BCA Study Abroad: Marburg, Germany (Now Amizade)

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.