IUSP Marburg: An Experience Not Worth Missing Past Review
By Cathryn S (Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics., Western Washington University) for
Philipps-Universität / University of Marburg: Marburg -International Undergraduate Study Program / IUSP
My study abroad experience was totally worthwhile and has changed my plans for after graduation and the future. Before studying abroad, my plans for the future were blurry and undefined, but I now have much more solid plans that were directly influenced by studying abroad. It has certainly given me a much better idea of where I see myself after graduation and helped show me that living abroad would not be as difficult as I imagined.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Because of the arrangement of the university within the city, the dorms were all at least a five minute bus ride or ten minute walk away from the city center, if not farther; this did not cause any problems, because the buses ran pretty frequently and were specifically set up for student transportation. The neighborhood that I lived in was safe, as well as the other neighborhoods that the other dorms were in. I did not have to buy anything to settle in; sheets and blankets were included, and most kitchens already had cookware and silverware for use. |
| * Food: |
The food provided at the Mensa was of alright quantity, but usually did not meet my quality standards, so I normally ate at cheap restaurants around the city center. There were numerous döner stands around and the restaurant Salädchen was cheap and tasty! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trips we took with the program to Berlin, Dresden, & Lübeck were tons of fun, because it gave the whole program a chance to travel together and get to know one another. We took tours and did cultural stuff during the day, then were set loose in the city during the night to do what we pleased; most often the group would go to a club or bar and have fun! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The host city was overall very safe; never once did I experience any safety-related issues within the city nor did I hear of any. My experience with the healthcare system was quick and easy; at the very beginning, the program had recommended doctors who spoke English and gave us their phone numbers and addresses, so dealing with health-related issues was very easy. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We could practice the language with others in the program, as well as with teachers and students who worked with the program. We tried to use the language in everyday interactions, but found that most people spoke English and would speak English back to us. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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