Program Reviews

I studied abroad during the Fall of 2009 as part of the first group to spend time in both Vienna and Marburg. The month I spent in Vienna was amazing. Taking intensive language classes allowed me to meet with other German-learners from all over the world and, naturally, helped boost my German skills. The guided tours allowed us to see a side of the city most do have the privilege of experiencing and, very importantly, counted as a history credit at my school back home.
Going to school and living in Marburg was a treat as well: the classes were interesting, the people welcoming, and the town charming. With help from one of my professors, I was able to volunteer and observe weekly at a German school which, as an education student, was an invaluable addition to my stay. I lived in the castle- yes that is a real thing- which comprised a dorm connected to a castle with an emphasis on communal living. We took house trips, hosted events, and had lunches together. Needless to say, this was a big boost to my German and I am still in touch with many of the friends I made there.
The opportunity to travel, to see different ways of life, to interact with people from all kinds of backgrounds was simply incredible. I have nothing but fond memories of my stay. It is big part of the reason why I find myself currently living and working in Vienna.

Currently, I work in high education. I speak about my experience abroad as often as I can. An initial fear I had entering the program and abroad experience was making friends and speaking the German language. Through BCA I traveled to multiple countries (Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and France), met and befriended many people, mastered the German language, and grew as a person. Kris Riggs, the director, provided a great balance of independence and support. He also challenged me to think beyond the stereotypes and seeks to understand the people, culture, and language more. If I had the opportunity to relive an experience. This abroad travel would be one of them! Danke Kris und danke BCA!

Even though the title of my review seems a bit cliche, my experience in Marburg spurred on my Wanderlust. When I first arrived in Germany, I was scared and anxious. My German was not especially strong, and I did not know what to expect. Kris supported us through the whole process. However, he also challenged us---challenged us to see the world in a new light---challenged us to integrate fully into the German culture---challenged us to keep improving our translation skills even when we hit various roadblocks. My original goal was to visit Marburg for one semester; nevertheless, I came back the following October. It was one of the best times of my life---from our excursions to our classes---I would not have asked for anything more. I loved the Marburg program so much that I actually had to take summer courses to make up credits for my own major. I highly recommend Marburg for anyone who has a love for the German language and culture.

I feel I should start by explaining my lukewarm "fun" score on this; it's based only on the choices I myself made to immerse myself in academics. I loved the events (planned and unplanned) in which I participated with my fellow BCA-lers; these memorably included a performance of Bach's Johannespassion in Marburg's Elisabethkirche. The agreement of the BCA with the Philipps-Universität meant that I was able to take a full roster of specialized coursework, including "The Thirty Years' War in German Literature," history seminars on medieval Sicily and the Ottonian Empire, and a lecture series on medieval German literature by an internationally-recognized expert on the subject. All of this served as an excellent preparation for graduate school, and, I am convinced, helped me to a Fulbright Scholarship in 2013. When not in classes and libraries, I thoroughly enjoyed eating, studying, and going dancing with the German students from my residence hall... my Sprachtandem partner even arranged for us to go to the opera in Frankfurt! I echo the other reviewers in praising, too, the enthusiasm and genuine solicitude of the program director.

I would write a novel about my experience in the Vienna/Marburg program, but there is simply not enough room to go through all the wonderful and life changing experiences I had while abroad. However, I will still share with you how impactful and great my trip really became. As apart of the BCA Marburg program, I got the opportunity to travel to some great places. Being able to go to two countries in one semester abroad was simply nothing short of amazing. I was exposed to culture, history, art, people, languages, food, and more. Perhaps the most impactful of those experiences were the interactions I had with people. Both in Vienna and Marburg I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and be immersed with Germans; the best of both worlds. These people shared their stories with me and likewise I shared my story with them over coffee and cake. These are the interactions and experiences I hold most dear to me when I think about my trip.

On a more of a academic note, the BCA Marburg program was nothing short of tough (in a good way) and meaningful. Kris Riggs and his colleagues in Vienna made my educational experience one to remember. The pushed me, challenged me, and ultimately inspired me to really go after what I wanted to accomplish. Perhaps a story I should tell you is about my experience with the PHT 160 course that Kris Riggs teaches. This is an introductory course in analogue photography. Prior to my trip, photography was not at all on my radar of interests! I thought to myself, "why would anyone want to take a photography class? We are just going to take pictures and stuff?" When I was in Vienna and this course was mentioned, I hesitated to have conversations about it. I will tell you, the PHT course really challenged me in the beginning to the point where I wanted to drop it. HOWEVER, at the end of that course I can tell you honestly it was one of the most gratifying and fun courses I have ever taken!! It exposed me to culture, photography, art, life, and myself. Developing film, analyzing it, and making it my own creation was a great experience. Kris worked with me and I also leaned on my fellow classmates to make it fun! I tell you this story because it points to the strong curriculum and what it will expose you to! It also points to the excellent guidance and knowledge of Kris Riggs. His experience and insight into all the BCA courses make the learning environment fun and really engaging. Don't forget the afternoon coffee in between course!!

I can say without a doubt in my mind and heart that the BCA Marburg program was a great, meaningful, and impact experience. The academic aspect is strong and credible, and the excursions are wonderful and eye opening. I learned more about myself than I did German, and I learned a lot of German! I think this really points to how well the BCA Marburg program is run and how it continues to bring students into a world that is full of life and great experiences waiting to happen! I would strongly recommend this program to anyone!

Grüße

It's almost been ten years, and yet not a week goes by that I don't think about my time abroad in the BCA Marburg program. Living abroad changes you: it forces you to become more independent and get out of your comfort zone, it gives you the privilege to immerse yourself in a culture different from your own, and there's no better way to become fluent in another language than to LIVE in that language. This program was the perfect combination of academics and travel - I was able to visit 6 other countries, deeply explore most of Germany and still feel pretty fulfilled within the classroom at Uni Marburg itself. I also have great respect for program director Kris Riggs - he was always there to help and really pushed us to totally immerse ourselves into/take ownership of the experience. I would highly recommend this program to anyone thinking of studying abroad in Germany.

I simply cannot say enough positive things about my experiences in this BCA program. I participated in the Spring 2008 section and, nearly a full decade later, I am still benefitting from the wealth of knowledge, insight, preparation, enduring friendships, and warm memories it provided me.

From the very moment I enrolled, the resident director and BCA staff made me feel welcome and valued. They were always there to offer help and guidance while simultaneously supporting my autonomy and helping me down the road to self-sufficiency and independence. Under the advisement of our director, I was able to enroll in extremely interesting and useful courses which applied directly to my major, and the German language classes offered enabled me to reach a new level of comfort with the language, which has in turn opened up all sorts of doors for me to connect with people from other cultures and develop myself professionally. The group travel experiences and social event opportunities offered by the BCA program helped me explore the German and Austrian cultures and form several lasting, extremely close friendships with other people in the program. After my BCA-Marburg experience, I felt so empowered, inspired and enchanted by Germany that I ultimately wound up returning -- I am currently living and working in my profession in Berlin, and it absolutely wouldn't have been possible without all that the BCA program gave me! Six out of five stars, would recommend in a heartbeat.

This program is simply a must for people who want an intimate learning experience about wartime Poland, and the history of the culture there pre/post WWII. Our site coordinator, Anna, made the experience seamless; everything ran smoothly under her watch. This project is heavier on the learning versus hands on volunteering, but I understood that going into it. The lodging was as I anticipated it to be, and meals were uniformly better than expected. I am thrilled we participated in this, and I feel like the program exceeded my expectations.

"You're obviously foreign, are you American? Where are you from in America? Pennsylvania? Ah, you must be a fan of the Nittany Lions!"
This program not only immerses you in a new culture, but teaches you so much about your own. One simple exchange taught me how attuned many Irish, and indeed Europeans in general, tend to be regarding American lifestyle/politics/sports (I cannot tell you how many times I was asked about how I thought Donald Trump would fare in the primary!), even to the extent of knowing the Penn State mascot. And in turn, I was humbled to realize how much attention another culture pays to my country, which merely teaches small pieces of Irish history (and even then only the portions that directly affected us).
My best advice: don't expect to complete this program unchanged as a person.

I was lucky enough to go abroad for my senior spring semester. I had been abroad for shorter time periods, but never for the length of time that I did while I was with the BCA program. I was immediately welcomed by Kieran, the on site coordinator and he very quickly became our groups friend. The housing on campus was excellent and the school is of a high caliber that I think was really a perfect challenge for me. I got involved with both a frisbee club on campus as well as another based on Dublin. With these two clubs I was able to travel across a large swatch of Ireland with people who knew the area very well. This was an amazing experience and I miss it on a daily basis.