Timeless Memories in a Timeless City Past Review
By Sarah M (International Business., University of Nevada - Reno) - abroad from 01/07/2013 to 04/26/2013 with
USAC Germany: Lüneburg - German Language, European and Sustainability/Environmental Studies
It was absolutely worthwhile! Aside from learning German, a whole new language to me, I learned a lot about myself from being completely out of my comfort zone and facing a lot of new challenges
Review Photos
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. |
German language classes are intensive and fast-paced, but the teachers are amazing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The office staff is always friendly and willing to help. Their door is always open. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very nice and helped me integrate into the culture and practice German. I had full access to a fully-stocked kitchen, and a very nice private room. |
| * Food: |
Meals are generally not included with housing but the campus cafeteria has affordable meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
USAC classes are not held with other German students, but by living with German roommates or a host family, it is easier to integrate into culture. There are also plenty of opportunities on campus to meet Germans and integrate. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
USAC has a connection with a doctor in Lueneburg that can be reached day or night, and will make room in her schedule to see you right away when you have a health issue. She is also available for house calls if you cannot make it to her office. USAC's insurance will reimburse you for any medical related charges. |
| * Safety: |
Lueneburg is a very safe city. It is small, and very touristy, so during high tourist season you may want to be watchful of pickpockets. |
| 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) |
It can be very easy to live cheaply in Lueneburg. I bought all my food for less than 20 euros a week at Aldi, and public transport in Lueneburg is completely free for students. Also, students can use their student pass to travel in Lower Saxony for free. You can make a lot of weekend trips for no more than the cost of food and souvenirs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of your student pass to travel in Lower Saxony for free, and be sure to ask about student discounts wherever you go. RyanAir flies out of Bremen, which can be reached easily by train from Lueneburg. You can also sign up for a 4 month trial of a DeutscheBahn 25 card, which will get you 25 percent discount on trains at no cost (just be sure to cancel your membership). Shop at Aldi for low-price good quality food, the other stores are much more expensive. |
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 |
I was in Track I, beginning German, so I was in class actively using German 16 hours a week. There are several courses taught in German for higher level students. Students have the opportunity to sign up for a language partner to meet and speak with. Additionally, the staff have buttons available to students that say "Heute spreche ich nur Deutsch" or "Today I speak only German," with a chart keeping track of students who participate by speaking only German for a whole day. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | 0 |
| 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? | Expose yourself to German movies, books, and of course people! Find a German to practice with - a language partner, roommate, host family, or just a friend. The only way to improve your language is to practice with those who speak it. Don't be afraid of making mistakes when you speak, make them and learn from them. Most people realize you're learning and are willing to let you try, so don't let being nervous keep you form talking to people. Also, sign up for courses taught in German, it forces you to use the language in different ways. Finally, if you're in Track I, stick with it. It starts off hard, but it gets easier and by the end you know so much. |
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? | Bring warm clothes, it is cold during the winter. Travel around and see places, but also don't ignore Lueneburg, it's a really unique city, get to know it while you can. |
