Nice city, terrible program, would not do it again. Past Review
By Student (New York University) - abroad from 08/03/2018 to 08/28/2018 with
University of Konstanz: Konstanz - Bodensee Summer School (Lake Constance Summer School)
It's not worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not a good place to learn German since everyone prefers to speak English. Almost everything about the program was communicated to us only in English. There is a huge fraction of total beginners, so you're surrounded by people who don't speak any German during all the excursions. The lectures were badly organized. The tutors are disrespectful. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing from Seezeit is horrible. I was placed into Schürmann and had to take two buses to get to the uni. Roommates were loud and inconsiderate. The laundry in the basement was not well-maintained. There is an elevator in the building but it was broken and no one came to fix it. |
| * Food: |
The food in the Mensa is below average and pricey. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
Konstanz is a safe city, and indeed a really nice place to live. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Not a good place to learn German since everything was communicated to you in English and there are a lot of total beginners who don't speak any German. |
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) |
Konstanz is not a very expensive city - as long as you don't eat out everyday. |
| 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? | Use Bodenseeticket and Baden-Württemberg ticket to travel. Rent a bike from the Uni. |
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 |
Everything was communicated in English. In the classroom the teacher only spoke German but was not strict enough to ensure everyone spoke only German, given that my class was at C1 level. |
| 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? | C1 |
| 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? | Don't take part in this program if you already know some German. If you are a totally beginner, want to party and live a good life in Konstanz, then this program may be for you. |
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
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Too many total beginners that made the German learning experience unpleasant. Some tutors don't speak German. Lectures were horrible. |
