FU-BEST

I really enjoyed my program with FUBEST! I would definitely recommend it as a study option:) I learned a lot and the content was really interesting. Iy was also great to learn alongside a whole lot of different students from a range of countries/cultural backgrounds. It made for interesting discussions and valuable cross-cultural learning. Thank you FUBEST for having me as part of this program!!

For reference: I studied the German identities: discontinuities and continuities since 1800 class.

I studied abroad with the European Studies Program at Freie Universität Berlin (FU-BEST) during the Spring 2020 semester. The academic calendar is designed to match the American college system, which is very helpful. The program was supposed to last from January 27 to May 15, but sadly the COVID-19 epidemic caused many American home universities to order their students to return to the U.S. unfortunately. Nonetheless, my 53 days spent in Berlin were absolutely incredible, and I wish I could've stayed longer.

The program is a great bang for your buck: it includes a week long trip to two cities - they give you 6 options to choose from. I chose Nuremberg and Prague; two cultural excursions (i.e. opera, soccer game, music concert at the Berliner Philharmonie, or ballet), and three field trips - I went to the Bundeskanzleramt (where Chancellor Merkel's office is) and the former Stasi Prison.

The academics are phenomenal. I took Berlin: Literature, History, and Memory (where we basically read novels as well as history textbook-like passages to learn about the history of the city. The novels were so fascinating, especially "The Wall Jumper" where you learn about the history of the city during the time of the division as East and West Berlin. I also took Berlin Architecture, which was a great class for learning more about the diverse styles of the city, and is a great way to discover the city through field trips. The third class I took was The Human Condition and the Totalitarian Experience, which was about learning the basics of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, how these phenomena arise, and can also be present in Western democracies such as the United States. All three of the classes I took gave me a greater appreciation of the city. The professors are incredible - smart, thoughtful, kind, caring of the students, and enthusiastic.

Public transit is incredible. Your University Student ID gives you free access to the S-bahn and U-bahn (the public transit in the city) that essentially can take you anywhere you want to go. Uber and Lyft are essentially non-existent because the public transit is so good. There are so many different neighborhoods with their own vibes that are super fun to explore. I highly reccomend Neukolln and Kreuzberg. The city is also filled with so many cute parks that are fun to ride your bike through. The city is super bike friendly! Such spacious bike lanes. The music scene and night life are of course incomparable to any other city, so I don't need to go into much detail about that because you can find a lot more information about it on Resident Advisor and other DJ news platforms.

The FU-BEST staff are all incredibly helpful, supportive and speedy with assisting any questions. They coordinate all of the bureaucratic tedious aspects of finding housing, registering to get a residence permit and other things, which is really nice to have taken care of.

I can't recommend this program enough! Please do it! You will not regret it.

I was only able to spend half a semester in the program (due to COVID-19), but the half I did spend was absolutely wonderful. I stayed with a host family, who were lovely! The program paired us very well. I lived in Dahlem, so It was very easy to reach the rest of Berlin and the school via public transportation. The school was also fantastic! I loved the small class sizes and courses offered! I took intensive german B2, Islam and Europe, and Berlin History, Memory, and Literature. I learned so much about Berlin and Europe in general through all of those classes. The professors were very kind and easy to understand. We went on lots of excursions to see the city which I really appreciated. The school also has a cafeteria (Mensa) and the food there was surprisingly good, for a University. I think my favorite part of the whole program though, was the connections I was able to make while there. They made It super easy to make new friends, with cocktail hours at local bars, “Kaffe und Kuchen” social hours at lovely cafes, the welcome week filled with amazing activities around Berlin, and the week long excursion trips to different cities in Europe! I loved every moment of my stay here and I hope I can return very soon.

Berlin is an incredible city for anyone interested in WWII and the Cold War to experience for a semester or two. The program offers an abundance of extracurricular activities and field trips included in the program fee. To name a few highlights, I've been able to get an in-depth look at the Reichstag building, the German Chancellery and the German Foreign Ministry with the program, as well as be an audience member for the morning news broadcast ZDF. Each semester also includes an exciting week-long excursion to two other European cities. Past trips have been to Munich and Vienna, Prague and Nuremberg, Belgium and Netherlands, etc.

Academically, the language and subject courses here are all very intensive and reading-heavy. Each subject course is held once a week for 2.5 hours at a time. Every professor I had here was highly accomplished in his/her field and many were willing to accommodate any individual concerns I had when they arose. Although classes only run Monday to Thursday, do not expect to just coast through your classes and travel every single weekend during the semester. I would have preferred that the readings were accessible online, as each subject course has a very heavy printed reader of all the required texts that can be difficult to lug around while commuting or travelling. (Also not great for sustainability).

The main problem with the location of classes at the satellite campus is that you don't get to interact with many German students. However, the program does offer a tandem partner system that pairs you up with a local Berlin student so you can get to practice German and make a German friend.

Also, the commute to campus can take a while, which is typical of Berlin universities in general. Wherever you end up living in the city, the commute to campus is likely to take at least fifty minutes to an hour, as the Lankwitz campus is situated in a more suburban area of the city. Thankfully Berlin's public transport is generally very well-connected and reliable.

The directors and student assistants of FU-BEST are readily available and supportive should any problems arise during your time in Berlin. The program keeps you updated with new extracurricular options and excursions so you always have something you do, but it's never overwhelming. You have plenty of freedom and independence studying here in the German capital and you get as much out of the experience as you choose to invest.

my year at FU-BEST was one of the craziest and most exciting times of my life. Participating in this program grew my confidence and helped me find drive, meaning, and courage. Not everyone can go up to random strangers and ask them questions in a language they’re just starting to learn, but FU-BESTers did. FU-BEST pushes you out of your comfort zone and brings you to meet new people. Although, if you want to get out of the bubble of American participants in this program, you will need to take some initiative. They offer volunteering, language tandems, and bar meetups for this. Alternatively and/or additionally, you can employ the use of dating apps. There are many people in Berlin to meet! I met the love of my life on a FU-BEST excursion. My fellow FU-BEST friends found great friendships. What we all found in common were unique first times. (Sure, academics might be an important part of the review, but I am confident this is not the biggest deciding factor. But if you insist, the academics are a little hard, depending on what you’re used to and your class level.) If you’re looking for a good social experience, FU-BEST and the wonderful city of Berlin can offer that to you.