IES Abroad Berlin

I could go on and on forever about my experience studying abroad in Berlin and that's because I had such an amazing experience. IES in Berlin made sure that we felt welcomed, they got us set up with everything that we needed like a phone and a visa for staying more than 90 days in Germany etc. They also walked us through other things like how to assimilate into German culture and how to reassimilate back into American culture once we leave. They had plenty of options other than just taking classes, such as getting involved in German student organizations at Humboldt University, getting an internship, or volunteering with other organizations. They also had pre-organized trips you could sign up for and I absolutely loved those. Not only did they take care of all the details like food and housing and some activities and tours, but you could opt out at any time in case you really wanted to do something else. It was the perfect amount of autonomy mixed with ease of travel that I think was great for people our age who are perfectly capable adults but dont have the time or knowledge to plan out the best accommodations or find the best food. The trips were one of my favorite parts. When I was in Hungary, we were at a restaurant and the waiters called me over and I ended up cooking our cous cous dinner in a huge pot that they lit on fire! It was totally awesome and not the type of thing you can necessarily experience on your own. IES Abroad helped me feel like Berlin was my home and I felt like by the end of the program that I was very close to the staff and that we were family. I hope to return at some point soon so I can see everyone again (even though most of my American friends wont be there).

Berlin was not as much a German city as it was a multi-cultural city. It is a place where all nations are represented, including people, food and architecture. There were so many people from all over the world and all walks of life. Every time I was on the U-Bahn (metro) or the S-Bahn (city-train) I would here languages ranging from English (Australian, British, American, Canadian) to Turkish to Japanese to Swedish to Spanish to Serbian. It was remarkable to think that we all ended up in this small space at this moment in time in this specific city.

I also learned a great deal from the relaxed academic environment at the IES Berlin center, which enabled me to fully understand and more importantly appreciate the uniqueness that is Berlin- there is not another city like it. This relaxed and not-demanding workload also allowed for frequent travel within Berlin and Germany, but also to neighboring nations for a great price. It was almost too easy to say "hey let's go to Barcelona for the weekend, it's only 42euros round-trip." This travel was also very important to IES: this independence was fully explained by the program staff. All program health and safety was fantastic in preparation and I always felt safe knowing that my program was very well prepared to handle anything that might happen. This was something that was very important to me.

One thing that is definitely worth thinking about is if you are a pretty introverted person, you may feel lonely at times, even in such a big city. It is not easy being in completely new situations in a new country with people you do not know. Therefore, try to push boundaries and really find out who you are. Being abroad will be the best experience for you to cultivate aspects of yourself you did not even know existed! It is a scary but an exhilarating time!

I was only in Berlin from September 1st -December 19th, but I accomplished a great deal and saw so much of a part of the world I had never been to before. IES Berlin made my time abroad an absolutely remarkable experience that I would highly recommend to anyone! Take the time to see the world as a student. It is something unparalleled.

I had studied German for four years, so when I went to Berlin to study abroad everyone assumed that it would be a cinch since I knew the language. Needless to say it was quite easy to get around because I could read signs, but speaking to Germans in German was frightening! But I over came my odd fear by just being immersed in German language and culture. It definitely helped to be studying it as one of my courses, but what really made me feel confident about my ability to speak was having random conversations with German locals. It really was a wonderful experience to meet friendly Germans who obliged in a not-so perfectly spoken conversation. These spontaneous conversations in all sorts of places in Berlin will remain as the highlight of my learning experience.

I attended community college for 4 years part time before finally transferring to the University of Pittsburgh for my junior year. Since I only had 2 years left at my new school, I wanted to make the best of it and take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. I chose IES Abroad Berlin because I wanted to practice my German and learn more about German architecture. I learned so much through hands-on activities, field trips, and the wonderful professors who seemed to love what they taught. There were many  opportunities to travel on weekends or just hangout in Berlin and learn more about its history through museums and memorials. For anyone looking to study abroad in Germany, I highly suggest IES Abroad Berlin. There is so much to learn about in that beautiful city and it seemed that even with 8 weeks of classes, I didn't even skim the surface.

My trip to Berlin this past summer marks a before and after in my life. I cannot stress enough how much my perspectives were changed, how much I enjoyed participating in another culture, how much I absolutely loved exploring Berlin's many cultures (Balkan music, Turkish/German cultural exchange, LGBTQ music scene), and how connected I felt with world history while I was there. This trip is perfect for people who need one last push to discover what they want to do after college.

The Language and Area Studies Program definitely met and exceeded my expectations! Within a few weeks of the semester I fell in love with the city, and by the end I didn't want to leave. The IES staff in Berlin was really helpful/accommodating and made sure that we made the most of our abroad experience. While in Berlin, I stayed in a small apartment in the middle of the city with two German students, which was a great opportunity because I got to experience the city with Germans who had lived in the city for years. My day-to-day life was conducted almost entirely in German and so my German language ability improved tremendously throughout the semester. I also signed up through Humboldt University's "Sprachzentrum" and found two language partners that I still keep in touch with even though I am back in the US. There was so much to do in Berlin that not once did I ever feel like I was bored and looking for something to do. From the cultural aspect to learning German to the famous Berlin Nightlife, there was definitely more to experience that was possible in just 4 short months. I would highly recommend this program to anyone that has a passion for German and wants to spend a semester/year in one of the coolest cities in the world!

The past 4 months of my life in Berlin were absolutely great. The IES program in Berlin provided me with everything I could have ever imagined. The staff was always informative about events and things going on in the city, as well as having events for students at the center. My housing selection was well picked and conveniently located in relation to school and public transportation. Public transportation was a little overwhelming at first, but once you take the train, tram, or bus a few times, you will learn your way around pretty quickly. I always felt safe in my neighborhood and loved exploring around the city. The academic program at the IES center is not very hard and allows students to use their time to see things Berlin and Europe have to offer. All in all, I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to study in Germany.

Through taking all my classes in German I began to understand the language but through my cultural immersion with my host family I fell in love with the language. The host families in this program are awesome, IES does its best to cater to requests and will help you move easily if there is an issue. The location of the office makes it easy to access the whole city and navigation is so simple and almost completely free for students. Although the university doesn't have clubs like a normal USA one, it is really easy to meet people throughout the city and the program really encourages that. I had an amazing experience and a lot of it was due to the help from IES!