends were american. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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 |
| 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? | Tandem partners and speaking only German to your friends for at least an hour, or on trips we would only speak German |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | Pack light. You don't need that much stuff. Open your mind. |
