 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Other names:
Free University of Berlin
Contact: +49 30 838 73 401
Freie Universität Berlin (FU BERLIN)
Kaiserswerther Straße 16-18, 14195 Berlin, Germany
4.12 / 5 based on 186 reviews.
86% of students recommend
186 reviews
Freie Universität Berlin review by Jordan
Review by Jordan, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, United States
International Relations, School for International Training: Central European Studies 
HOUSING
Personal assessment
Type of housing: With a family
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? See below.
Personal comments:
While I honed some language skills through living with a German family, the members of the family were not exceedingly social and remained mostly quiet during meals, leisure time, etc. The adults did not make much money as sustainable developers, and were terrible alcoholics. The histrionic behaviour of their two children demonstrated how neglected they felt by their parents. Yet, the location was great and by the end I was spending more time out in the city practicing German and less time at the home. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
STUDENT LIFE
Personal social experience
Describe host city: Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment Personal comments:
none This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
ACADEMIC
3.5 / 5
My academic experiences
Course recommendations:
My opinion of the university assessment
Personal comments:
none This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't. Was learning German a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my German How much did you improve your German?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
The homestay portion of the experience was designed to bring students directly into the host culture. Yet, as I stated before, my host family was not very social and did not make time to speak with me at length, which enabled me to go out more and speak with locals, which had its own problems. The majority of Germans speak some if not perfect English, thus attempting to practice with them was often futile. Ultimately, I feel that after four months in Germany, my language capabilities did improve. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
EXPENSES
The accessibility of student needs
Main source of funding:
Family Other sources of funding:
Personal savings Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work Personal spending habits:
In Berlin, food, housing, and nightlife and far less expensive than in New York. Travel, Telephone: was the same price as at home. Food, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
The Deutsche Bahn was quite expensive, yet I was able to get a German Railpass from the U.S. to cover individual trip costs. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
OVERALL
Important to choosing this university...
I wish I had known...
No. In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.
During my experience abroad, I ...
Personal recommendation:
SIT is a wonderful program and I recommend it for those wishing to experience actual culture, even when it shocks, surprises, or upsets you. FINAL COMMENTS
When you choose to be an internationally-oriented person, you must endure all aspects of a foreign culture, whether or not they agree with your own cultural sensibilities. SIT gives you the chance to go to another place, experience an unfamiliar culture in a homestay while avoiding the heterogeneity of Western university life, and become far more independent. The excursions to Poland, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia & Montenegro gave me a firsthand perspective on both societies that have grown immensely since large scale conflicts, and those that are still in the aftermath. While my homestay might not have been subjectively the most enjoyable part, it allowed me to expand my consciousness about class in German society and how this manifests on the familial level. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
|
Mobility Sponsors
|
|
About iAgora
iAgora provides university reviews and ratings by international graduates, Erasmus and exchange students. International rankings and admission details to graduate programmes like masters, MSc, MBAs and summer courses at Freie Universität Berlin and other business schools and universities.
© 2012
iAgora Europa, S.L
|
|
Company
iAgora Blog
About iAgora Advertise on iAgora Hotel bookings |
|
Work
All job opportunities
All Companies Jobs, Internships Marketing/Sales offers CV guides Leonardo Grants Publish job offers |
|
Studies
All Universities
Advertise your programs Login to iAgora Education |
|
Languages
All language schools
Learn Spanish Learn English Learn French Advertise your school |
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
