An Excellent and Immersive Program

I wanted to come to Germany, specifically to Berlin, for a while now and last year, I finally got my chance. When I first applied for FU-BEST, I did not know anything about the program- I kind of applied simply because I liked its description on my college's study abroad website. As a person who is an international student in the US and who has studied abroad during his sophomore year (ACM Jordan Program), I was ready to go back to my home-continent of Europe and expand my knowledge of its history, culture and languages. I've studied German for a while but was never satisfied with my language acquisition. Upon coming to Germany I was in the range of A2/B1 speaker and now, three months into the program, I can say that I can have a decent, albeit slow, conversation in German (I am a B2 level now). Living in Berlin is a special experience so one can get to know very deep-rooted Prussian-German culture and history, but also the culture of Europe and the EU- Berlin is a hub and a vibrant, and beautiful city which is an ideal place for any English speaker wanting to learn German.

The program itself is academically demanding but it is also very connected with the city so many a time I've found myself wandering the streets of Berlin simply to complete an assignment for my Transatlantic Relations class. Furthermore, the program is quite independent- one is allowed to live independently, but can also choose a homestay or apartments (all excellent choices). I myself chose to live in an apartment and never regretted it! The staff in overall is very supportive and their knowledge of Berlin is impeccable, as well as their English skills. A big part of the staff team are "student assistants" who are German students interning for the program; they are some of the nicest and funniest folks you'll ever meet and I've enjoyed every second spent in their company. Not only are they knowledgeable of Berlin and Germany- they've travelled lots themselves so they have a lot of interesting experiences to share.

In overall, I really enjoyed (and still am!) my time in Berlin and at the FU-BEST program and am definitely intending on coming back and studying in this glorious city.

Cheers!