John Turk
B.A. History, June 2002
Hochschule Bremen, July 2001
Bauhaus Universität Weimar, August 2001

Program and Preparation for Study Abroad

1. Where and when did you study abroad? (Which program ?)

Hochschule Bremen, Bremen, in July. The Europäische Sommerakademie at the Bauhaus Universität, Weimar, in August.

2. How much German did you know before you left for Europe?

I had 3 years of college-level German.

3. What was your major and how did German fit in with your overall academic plans?

History. Knowing another language can't hurt when looking at law or grad. school, or even if you want to research German history.

4. What foreign contacts did you have before studying abroad?

None

5. Which courses do you wish you had taken before leaving for Europe?

I think I took the right ones for language prep. I would highly recommend Frau Lys' Advanced Conversation course.

6. How do you feel you could better have prepared yourself for your study abroad experience?

You might want to try reading some magazine articles in German on topics that interest you. I've found that helps build your vocabulary.

Program Description

1. How would you describe and evaluate this study abroad program and the opportunities it provided for learning German? How many students in a class? How many students in the entire program? Teachers? Special features? Positive aspects? Negative aspects?

Both Bremen and Weimar had great programs. Bremen had 15 students per class; Weimar had 10 students/class. In both cases the instruction centered around speaking and listening comprehension. Bremen had extra courses in Grammar and Translation.

My teacher in Weimar gave us lessons in phonetics so that everyone could improve their accents.

2. What were the strongest aspects of the program?

All my teachers in both programs loved teaching foreigners their native language, you could tell they enjoyed their jobs.

Both programs also had plenty of side trips to places like Berlin, Hameln (the "Pied Piper" town), etc.

3. Where do you feel the study abroad program needs improvement?

Keep encouraging students to put aside their fears and just go. The German dept. truly does an excellent job in promoting study abroad.

4. How would you describe the housing? (Where did you live? Who else lived there? Were there cooking facilities or a meeting room with T.V? Was there much opportunity to practice German?

In Breman, another student and I lived in the house of an older man. In Weimar, there were dorms everyone lived in with kitchenettes.

5. Describe a memorable experience where you made effective use of your German.

After the Weimar program ended, I traveled around Germany for a week. I never had to worry about getting lost because I could always ask for directions in German (and understand them). Plus, native Germans are always impressed with an American who speaks their language.

6. What do you wish you had done while studying abroad?

Met more Germans, actually. Obviously, the people taking "Deutsch als Fremdsprache" aren't Germans, so I met a lot of people from places other than Germany.

Location

What were the advantages or disadvantages of the town or city where the program is based?

Bremen is a good introductory city to Germany, because it's not overwhelmingly huge, but also not small enough so that you're bored. There were discos, a beach, etc. for fun.

Travel

1. What were the most memorable and valuable trips which you took during your stay abroad?

Traveling Germany on a rail pass was exciting, especially meeting people in the youth hostels. I actually never completely felt like a "foreigner" until I went to Amsterdam, because I didn't speak Dutch, whereas in Germany I could at least converse in the language.

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?

German 310-4, and hopefully other 300-levels.

2. How did you get credit for the academic work you did in Europe?

I didn't ask for credit for my courses.

3. How did your academic plans change, if at all, after you returned to Northwestern?

I began to think more seriously about finishing up a German minor.

4. What advice would you have for students contemplating study abroad?

If ever want to really learn a language, you have to study abroad.

Budget

1. Please provide a basic budget for prospective students. What is the minimum needed to participate in the program?

Program Costs $___800_(less my scholarship)_______
Housing $___400________
Food $___10/day________
Flight to Europe $___900________
Transportation in town $__30 per month_________
Books and materials $__free_________
Incidental expenses $__10/day_________

TOTAL $___________

2. How did you find the cost of living in Europe? What financial advice would you give prospective participants?

I went on a DAAD summer grant, which paid for the program and room in Bremen. If you go in the summer, you can't expect cheap airfares. You should estimate $25.00 per day for living expenses.

Practical Advice

1. List the three most important things that you wish someone had told you before leaving.

Be on guard for some anti-American thought, mainly directed against what American companies do overseas.

On German public transit systems, unlike in the U.S., you don't have to show a ticket upon boarding the subway or Straßenbahn. But, there are spot checks, and if you don't have a valid ticket, you're fined DM 60 and are liable to arrest (it never happened to me).

2.What special things did you discover during your stay that other students might profit from knowing?

Even though the stereotype is that Americans don't know much about what's happening in the world, Europeans, i found, don't always know what's happening in the U.S. or even where cities and states are located.

In the old DDR Länder you'll meet people, including my teacher in Weimar, who are troubled by the the "broken promise" of capitalism. It's fascinating to hear them talk about how sometimes life was nicer under Communist rule (and you should remember that such talk does not make people Communists).

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.

I didn't know my major until sophomore year, so I hesitated doing junior-year abroad because I didn't know if I'd be sure to like my classes. Plus, I knew my language ability wasn't up to par after sophomore year. I needed junior year to feel comfortable enough with my language skills to go to Germany.

5. Did you find any work or internship opportunities during your stay in Germany?

I didn't look.