European Studies Program at Freie Universität Berlin

After doing one semester with the FU-BEST program I decided to take part in the GermanPLUS+ program which offers five courses instructed in German: C2, Academic Writing, Identity, Theater, and Art History. Due to the small class sizes (between 6-12), the dynamic between the students and instructors was able to be personal and fun, making the strenuous workload of the courses much more manageable. I was pleasantly surprised by every one of these courses, as they were almost all topics that were out of my comfort zone, but the material was presented in not only an accessible way to those with no prior knowledge, but also in such an interesting way that it made me want to engage with it. Additionally, the GermanPLUS+ group tends to be a bit more isolated, as we really only take classes with each other, which in my case worked out really well, as I was able to constantly be practicing my German and learning from them (and I got really lucky, because they were all great). By the end I not only felt so much more comfortable in my language skills, but also had such unique experiences I would have otherwise never had.

I spent 2 semesters and my whole Junior year with the FU-BEST program and it was absolutely worth it. Their academic program had so many classes relevant to my International Relations major and their professors are so experienced and well versed in their subject matter. It was so interesting learning about Germany through my history and political classes while being in Germany and being taught by German professors; it put a whole new perspective on things that I had been learning about for years. The program support staff are so friendly and welcoming and you never feel like you're alone in this program; you can go to them with any problem and they will help find a solution. There are excursions that are offered each semester for our week long break and they are a blast and a great bonding experience with other kids on the program. There are plenty of opportunities offered to explore Berlin more as well, and despite it being a huge city you get to see a lot just from the program sets up and events they alert you to. Berlin and Germany are amazing places to visit and I have loved getting to know this place that I can now call a second home.
Lastly, the home stays are an amazing option and mine has become a second family to me. It is a great way to really immerse yourself in the culture, learn more German and live with a family that can teach you so much more than if you lived alone.

The GermanPlus program was heavily academic based. Students take Academic Writing in German, and a German language class (c2). Additionally, students take three subject courses: art history, identity and politics, and theater. The classes are part of a package and cannot be changed, and they are split from 9-12, and three days a week subject courses are 4:30-7. We did not enjoy the long break in between because it would be late by the time we would get home every night and between classes there wasn’t enough time to go expplore Berlin. People in lower levels of German had the opportunity to explore more, but often did not take it. I feel we would have used the opportunity better and would have been able to practice our german with the locals. Our german definitely improved a lot, as well as pronunciation, due to all of our classes taking place in german. Our assignments were also in german and because of the support provided our by our german teachers, our written assignments (all in German) had to be top notch. Meanwhile, students in lower levels would often pull together their ten-page research papers the night before they were due since they were in English. You will need to invest much more time than for a traditional study abroad program, or than students in lower levels, but you will improve your language skills significantly. The students in our program were pretty isolated from the rest of the FU-BEST program, but we got along very well and spent most of our time together. We were able to practice german together and help each other. There were six girls officially in the GermanPlus program, meaning taking the german courses and subject courses, but there were several other students from the higher levels of german who were able to enroll in the subject courses. They didn’t receive the support we did for our assignments and often didn’t know how to complete assignments without this help. Also, this led to inconsistencies between professors’ grading because these students were sometimes grades easier and not so much on grammar, whereas we had to pay attention to grammar.

If you make the effort to immerse yourself with Berliners then you will definitely have the best time. The FU-BEST program itself helps you to get to know the city with monthly field trips, museum passes and weekly Stammtisch! The academic program incorporates field trips/ excursions so that you can get to see more of the city while also discussing the material.
Great support from the student advisors and the teachers too.
The only thing is, the program was just for American students, so it was hard to get to know other German students in the university. And the program is in the Lankwitz campus which is more isolated and less student-oriented than the Dahlem campus for sure.

Viel Spaß!

Choosing to participate in FU-BEST was the best decision I made as an undergraduate. It is what I will remember most from my time in college. Each weekend that my friends and I traveled around Europe, by the end, we were ready and anxious to get back to Berlin. I wish everyone could have the privilege to study in such a unique, cool city. It was the most amazing experience and better than I could have ever imagined it being.

Overall great program. Comes with great excursions including a full week trip to a nearby Country. Would be better if it were on main campus to meet more germans but that is a minor issue. Intensive German was a annoying too. I relearned most of the grammer and at an easier standard. Besides that, a lot of fun and great people. Berlin is an up and coming city. There is always something to do and something to see.

Berlin is by far the most fascinating city I have ever visited. Filled with an immeasurable supply of history, architecture old and new, and an incredible network of public transportation, Germany's capital city was a blast to explore. Though overwhelming at first, it was fun to gradually expand my knowledge of a new city map. The museums are fantastic, the bars and clubs are endless, and they come in every variety, and the people are wonderful. That stereotype of Germans being cold and unfriendly is generally false, and I felt very welcomed. I couldn't even speak a word of German but found no trouble communicating with almost anyone with whom I interacted. The exploration of this incredible city was assisted by the FU-BEST program and the program staff. With newsletters and cultural excursions and week-long international trips, FU-BEST helped me to make the most of my semester abroad. One of my favorite things that the program provided was complementary tickets to my choice of an opera and ballet, furthering my cultural immersion.

Perhaps even greater than all of this was the individuals who made my experience special. I chose to participate in a homestay, and I was so happy with my decision. My host family was welcoming, generous, and helpful, and everybody truly made me feel at home in this new city. I'm sure it would have been easy to feel lost when trying to orient myself in an extremely new situation, but my host family ensured that I never felt that way. The classmates that I met in FU-BEST, too, were some of the greatest people I've ever met. Coming from a relatively small school, the opportunity to get to know a wide variety of fascinating new (American) students was so exciting, and the friendships were so easy to form - we were all thrilled to be studying similar subjects in a new city, as well as looking for friends to explore Europe with. In fact, I liked one of them so much that I decided to date him and still am! You will learn so much from these new friends and you will experience so much life with them, and for me, that was one of the best parts about being in Berlin.

I would not change anything about my experience with FU-BEST. I am grateful that this program brought me to Berlin and for the opportunity of a lifetime. I will certainly be back.

The Fu-Best program at Freie Universität in Berlin offers so many great and fun opportunities to get to know Berlin, Germany, and the surrounding countries. The Fu-Best courses were more interesting than my home university's courses! I was very fortunate to travel to Prague through the FU week-long excursion. They organized plenty of tours and activities for us while we explored this historic city! Also, what was really great about FU was that they took care of all of our visas and documents so we never had to worry about being deported. Our public transportation pass was also included so we could ride any U-bahn, S-Bahn, bus or tram wherever and whenever we wanted in Berlin (depending on the hours of the night of course).
Living in a home-stay was absolutely amazing because my host mom and her 3 adult kids really accepted me as part of the family. We spoke in German while they taught me about their culture and traditions! They took me on two Spree river tours! Once for a wedding party and the second for a birthday party! They also knew about the best clubs and hangout spots in Berlin.
I was also able to travel to other countries easily and often because of the EU laws. I traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the Czech republic.
FU is an incredible program and my only regret is that I didn't stay for an entire year!