Maureen (Mary) Biermann
Innsbrück, Ilmenau & Bremen: Summer 1999
Program and Preparation for Study Abroad
1. Where and when did you study abroad? (Which program ?)
In July and August of 1999, I did three summer German language programs. Each one lasted 3 weeks: Universitaet Innsbruck (Austria), Universitaet Ilmenau (Germany), and Hochschule Bremen (Germany)
2. How much German did you know before you left for Europe?
I had taken only A01, first year German.
3. What was your major and how did German fit in with your overall academic plans?
I just wanted to learn the language.
4. What foreign contacts did you have before studying abroad?
My roommate at NU spoke German and has relatives there. I spent two weeks together with her family in Switzerland between the second and third programs I did.
5. Which courses do you wish you had taken before leaving for Europe?
The programs that I did were built well even for students with little German (like me!). So even with only one year of the language, I never felt like I was in over my head.
6. How do you feel you could better have prepared yourself for your study abroad experience?
I think I was well prepared. The first week was tough, but I kept an open mind. I was homesick and had difficulty communicating because my language skills were not very strong in the beginning. But because I tried to speak a lot even though I wasn't very good at it, I learned quickly, and after the first week I didn't have any problems.
Program Descriptions:
Innsbruck:
The city is wonderful. It is a small city, but large for an Austrian town. It has a thriving night life and youth culture, but also a lot of history and museums. Austria (as I was to find out) is quite different from Germany. I did not have any problems with the difference in dialect spoken there, however.
The program I did lasted three weeks, but there also is a six week option. I lived in a well-equipped (TV, kitchen, game room) dormitory with other students, both regular University students and students in the program with me. This was good for socializing. The students were from all over the world, and I was the only American, so I learned alot about other cultures.
The program itself was very large (200+ students). This was somewhat detrimental, because individual attention was minimal. There were not many events scheduled during our free time, and if there were, they tended to be expensive. We were therefore often left on our own to find things to do. Since I had just arrived and was still struggling with the language, I felt like a little more structure would have been beneficial.
The classes and the professors were very serious. Homework was assigned nightly, attendance was expected to be perfect, and grades were given at the end of this course.
I would suggest this course for someone whose language skills are already strong, who wants an academic challenge, and who can manage without a structured free-time program.
Ilmenau:
This program took place at the Technical University of Ilmenau. Ilmenau is a small town in the middle of the rolling hills of Thueringen, in the former East Germany. This program was by far the best one of the three I did.
The program was three weeks long, and there were about 50 students. We got a lot of individual attention because of this, and also everyone knew everyone else, and the group was very tight. I was one of two Americans.
I lived in a dormitory with a roommate. The program had numerous events, parties, movies, field trips, day trips to various other towns, and extra optional classes planned daily. 95% of these activities were free, because the program runs on both its students tuition and a money supplement from the German government. So outside of regular classtime, I was never bored and had a lot of opportunity to practice conversation and to meet people.
The classes were laid back but well taught. Attendance was not mandatory, and missing a few days to travel or have fun or just sleep in was accepted. The classes lasted for about 4 hours in the mornings. In the afternoons were optional classes on Grammer, conversation, vocabulary, and lectures on German culture and politics. These were all very interesting, and totally optional.
One of the most outstanding aspects of this course, and an aspect that differentiates it from the other courses that I did, was that it had about 8 native German students from Ilmenau who went to classes with us and who participated in all our activities and just hang out with us. Therefore we had the opportunity to have more contact with native speakers our own age. This was great, and some of the best friends I met this summer were the German students I spent time here.
This program is great. I suggest it very strongly for anyone from beginner speakers to advanced. I learned the most here simply because I had the most interaction with other speakers, both native and non-native, and I learned a lot about the spoken language. It is a great program to go to if you just want to have fun and improve your fluency and knowledge of Germany.
Hochschule Bremen (Not to be confused with the Universitaet Bremen program):
Bremen is an awesome city. It is pretty big, and has a very unique nautical culture, because it is in North Germany and right near the sea. This program is worthwhile just because the city is so beautiful, and very exciting. It is also near enough to the Netherlands and Berlin to take weekend trips.
This program lasted four weeks, but I stayed for only three, because NU classes started. This wasn't a problem, and the program people were okay with it.
I lived in an apartment with a roomate. It was far from campus (we had to take the bus). None of the housing was very close to campus. In fact, the dorms, were some students stayed, were about an hour busride.
There were morning classes for four hours, and optional grammer, conversation, and culture classes in the afternoon. They were good because the students were all very into them, but the teachers sometimes seemed a little apathetic.
There was not a very well-structured free time program. At this point I was okay finding things to do with my roommate and other friends, because I no longer had any language inhibitions. There is also quite a lot to do in Bremen, because it is a fair-sized city. When we couldn't find anything to do, a group of us would get together and cook dinner or have a little party and just hang out.
This program is probably better for students who are secure in their German, who want to socialize more than study while they are in Germany (which is definitely good for fluency skills), and who can handle navigating there way through a larger city without too many problems.
Location
What were the advantages or disadvantages of the town or city where the program is based?
Each place I studied had its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Ilmenau was pretty safe and the people were friendly because it has a population of around 20,000. Bremen has more crime, but is larger and so there was more for me to explore there on my own. Innsbruck is surrounded by mountains, and is good for hiking. None of the places had any glaring detriments, and they were all very unique.
Travel
1. What were the most memorable and valuable trips which you took during your stay abroad?
I took a few weekend trips by myself, which really forced me to use my German and face any fears I had about using it. From Innsbruck I traveled to a small town in Switzerland to visit some friends for a weekend. From Bremen I traveled to Augsburg (a very long trip!), again to visit a friend. Taking these small trips by myself were very liberating, slightly frightening, and very fun. If you're confident that you can handle traveling alone, I suggest finding somewhere not too far away, finding a youth hostel there, and just going.
Back at Northwestern
1. Which courses did you take or do you plan to take to complement or expand on what you have done in Europe?
I came back with good enough German to take an Intro to Lit class (B01). Now I am taking Intro to Grammer and Composition. My fluency and listening comprehension were definitely the areas that increased the most for me over the summer. Now I am trying to supplement that with reading, writing, and grammer skills.
2. How did you get credit for the academic work you did in Europe?
I did not opt to get credit, since I do not need it to fulfill any requirements. However, it is possible to get credit, if you talk to your department head.
3. How did your academic plans change, if at all, after you returned to Northwestern?
I am very interested in studying in Germany or Switzerland after I graduate. At the very least, I would like to return for a while.
4. What advice would you have for students contemplating study abroad?
Do it. It is cheaper than taking German at Northwestern over the summer. Remember to pack lightly.
Budget
1. Please provide a basic budget for prospective students. What is the minimum needed to participate in the program?
Program Costs $500(Ilmenau), 600(Bremen), 700(Innsbruck)
Housing $0 - Included in program costs (about$100-200 of above numbers)
Food $75 for three weeks, if you don't eat out often.
Flight to Europe $700-800
Transportation in town $0 in Ilmenau (small town!), 10-30 in Innsbruck and Bremen (buses).
Books and materials $0 - included in program costs
Incidental expenses $800 (for 9 weeks)- this ranges based on what you want to do. I'd say, $50-100 per week
TOTAL Three weeks: $1500
Nine weeks: $3000 (about what I spent)
2. How did you find the cost of living in Europe? What financial advice would you give prospective participants?
Cheap food, cheap housing, cheap classes. Compare with price of taking 3 credits of German at NU for the summer: $5000 classes, $1000 housing, plus food and books. That's twice the price of actually going to Germany and learning German there.
Practical Advice
1. List the three most important things that you wish someone had told you before leaving.
Pack lightly. Don't be scared of talking alot. Pack lightly, very very lightly.
2.What special things did you discover during your stay that other students might profit from knowing?
It is so much easier to learn a language when you are actually submerged in it. I learned AT LEAST the equivalent of second year college German while I was there. It is also beneficial to stay as long as possible. The speed with which my German got better accelerated as I was there; I learned more in the last three weeks than I did in the first three.
3. Why would you encourage another student to consider studying abroad?
It is awesome. I learned German more quickly than I thought possible. Plus, in the programs I did, I met people from all over the world. Only two other students were from America. My roommates were from Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. My friends were from Italy, France, Japan, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Madagascar, Spain, Ireland, Poland, China, Georgia, Mozambique, Australia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Albania. And other places as well. All of these students from all over the world just came together to learn German and to hang out. I got such an awesome world view in these programs. You want diversity? This is diversity. And we all had so many arguments about culture and politics and feminism and racism and war. Some of the best arguments I had were with my best friends.
4.Why do you think that so few American students study abroad and what could the German Department or Study Abroad Office do to encourage students to study abroad.
Emphasize that the summer programs are more affordable than the winter ones. They are also less academically stressful (I think). They are an opportunity to totally remove yourself from American culture and to get a taste of the rest of the world.
5. Did you find any work or internship opportunities during your stay in Germany?
No, but I made enough friends that if I wanted to find some, I would have some help. My German friends are right now helping me find a place to study at in Germany after I graduate.
Final Statement:
Ilmenau was by far the best structured and most fun program that I did, as well as the cheapest. I suggest this program above the other ones, and I can't imagine how any program anywhere would top it. However, even a poorly structured program (like Bremen) still can manage to be awesome. I don't think you can go wrong studying abroad, because the people that you meet and the experiences you have outside of the classes usually teach you more than the lessons in grammer and culture. I can honestly say I learned more about German and more in general by talking to people than by sitting in the classroom. Just remember to be open-minded, don't be scared of talking even if your German stinks (like mine did at first), and--most important of all--pack lightly.
Maureen Biermann
m-biermann@nwu.edu or mmbiermann@hotmail.com
864-6488
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