A fun year away that was educational even outside of school. Past Review
By Jacob B (English/German, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 09/01/2011 to 07/11/2012 with
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse: Frankfurt - Germany Exchange Program
Gained a lot of experience and language skills. Gained a new appreciation for other cultures that could not be experienced, for example, on a vacation.
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 |
Administration was largely unhelpful and hands-off. The unavailability of the study abroad officer/representative didn't help at all. On the plus side, this encourages independence and forces students to figure things out that may be outside of their normal comfort zone but when a question really needed answering there was rarely help to be found. I ended up looking to my fellow students for help but even they were often left in the dark by the administration. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| * 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? | food=$50, recreational travel=$50 (avg. bi weekly), general rec=$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get the Goethe card as soon as possible (Goethe Uni) as it will save tons of money on municipal travel. If buying municipal tickets, you save more by buying a longer (e.g. weekly) ticket. Student fares on inter-city trains on weekends or in groups are really cheap (24 hr unlimited pass for all of Germany=$10-$20 per person).By researching express train ticket (ICE) deals ahead of time I saved was able to get $200 tickets for $25. Do your research and it will always pay off. |
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 |
German language classes for exchange students were exclusively taught in German. Masters classes in other subject areas are often taught in English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 200 level |
| 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? | Meet foreign students through the Study Abroad mixers or student run parties. It is easier to learn a foreign language with other students of the language who may or may not speak English. This also takes the pressure of off practicing. |
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? | 0 |
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? | Some of the hidden costs and expenses of the transfer/visa/living abroad process. The hidden transportation deals. |
