Inaugural Year in Berlin Past Review
By A student (Cinema and Media Studies and German Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/20/2011 to 07/15/2012 with
Wellesley College: Wellesley-in-Berlin
I think this has be the most challenging and rewarding year of my life. I would do this year over in a heartbeat, but I would definitely do things differently. I learned so much not only about other cultures and language, but also about myself. Keep trying to make friends, even though it's hard. Persevere.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This experience was very academically challenging. We are expected to take 3 to 4 classes a semester and complete 12 page papers or exams in German for each class. I would say the academics were rigorous, though not impossible. It was very tough to get the full enjoyment out of the experience with such stress from the classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our on-site administration could not have been better. Heike Fahrenberg and her college Barbara Wagner are two of the most caring, devoted people I've ever meet. They express real concern for students during tough times and are genuinely excited about a students achievements and stories. They made the program what it is, and I think without them the program would lose almost all of its appeal. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing supplied by the program is less than desirable. The location may be a great proximity to the university, but it is very difficult to enjoy night life and younger culture. The dorms are situated in a distant, family-oriented neighborhood of Berlin. It's hard to get a feel for the city when there is no one on the street to see or interact with. I also felt that the facilities were subpar. While I don't need a pillow-top bed, I would need a place with working facilities and a cleaner building. |
| * Food: |
We were responsible for providing our own food. The food at the school was pretty decent and often the most for you money. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt pretty integrated into the culture. We were in class with Germans and interacted with them daily on the public transportation, but it was difficult making connections with them. I spent a semester singing in the school choir and still have very few German "connections" to speak of. Meeting Germans is hard, but this is of no fault of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was very simple and easy to use. The program utilized HTH Worldwide that has a very helpful website that lists doctors covered by their insurance. They had every doctor you could think of. Just be sure to make a claim before heading to the doctor's office, or it might be a bit tricky with the paperwork. Otherwise a seemingly painless process. |
| * Safety: |
Berlin is a very safe city. Upon returning home to a town of 100,000, I often felt more unsafe than I ever did in Berlin. I could comfortable walk down the street, late at night and by myself without any hesitation. |
| 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) |
I felt very comfortable living off my budget. I did splurge for alternative housing after several months in the provided housing which did take a big chunk of my budget, but I am very glad to have made that move. Food is relatively inexpensive in Berlin and one can get by with very little. I don't think I had to turn down too many events or trips due to limited funds. I did just scrape by in my last weeks, so don't forget those last few weeks may have some unexpected bills. |
| * 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? | I would say I spent about 75 euros a week on food and activities. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use your cultural money as much as possible. I always put off using the money in case of a larger fee that I would have to pay and ended up not utilizing all of my funds. If it's related to German culture at all, use the money. |
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 |
We signed a language pledge that stated we would only speak in German. Exceptions are made for parents and emergencies. |
| 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 239. One class outside of the intermediate German course. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | There is no real practice until you are there and it's all around you. The program director in Berlin, Barbara Wagner, did offer skype sessions before departure to practice your skills or to air any concerns before arriving. I, myself, did not utilize this resource, but others have spoken greatly of how much it helped them with their language and made them feel at ease from day 1. |
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? | I wish I had known just how much work would be expected of me. I had always heard that a year abroad was like a vacation from Wellesley. You're living internationally and your courses are much easier than the courses at Wellesley. This is simply not true with this program. That being said, I am very grateful for this and have improved my German skills tenfold. Just be ready. |
