What sparked your interest to study abroad?
I decided to study abroad for a couple of reasons. First, I was strongly encouraged by my family (especially my older sisters, who had also studied abroad) to try it out. I was very hesitant; I never felt independent or comfortable enough to spend months away in an unfamiliar setting. But the more I thought about it, the more exciting the opportunity seemed. From that came my second and bigger reason to study abroad and that was to change my perspectives on life. I am the youngest in my family and characteristically have the trait of dependence on my home and school life. Before I studied abroad, I was very content with my life, with my family, and with my friends. I had never done anything extremely exciting or independent. Studying abroad presented me with a chance to prove to myself that I could pretty much handle anything life threw at me.
What drew you to Berlin, Germany for your study abroad program?
Choosing where to study abroad was a difficult choice. My school has amazing resources for researching trips abroad, but unfortunately they didn’t seem to have many options for a summer semester in Germany. I chose Germany because my mother is German and I was comfortable enough with my strong German language skills to think I would be fine walking around in a German city. I had visited most places in southern Germany, but never any of the big cities in the north, so Berlin jumped right out to me. The more I researched Berlin, the more I wanted to go. It was described as the “New York City” of Europe and it seemed like a very exciting place to spend a summer. So I began looking for programs that went to Berlin and I found one through IES Abroad. It fit perfectly, with classes that could be used towards my major, and quickly began the application process.
Did you look into any kind of financial aid for your trip?
I applied for scholarships but didn’t apply for any other kind of financial aid.
What was the most rewarding part about your stay?
This is an extremely difficult question to answer because it is hard to put the best experience of your life into words. I think the best part of studying abroad was when I felt like I “belonged” in the city. Little things like strangers asking me for directions in German and me knowing the answer, or ordering food in German were very rewarding experiences. Getting around on the public transportation without getting lost, going out at night with the locals, and having a friendly chat were all invaluable experiences as well. I think it hit me the most when my sister visited me and I got to show her all around Berlin, including my favorite insider spots that a tourist would never know about. At that point (about halfway through my time abroad), I truly felt like Berlin was “my city” and that I had conquered it instead of it conquering me.
Did you run into any challenges or difficulties while studying abroad?
Preparing for studying abroad was much more challenging then the actual study abroad experience. It requires so much preparation, from the moment you start your application to the last moments before you leave home. You must be on the ball when it comes to paperwork, payments, and scheduling. On top of that, you must be able to pack a couple months worth of stuff into a few suitcases and make sure you don’t forget anything too important! The only problems I ran into while studying abroad (besides spending too much money with the weak dollar) was when I was traveling. Flying in general is never easy, but flying abroad is even more of a stressful experience. I personally am terrified of flying, so going across the Atlantic alone was challenging enough, but my first flight was so delayed that I ended up missing my connection flight to Berlin. After a couple of really horrible hours at the airport, I ended up taking the train from Frankfurt to Berlin. That night, after I had finally arrived at my destination, I realized that I had probably overcome the biggest hurdle of my study abroad experience and that was in fact true.
What classes did you take when you were abroad?
I took two classes that I could apply credit towards my major. The first was an Art and Architecture course that focused on German Art and Architecture. It was amazing because we would spend one day a week learning about pieces of art or specific buildings inside of the classroom, and then for the rest of the week we would go out on field trips and see the things we learned about with our own eyes (at museums or visit the actual building). The second class I took was called German Unification and its role in the European Union. It was a Politics class and was surprisingly interesting. I learned much more than I had expected and, just like the Art and Architecture class, we spent lots of time taking field trips.
Did you do any type of intern or service learning projects when you abroad?
Unfortunately, I did not have the time to intern or do any service learning projects while abroad. I had to focus on my 6 credits of class
What were your living accommodations like in Berlin?
Through my program I could choose to live with a host family or find an apartment in the city. I chose to live with a host family to help authenticate the experience. It turned out to be a wonderful choice. My host family was actually a father and his 9-year-old son who only came on the weekends. My host was a music producer and was very fun to speak with. He gets the most credit for helping me improve my German-speaking skills. I stayed in an amazing loft style apartment that was located in a very popular part of Berlin. It was right next to a canal that ran through the city and countless cafes lined the street. I highly suggest living with a host family, as they will generally help you get accustomed to the city and show you cooler, local places to visit.
How did your friends and family react at the idea of you leaving for Berlin for the summer?
At first I was so reluctant to leave my friends for an entire summer that it almost kept me from applying to study abroad in the first place. But after I applied, all I heard from my friends was talk of how lucky I was to be going on such an exciting trip. They really were supportive of me leaving and were definitely excited to hear all my stories when I got back (they even picked me up from the airport when I got home). My family was extremely supportive and they were there to encourage me when I got nervous about my upcoming trip.
Being a student of color, did you think your experience was much different from your peers?
Studying in a big city such as Berlin made being a student of color abroad no different of an experience than anyone else had. In fact, since my German skills were stronger than most of my peers, I probably had an easier time with locals than they did. Berlin is such a mix of cultures that it was extremely hard to shock anyone who was actually from there. The one thing I did notice was that Germans are not as politically correct with some things as Americans are; for example, the official way of referring to rap and R&B music is to call it “black music,” with clubs and radio stations included.
How has studying abroad benefited you, personally, academically and professionally?
Studying abroad has changed me in all three categories.
Personally: I think that I grew up mentally through my study abroad experience. As mentioned before, I didn’t feel very independent or comfortable in new situations pre-Berlin. But now I have a completely different outlook on life. I appreciate every new experience now because studying abroad taught me that new is exciting and that new can be amazing.
Academically: Studying abroad taught me to focus. Being in a different county (especially one with nightlife as ridiculous as Berlin) can be very distracting, but being abroad taught me that classes come before partying. I learned to resist the temptation of going out every night so that I could actually focus on my studies. Now, returning to college, there is nothing that comes close to the freedom I had in Berlin so I don’t get distracted from my work nearly as much.
Professionally: I learned that I was capable of much more than I gave myself credit for pre-Berlin. I figured out the urban transit system on my first day in Berlin and was responsible for guiding many of my peers on late nights when we were walking home. I now know that I can handle pretty much any crazy situation life throws at me in the future.
What do you wish you would’ve known before studying abroad?
Honest answer: I wish that I had known how amazing studying abroad was going to be so I could have made it a longer experience.
Would you recommend study abroad to other students?
Hands down the best experience of my life. It is actually hard to write down these thoughts knowing they are now only memories of an incredible 2 months. So yes, I would recommend studying abroad to every single college-aged person in America.
Anything you would like to say to any students thinking about studying abroad?
Don’t doubt yourself, don’t hesitate. Apply to study abroad now, before you have to get a real job and before it’s too late and you are too old to have that much fun.
Do you want to go to Germany?
Learn more about Study Abroad in Germany?
Do you want to share your study or travel abroad experience too? Email us at info@diversityabroad.com
