Abenteuer in the Schwarzwald Past Review

By (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 04/01/2012 to 07/31/2012 with

University of Freiburg: Freiburg - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained so many new friendships, the ability to adapt to pretty much anything and a unique look into German culture that most people don't ever get to see. Freiburg is a wonderful place and I would choose to study there again over any other place in Germany.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall the course load is much lower than at UT, but you take more classes (5-6). Also classes are generally once a week for 2 hours. Most tests and papers are due at the end of the semester. The university offers a wide range of classes and overall the professors were really good. There is another institure that partners with the university (you can earn ECTS credits) called SprachLehr Institute (SLI). It offers language classes tailored to your level with some classes offered at night. For UT students you'll have to pay extra for these classes (some are free though). This is a great program because most of the university classes are C level, aka for fluent speakers whereas the SLI classes are made for students learning German (or any other language you want to study).

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

If you're not an Erasmus student or part of a program, you are basically on your own. Part of the study abroad experience is learning how to do everything in a foreign country and making mistakes and working with other confused international students to navigate the extremely complex bureaucracy that Germany has to offer. However don't think that UT will help prepare you in any way- the best idea is to talk to someone who has recently been on the same exchange program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a student dorm (Wohnheim) called Studenten Siedlung (StuSie). My buildin ghad 3 floors, some were much larger with 10-12 floors. On my floor, there were 12 people, each with individual rooms. There were 3.5 bathrooms and a shared kitchen, dinning area and porch. In my building there was a nice mix of Germans and other international students and everyone was really friendly. Overall it was super messy and left much to be desired. However behind the maze of StuSie buildings, there is a beautiful lake and wonder park areas where students are constantly hanging out and grilling (Germans love to grill) all spring and summer. There is also a service point where you can print, scan, fax, copy stuff, rent mattresses, and grills and buy washer & dryer tokens. However it is only open for 2 hours each day. There is also a room where they show movies or have parties (with an full bar). There is also a gym and music room.

* Food:

The University campus is spread out throughout the city with the main liberal arts part being in the downtown/Innenstadt area. Scattered along with the university areas are Mensas or student cafeterias. Once you put money on your Uni card, you can eat there. The main Mensa (Rempartstrasse) is near the central part of the Uni. They serve lunch with multiple options (always a veggie option) for around 3 euros. There is also a buffet option (priced by weight) that will cost around 3-5 euros depending on how hungry you are. While the food is not great, it is cheap and much better than the food i've had in UT cafeterias. They also serve dinner (buffet style only). There is also a Mensa Garten which is basically a beer garten on the side of the building. Many events are held there- when i was there every Euro Cup game was shown for free. There is also a bar inside- but i'd suggest going elsewhere for good drinks and a better atmosphere.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The University of Freiburg is very diverse, with a large population of international students (around a third). Although there are so many internationals, they mainly hang out with each other- which is fine. There is a tandem speaking program to help you find someone to practice your German (or any other language) with. And believe me, they definitely want to practice their already perfect English.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It was nice that UT makes each students purchase study abroad health insurance, because it is required in Germany (and more expensive and complicated there). However i didn't really use it.

* Safety:

Freiburg is ridiculously safe- except for bicycle theft which is quite rampant. Everyone owns a bike and even if it's locked up- at least part of it is sure to go missing at some point. Also you have to watch out for the Bächle, which are little streams of clean water running along the streets throughout the Innenstadt. If you fall into one, you will marry a Freiburger...which could be good or bad...

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

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)

It is really easy to live on a student budget in Germany. While you lose money convertin gyour dollars to euros, the housing is fairly cheap (~250/mo). Food prices are around the same as in the US (but in euros) Eating out is similar (except no free water or refills and 2-3 euors 0.2 liter cokes).

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100 Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you travel wisely- hostels, ryanair... you can stretch your money pretty far. Also eating at the Mensa a few times a week can really strengthen that budget. There is also a website (mitfahrgemeinschaft) for carpooling- when someon esay is heading to berlin for the weekend, they will post the times and price and you can hitch a ride for fairly cheap. Also if you Buy a Semester Ticket for the regional transport in and around Freiburg, you can get to a lot of places for no additional cost. Deutsche Bahn is fairly expensive, but you can get deals like the SparPreis and the Bahn card that can save you 25 or 50%.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? Ger 346L
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's really up to you how much immersion you want. You are free to take classe sin German or English (and there are many classes offered in English). Most Germans also speak pretty good English and will want to practice. If you want to improve your German- you'll have to insist on speaking it and make German friends, not international ones (who will speak English because everyone can). SLI classes are also a good way to work on your German skills at a level you are more comfortable with. Also try to find a tandem speaking partner.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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 city- Freiburg is awesome!
* What could be improved?
  • Preparation for studying aborad is crucial and UT coul dhave been more helpful- also the lack of a connection between Uni Freiburg and UT made it very difficult to choose the best classes and get all of my paper work done correctly
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had stayed for a year instead of just a semester. By the time the first semester has ended, you've just figured things out, gotten used to life in Germany and have started to really working on improving your German. It's a once in a lifetime experience and 4 months is just too short.