FU-BEST

I would definitely tell them to not expect to be fluent in German by the time you leave Berlin or that you will have enough time to see every single thing that was on your "to do" list.

I really wish I would have known that the FU-BEST program itself is its own program within the Freie Universität Berlin and you will pretty much only get to meet other students from around the United States. I initially thought that I would be able to practice German and meet students from around Europe and around the world, but the program is so isolated to itself that in order to meet others, you have to truly put yourself out there.

Every single person in the program must enroll in a German language course, either experiential (for those who have never taken German and do not really want to learn) and advanced (for those who have taken German before or want to truly learn the language). These courses are every day, 9-12 so by the time you are done practicing the language, it is lunchtime and time to explore the city.

Students either take 2 or 3 subject courses and those take place throughout the week for about 2.5 hours. All the courses are super interesting and are taught by some amazing professors.

Thursdays, Thursdays are the best day of the week. Thursday is the last day of classes for the week AND Stammtisch! Stammtisch happens every Thursday during the semester and each week a new bar is picked for all the FU-BEST students to grab a drink, mingle with one another, and live like a Berliner. I went to Stammtisch every week and always had a blast.

On the weekend, most people travel outside of Germany or they stay within and see all of the cultures and experiences that the country has to offer. It is always an adventure no matter where you are on the weekend.

My biggest fear going into studying abroad was how I was going to make friends.

I tend to be paranoid and think that no one is going to like me or want to be my friend, but the truth is: everyone is nervous, unsure, and not comfortable with where they are at upon first arriving. I swallowed up my nerves and talked to almost every person in the program that I came across because everyone was feeling the same things I was feeling so why not bond about the excitement of being in Europe and what the semester has to offer!

- Visit Teufelsberg; it is this huge building on this hill in the middle of nowhere but the views and the artwork here is breathtaking.

- Go to a Hertha BSC game; soccer or football might not be as big of a thing in the United States but trust me, Germans LIVE for soccer. It is such an amazing feeling standing in the sold-out stadium, chanting "HA HO HE HERTHA BSC".

- Eat some Döner. You might not know what Döner is at this moment in time but the second you step foot in Berlin, Döner will be your favorite food.

- Try and visit every museum on Museum Island: The Bust of Nefertiti is located in one of these museums, what more do I have to say?

- Visit the Reichstag: You have to sign up weeks in advance to get a tour of the Reichstag building but the amount of history behind this building is amazing, plus, maybe you will see Chancellor Merkel

- Check out the abandoned Tempelhof Airport: during the Berlin Airlift, American planes landed and took off from here every minute, now it is a giant field where in warm weather, you can watch the clouds and kites roll by

- Go to Potsdam: Potsdam is right outside of Berlin and has some beautiful palaces surrounding the city, it is a great day trip when you are feeling an adventure but not too far.

- Try to find all of the Berlin bears: Located all around Berlin are these bear statues designed to fit where they are at. They are pretty cute if you ask me.

- Take a train from Hauptbahnhof: This is the main train station in Berlin. There are few opportunities to take a train in the US, so take advantage and get on a train to anywhere with Deutsche Bahn.

- Experience Life as a Berliner: There is so much that Berlin has to offer so it is worth your time to spend some weekends in Berlin and see what the Capital of German has to offer.

I’ve visited a lot of great cities around the US and Europe but I honestly think that my favorite travel memories will always be the week-long excursions that are part of every FU-BEST semester.

Sharing my favorite spots in Paris, Prague or Munich with our students is always a lot of fun and kind of makes you experience everything for the first time again.

Apart from that, my road trip from Seattle to San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart.

I believe Berlin to be both the most underrated and overrated destination in Europe. Most people have a set idea of what their “Berlin experience” is going to be – exploring the extensive EDM and alternative art scene or learning about the rich history that is palpable around every corner.

All of these things are true, but it’s the unconventional and maybe even mundane things that grab you. Having a little BBQ in one of the many parks, riding your bike on the runway of the former Tempelhof Airport in the middle of the city, strolling through a Turkish market – they boil down to one thing.

Compared to other European cities, living in Berlin can be incredibly relaxing and I think that is quite rare.

FU-BEST has been steadily growing so I feel especially proud of the fact that more and more students are interested in participating in our academic program – we seem to be doing some things right. But more importantly, as a native of Berlin, I feel proud that our team is able to provide the students with an unforgettable experience of “my” city.

It’s hard to choose, but these stories mostly revolve around people falling in love with Berlin or the people they meet here.

We’ve had high school sweethearts meeting again after years because they, unbeknownst to each other, both applied for FU-BEST – they’re now married and having their first child.

Or a student who came here to be closer to her girlfriend at the time – they’re also married and she enrolled in a Master’s program at a Berlin university.