Experience of a Life time Past Review
By A student (Valparaiso University) - abroad from 01/11/2012 to 05/15/2012 with
Valparaiso University: Reutlingen - Hochschule Reutlingen
I gained so many things from my experiences. It was definitely worthwhile and then some. I learned more about the culture in both Germany and the US. I have learned to give more respect to the international students that come to the US. I have gain more confidence in myself. I have learned about different European cultures.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I thought that there was a lot more outside the classroom work; more than I expected. I found that at times it was too much and I wasn't really able to experience some cultural experiences during the week as a result. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought that Herr Veit was excellent at making sure we were invited to many international programs as well as that the program was running smoothly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed the dorms and being able to interact with other international students. |
| * Food: |
We had to cook for ourselves. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Like I said I wish we had a little more time during the week to experience the town and surrounding area. I understand that I could have done this over the weekend but to be realistic we wanted to experience other areas too. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They were and there was never any health issues that needed to be addressed when studying abroad. |
| * 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? | Yes |
| * 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? | Around 50 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try and not to spend too much money on eating out and things like that when you are at school that way you are able to spend money when you are traveling. Also if you make meals with other people it sometimes saves money as well. |
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 |
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| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| 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? | Try incorporating the language in everyday activities. |
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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* 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? | More of the legal information about living abroad, like student visas and more about common cultural differences between Germany and the U.S. |
