IES Abroad Freiburg

Classes:

My IES classes were generally good and not too hard, but they required time-management. I found that there was a fair amount of “busy” work and a few too many tests and papers, but my classes in Freiburg were still easier than the classes I take at my home university.

IES does not allow laptops in class, so if you (like me) like to have your readings in class for reference, you’ll have to print everything. Instead of wasting paper, I ended up taking a lot of reading notes—tedious, but I eventually got used to it.

Overall, I learned a fair amount in my classes and enjoyed them, but I wouldn’t say that they were the highlight of my semester.

Travel:

I visited 9 cities with IES, and had a great time on all of my trips. On most days, we had lectures in the morning (sometimes long and boring, but usually informative) and free time in the afternoon/evening.

If you want to make the most of your free time, you definitely need to do some research in advance. I spent a lot of time on my trips trying to figure out what to do/where to go, so I wish I had taken the time to do some advance planning.

Because I traveled so much with IES, I didn’t end up traveling too much on my own. Once I got back from my IES trips, I was pretty exhausted and preferred to spend my weekends in Freiburg. I also took some day trips around Germany, France and Switzerland (yes, you can go to France or Switzerland for brunch if you want to).

Freiburg:

I absolutely loved Freiburg. It is a university town, so there are tons of young people around and lots of student-friendly places to eat/shop/hang out.

I lived in a flat with 5 other students in a building called Berliner Allee. The flat had 6 single rooms, 2 bathrooms and a shared kitchen. Every student had an assigned bathroom along with assigned kitchen shelves and space in the refrigerators. I was also entered into the flat “putzplan,” or cleaning plan, which rotates weekly.

My building was very well-located. I had 2 grocery stores, a bank, a coffee-shop, a pharmacy and a beautiful park within walking distance, and I was only about a 10 minute tram ride from downtown Freiburg. My building was also very close to another student housing complex.

Due to the German semester system, students in Freiburg tend to move in and out of apartments frequently. When I first moved into my flat, I had 2 flat-mates from Germany, one from Romania, one from France and one from Lithuania. Some of these flat-mates moved out within a few months and their rooms turned over, but I was lucky and ended up liking everyone I lived with.

Learning German:

Before arriving in Freiburg, I did not speak a word of German. This made my transition fairly challenging—I couldn’t read a menu, understand labels in the grocery store or pharmacy or ask basic questions in a store. My German class at IES taught me a fair amount (enough to understand the basics), but I didn’t become as comfortable with the language as I would have liked. German is not the focus of the EU program, and you can get around Freiburg with English. Expect to learn something, but you won’t be fluent in German by the end of the semester.

Meeting German Students:

I met a fair number of German students (flat-mates and others), and became quite close to them. In fact, I had closer connections to Germans than most of my friends from IES because I was more inclined to get out of the “American IES bubble.”

My German friends were wonderful, and they invited me to lots of different events. I went to a German acoustic-punk concert at a local bar—definitely not an event I would have found on my own—and to many dinners and picnics. My German friends enjoyed practicing their English with me, and they helped me a lot with my German. One friend helped me study for my German oral exam and my German flat-mates loved to answer my homework questions.

It is very easy to stick to other Americans in Freiburg, but it is worth it to make an effort to meet Germans. Flat-mates are a great place to start!

Would I Choose the IES EU Program Again?

Definitely!

Studying abroad was definitely not an easy choice to make but it was one that I am so happy that I made. It has been so far one of the best college semesters so far that i have had. Freiburg can feel kinda like a small town (I'm originally from Chicago) but that doesn't mean that there isn't something to do. Whether directly in the city of Freiburg, in the Black Forest or in other neighboring cities, you'll never really get bored. The trips offered by IES are also a great way to see more of Europe. There are a lot of international students at the University so you'll never really feel alone and people are always interested about learning about different cultures and things. The academics offered by the program are really interesting and really helps you acclimate to Germany.

My semester abroad was my first time being so far away from home, and naturally I was nervous, but by the end of the semester I didn't want to go back on the plane ride home. Going abroad was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I've been taking German for three years and going to Freiburg, Germany was my first time in Germany so I was finally able to put my skills to the test. Through this program I was able to accomplish all three of my goals: improve my German, learn about European politics, and travel. Along the way I made great friends, met people from across the globe, and grew as a person. I cannot stress enough how much this program will do for its participants.

This program really helped me, not only to improve my German, but to gain a much better understanding of German Culture. By the program's end, I felt very at home in Freiburg and had formed strong friendships with both locals and other IES students. The one thing I would say is that I found the logistical academic process to be a bit tough to navigate. I have rather a narrow academic focus, and finding classes that fit it was challenging. That being said, the IES staff members were friendly and knowledgeable and helped me to the best of their abilities

Studying abroad in Freiburg im Breisgau, a small city in SüdDeutschland(South Germany) seems like an underrated opportunity so far. But comparing to other IES Programs in Europe it's absolutely unique. People gain both local experience in a typical German town and international experience by taking field trips to other countries in this program. For me, a student major in International Relations it's a mind-opening experience. The courses I took at the IES Center took an in-depth look into European Union, not only were we able to study the institutions, organization, development, policy-making and controversies of the EU, the course design also offered the micro aspect of it. I took a class called Regions in the EU, which focused on how countries adopted the EU legislation and how much legislative freedom they still have under the EU law supremacy.

I also took a class about EU and Muslim, which discussed the development and current controversies surrounding the Muslim communities in some of the EU's member states. But what really helped me gain more passion about my studies were the field trips and the model EU. We were able to meet and talk to people who study and work on some of the most concerned current issues in Europe. For example, we met someone from the refugee committee in Athens who gave us the local perspective of the refugee crisis. Another precious part of the experience was being able to look at issues from countries that were often times neglected on mainstream US media. I took a field trip to three Central Eastern European countries: Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, learning about its communist history and the current perspective on issues like EU development and refugee crisis. Representing Finland in my council for model EU also helped me look more into policies of a small state like Finland. It also made me realize how difficult it is to reach agreement while having 28 different voices on the table.

An amazing thing about this program is that it offers opportunity for internship after the program. This program offers a few intern positions working for MEPS in the European Parliament, and it also allows you to apply for an internship in Freiburg, which is what I ended up doing. My German is far away from being proficient, but I was able to work at the Carl-Schurz-Haus, a German-American cultural institute that brings events focusing on both cultures. It's a rewarding experience that allowed me to understand the German organizational culture more and interact with people from the local community. People at my internship site were really nice and I had such a good time. It was also really nice to be able to stay in Freiburg during the summer.

Another reason I would recommend this program is the fact that it's cheaper to live in Freiburg comparing to other cities in Europe(especially like Paris and Copenhagen...Trust me you will miss Freiburg or any other city in Germany after you paid $15 for a Danish hot dog in Copenhagen and $9 for a glass of beer in Helsinki...). The food lacks variety in Germany, that I agree, but I definitely fall in love with German food during my time there. I remember buying currywust for only 2-3 euros in Munster, grabbing pretzels from the local bakeries, getting gelato for 1 euro/scoop near the tram stop everyday before I headed home from the internship, and buying beer before sitting down in Mensa for the Euro 2016 games. In Freiburg IES students are able to live in student apartment with German student from Freiburg University. The accommodation is way better than my on-campus dorm, there's an actual kitchen where you can really be a chef and host friends. My room at Vauben, the student village was not spacious but still acceptable and big enough to be comfy. Vauben is also 10 minutes walk from the black forest where you can easily go for a weekend hike.

Being in Freiburg means geographically you are almost in the center of western Europe. Even though it's a small city, the fact that you are near the French-Swiss border makes travel quite convenient. It takes a bit more than an hour going to Alsace region in France(Colmar, Mullhouse,Strasbourg) and it's takes similar amount of time going to Basel in Switzerland, where you can take flight to other European destinations from the Euro Airport there. For other flights usually people go to airports in Frankfurt, which is around 1,5 hours by train from Freiburg. Flights in Europe are way cheaper comparing to the ones in US, as there are many cheap flight companies and it's incredibally cheap if you buy tickets in advance. I benefited from such convenience and traveled to 14 countries in total during my time abroad(8 on my own). My favorite trips include going to see Germany vs Slovakia as part of the Euro 2016 in Lille, France. Now I feel like I'm almost a pro traveler and this program really helped me discover my passion for travel!

As you can see, the IES EU program in Freiburg offers way more than what its name might appeal to you. It also offers extra opportunities if you are interested and determined. My time with this program really helped me to grow and become a new person. People should consider this program if they want to discover Europe, EU and themselves.

I learned so much about the topics, while having a fun semester traveling to 7 different European countries. The field trip was absolutely amazing. Because the topic was European Union, we were taken to many different countries to learn from first-hand experience. Before, after, and during the field trips, professors helped facilitate discussion about relevant topics so that we could get the most out of our talks with experts in each country. Overall, the field trip was really fun and educational. IES Abroad staff are very supportive and sensitive to students' needs. I love my professors, they are very approachable and knowledgeable of their field.

I will always have a home in Freiburg. The people there are welcoming and hospitable, and I really felt like I was a part of the culture there. It's funny that even in a totally new and unfamiliar place, we are inclined to fall into our own little routines. Some of my favorite included my (almost daily) butter pretzels and afternoon coffees at my favorite cafe, or memorizing my walk from the residence hall to class. Freiburg is so much more than it seems. You learn all about its history and sustainability initiatives in a hands-on way, taking tons of field trips (hello bike tours, hikes in the Black Forest, and overnights in the Swiss Alps) and hearing guest speakers, or even just wandering about on your own. Our classes were in four 3-week long modules, so we were out of class by the early afternoon, giving us ample time to explore the city. There weren't that many people on the program (only about 21), but we were a very tight-knit group, and I walked away with life-long friendships. The professors are passionate about their subjects and it's apparent in the classrooms. The workload is manageable, and you have the opportunity to take two week-long trips to wherever. The center's staff are incredibly helpful and supportive, making sure everything was okay and we had plenty of opportunities to get to know Freiburg and the surrounding area. This program is perfect for anyone interested in studying sustainability in one of the best models of it.

I absolutely loved this program! Through the program I was able to go to over 10 different countries in the span of three months. The travel is definitely the best part about this program and during each trip that is included there are various meetings in which I learned a great deal about the European Union. My favorite trip moment was when I was able to go to Disneyland Paris when I had a free day! Now I know I just went on and on about he travel, but the home city of Freiburg definitely has to be mentioned as well. Freiburg is a smaller college city but there is plenty to do and places to see. There is a great social scene because of the college aspect which makes for a really fun atmosphere. I highly recommend this program to anyone that loves to travel but also wants to learn a ton about Europe!