Katie Hagen

Bayreuth August 2003

Program and Preparation for Study Abroad

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

Universität Bayreuth/IIK - Sprache und Gesellschaft; August 2003; summer after my freshman year

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

3 semesters in high school, 1 year at NU; enough to get by at first but a lot of room for improvement

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

I'm a journalism major in Medill and I'm using German as my 6-unit CAS concentration

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

hmm, none; I emailed with IIK and my host family before I left but that was it

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

I don't know if there is a course that could have prepared me. I wish there were a course centered around 'Deutsch Alltag' - everyday speaking tools that I didn't get in a classroom setting.

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

I wish I would have brushed up on my geography! There were people from all over the world and it would be really neat to know where exactly their country is.  Come prepared with a good knowledge of current things happening in the US. I was asked a lot of things about what it's like to live here, the inevitable political stuff, food, even basketball players.

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?

There were tons of opportunities to learn German every day, all day. But you have to take the initiative to actively engage in conversation in GERMAN with non-English speakers. I got out what I put in as far as language skills go.

There were 10-13 students in each class, separated by lang. proficiency and speaking level. 140 people (mostly students and some adults) in the program. About 20 teachers.

2. What were the strongest aspects of the program?

There was a lot of free time to get to know the other people there and get out and explore Bayreuth. We weren't locked away in classrooms all day. So I really learned more from the other kids in the program than from my classes. The organized weekend excursions made day trips hassle-free and fun. We went to Dresden, Nürnberg, and Weimar. There were dances every Friday night and a big Abschluss party at the end. We all made a typical food and sang songs from our countries. It was awesome to see how different everyone was.

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

My class had 2 teachers, which really hurt the continuity of the lessons. But this was an exception; most classes had just 1 teacher.  The students are really the ones who make or break the class. I learned more from them than the teachers.

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?

I lived with a family...a husband and wife in their mid-60s w/ 3 grown daughters who still live in the area. 2 other girls in the program lived there...a girl from mexico and one from japan. we each had our own rooms and ate breakfast and dinner there. Frau Bühl did our laundry each week and packed us lunches for the excursions. We each had a TV and a radio/cd player in our rooms. The house was always very clean and tidy. Shower was downstairs. The Bühls didn't speak any English, so it was speak German or perish. We always spoke German at home. But that‚s the whole point! Of course there was no need to be perfect. They'd help us figure out what we wanted to say. I'd recommend living with a family. It's a lot less lonely and you don't have to worry about making your food. Plus you get that much more speaking practice in.

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

Just about every day: buying tickets for the Bahn, explaining what you want to do and where you want to go in German. Dealing with the bus drivers was always fun (they‚re not bubbling over with helpful hints). Ordering ice cream, buying a movie ticket, buying shoes, etc. Act like you know exactly what you want and the store clerks will treat you like a German.

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

gone to Prague. I had a chance one weekend but timing was a little tight. All i've heard since I got back is how beautiful it is.

Location

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

Bayreuth is a beautiful picturesque town. Gorgeous and breath taking! Small and quaint. The Bahn station is really close. There's tons of parks and pretty places to go. However, the busses proved to be a hassle. They stopped running around midnight and it was a 45 minute walk from the university to my home. As with any town after dark, some strange people emerge. I usually had someone to walk with, so I rarely had to cut the evening short.

Travel

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

One weekend we went to Weimar and the concentration camp Buchenwald. As tragic as this visit was, I really got a lot of seeing it all. We went to Nürnberg and Dresden as well. I also took a day trip to München. It was gorgeous and full of life!

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'm in intermediate grammar and comp (205) now but I'm not really benefitting from the speaking in class. 3 hours of german a week can't compare to all day every day. i'm planning to a german lit. class sometime too.

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

I don't think I'm getting any real credit for this course. I just did it for the heck of it.

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

no change

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

No question about it, do it! It was a scary experience (mostly before I got there) but I got so much out of it. I gained a whole new perspective on people and living.

Budget

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

Program Costs  tuition-500 euros

Housing 500 euros w/ a family, 200 euros in a Studentwohnheim

Food breakfast and dinner included if you stay with a family; lunch was about 4 euros a day at the uni. I'm guessing about 250 euros for the month if you live elsewhere. even though i lived in a family i still ended up buying some food every day and on weekends...so bring enough spending money. So count about $500 for everything else you‚re gonna buy.

Flight to Europe $880 plus $100 for the train (roundtrip) to and from the Frankfurt airport and Bayreuth

Transportation in town  busses are kostenlos! taxis are a little steep

Books and materials $0 - everything was provided

Incidental expenses $___________

TOTAL $2600

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

Even though things are generally less expensive there, you‚re bound to buy more things just b/c you‚re doing a little of the tourist thing, not just living. If you like to bring home gifts for friends and family, go new places and try lots of new things while you‚re there, bring enough money to do that comfortably. I‚d say about $500.

Practical Advice

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

Europe was in a heatwave of the centuryˇit was over 100 degress every day for two weeks. Fair warning, don‚t use Yahoo weather. Bring sunblockˇGerman sunblock doesn‚t come higher than a 13 spf rating.

You‚ll be doing a lot of walking, so bring a good pair of tennis. Bring flip-flops too, if it‚s as hot as it was, you‚ll need them.

Try every kind of wurst and beer possible! They‚re all so good and different!

Don‚t spend your summer stressing out about what you don‚t know. Everyone was at different levels in the program, so you‚ll probably find yourself somewhere in the middle. Your language skills are better than you think.

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

I realized how little I need to live, compared to my lifestyle here. I did without certain amenities and everything was just fine. I didn‚t realize how well I‚d adjusted until I got back.

3. Why would you encourage another student to consider studying abroad?

It‚s amazing to find out how other people live! I have so many friends in other countries right now that I wouldn‚t otherwise have made.

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.

Studying abroad is a big risk and requires a lot of courage to step out on a limb and just do it. A lot of people probably never go because they‚re scared to get outside their comfort zone. Not knowing what to expect is scary for them.

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

no