CSULB - Study Abroad at Oldenburg Germany

I loved Oldenburg, it was totally the right choice for me. I was in the masters program, so my German was good already, but the fact that Oldenburg is not a big tourist city and that you actually have to speak German there made it possible for me to hone my skills even more. Oldenburg is the perfect sized city for an exchange program - it's big enough that there is plenty to do, lots of theater, concerts, parades and street events, etc., and there's a big Innenstadt with every store you'll ever need, but it's also small enough that you don't feel anonymous and you actually make real friends. When you're on campus, you will definitely run into people you know, and when you're in the Innenstadt or around town, you almost always run into friends. It has the small-town feeling of family and solidarity with the cultural offers of a bigger city. When I first moved there, I thought I would be going to Bremen a lot to satisfy my need for the 'big city' feel, and to go to better restaurants/stores etc., but I found that it really wasn't necessary!! I think I only went to Bremen twice during my whole year in Oldenburg.

I took masters courses in the Germanistik department, and they were all excellent. If you see a class with Sabine Doering, definitely take it, she's one of the best professors I've ever had. She's the kind of professor I want to become one day!

I totally miss riding my bike around Oldenburg and running into friends everywhere. Sometimes I go on google maps and look at it again and get all nostalgic!

If you're considering this program, feel free to contact me! lisa.beesley at vanderbilt.edu