Type of housing: Apartment/House

Arranged by: Host university

If returning, I would choose: A room exchange

Why? This is the ideal choice for short-term accomadation. Its personal, you get to see the place before you take it and you can make it your own. As long as you leave it the way you found it there should be no problems. Another major advantage is that you don't have to sign contracts, it is mostly done on wom, recommendations and trust and it also seems to work. I would definetly go this way, if I were to do it again. Altough the arranged accomadation was great at the time, if I were to go back now I would be more experienced into the German accomadation prices and environment. What you do want to avoid is over-priced and heavy real estate fees apartments. Instead use your contacts that you have. Also East Germany, or the former east germany accomadation prices are alot cheaper than western prices.

Personal comments:
My personal opinion, is that they did their best. Our apartment was near to the college, other students lived in the apartment block, which encouraged social integration with German natives and other foreign students. This is the ideal to improve your language outside the classroom environment. The room itself was quite small, but apart from that we found it ideal for all our needs at the time and would have no problem recommending them to other foreign students studying in Dresden.

Describe host city: Student life dominates the city

Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Activities, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

Personal comments:
We used to drink in a little student pub on a student campus, near Parkstrasse, but I forget the name it was so long ago. I really liked a particular nightclub, kinda rythmn and blues and good promotional offers, again I cannot remember the name. There is an aray of little student pubs in actual "wohnheims" whose names I cannot remember. Sorry I really cannot remember any of the places that we use to hang out. Most were converted student wohnheims and an aray of nightclubs that I now forget, but for students there is quite an ample amount to choose from. Normally private parties were quite common and a great way of meeting new people. Das war mir lieber.

Course recommendations:
Our course and subjects were picked out for us, we had no choice. I would prefer to choose myself which subjects I would prefer to study. The lecturers, excluding our wonderful Frau Pohl who was our German lecturer, were not very hospitable to us the foreign students, that should really change and greater interaction in a classroom environment should be promoted.

Personal comments:
Use foreugn students more advanteously. They should be regarded as secret assets and not liabilities.

Language of instruction: German

Main source of funding:
An ERASMUS grant

Other sources of funding:
Family
Government assistance

Work opportunities:
I worked during my study abroad experience

Personal spending habits:
Eastern Germany, need I say anymore.

Telephone: was more expensive than at home.

Food, Travel, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was less expensive than at home.

I wish I had known...
How wonderful it was going to actually be, then I would have brought more money, no not really everything was pretty more or less explained to us. I didn't like the long classroon hours, I mean 45mts, ut I knew this before I left.

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!