A Very European Experience

I know I will sound like a broken record but deciding to study abroad in Freiburg on the European Union program was one of the best decisions of my life. The program incorporates everything I possibly could have looked for in a study abroad. I got a chance to break out of all the comforts I know from the US and live somewhere completely new. When I got there I was probably about as nervous as I’ve been for anything in my life. The minute you check in though the IES staff is already taking amazing care of you. Day 1 the office administrators are already completely invested in making sure you have a fantastic time abroad. The way they make you feel welcome and included from the first day to the last is truly very remarkable.

As for academics I would say the teachers you learn from are about as qualified as it gets. IES brings in experts from various political or economic backgrounds to teach these courses. Not only do these experts really know what they are talking about but they are also super approachable. If you ever need help or are interested in learning more beyond what you are learning in class, they are happy to engage with and guide you. By the end of the semester your professors will go beyond being your teachers and become mentors for more than just academic work. I met with almost all my teachers at least once outside of class to hang out and get to know each other better either as a class or individually.

The value of this program goes well beyond the classroom though, culturally and socially Freiburg is an awesome place to be. As a middle sized college town in south west Germany you get lots of incredible authentic experiences such as the Weihnachtsmarkt (world famous German Christmas markets that are pretty much a constant source of merriment once they start up). In terms of daily life there are loads of amazing pubs or restaurants to go to where you can meet locals or just relax and hang out with friends. In particular, the Irish Pub O’Kelly’s is an awesome spot. As for the food in the restaurants I could go on and on forever but what I will say is that it is incredible and very affordable. I got hooked on several things there that I have mild to moderate withdrawals from now.

One of the most unique features of this program is the academically integrated field study trips. Throughout the semester there are a few day trips and three week long trips to various member states and institutions in the European Union. Not only does this mean the program organizes all the travel with all of your friends from the program for you, but you also get to hear from people actively working with the concepts and within the structures you are learning about. Not to mention that since Freiburg is so centrally located with easy access to an airport travelling in smaller groups on the weekends is incredibly easy to organize. I went to 14 countries (including multiple cities in a couple of them) 9 of which were with the program. Basically if you are looking to see a lot of Europe this is a great program to do it. Plus, you learn stuff about the places you are going to that would be very hard to do on your own.

I will wrap up with a little more about the community IES sets up on this program. Beyond being friendly the staff at the center does a great job taking this huge group of students from all over the US with different backgrounds and bringing us together. By the end I felt really friendly with almost everyone on the program and there were 69 of us so that’s saying something. Over the course of 3 and a half months being there I not only learned a ton about the European Union but had an amazing time making fantastic memories doing it. The program is pretty politics heavy academically, but if you can go on this program I highly recommend you do. Freiburg and the people I met there will always have a special place in my memory. I grew in many ways I never would have expected when I left but am so happy I was able to. If you choose this program and go with an open mind, I will basically guarantee you will have a magnificent time too!