CIEE Summer in Berlin - Session III

I went on Session III (4 weeks) of the CIEE Summer in Berlin program this year and loved it because of the location, program excursions, and academics! If you study in Berlin through CIEE, you'll be living in a center with hundreds of other students on CIEE programs. Because of this, I was able to get close with people in my program by exploring the city together or hanging out on campus. The dorms are spacious, clean, and there are also kitchens and laundry machines available. The surrounding area is in the district of Kreuzberg, which is extremely safe, diverse, and walkable. There are two grocery stores a 10 minute walk from campus, and I felt comfortable walking alone to them at 11pm. There are also a lot of ethnic restaurants with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.

The center is also conveniently located right next to one of the stations on the U7 subway, which can connect you to almost anywhere you want to go in Berlin through public transit. This summer, Berlin was doing a 9-Euro ticket promotion which CIEE paid for, but otherwise the transit should still be fairly affordable. CIEE also offers completely free bike rentals if you'd rather explore the city that way.

One thing I loved about the CIEE program in particular is the inclusion of paid dinners and excursions. I think in total we had three group dinners that were entirely paid for, as well as an overnight trip to Hamburg, a northern German city we got to by train. CIEE also paid for two private city walking tours of Berlin and Hamburg. These trips allowed us students to bond and explore a new place in German.

As for academics, the class I took was Holocaust Studies, which was incredibly informative, and I would highly recommend it. Being in Berlin allowed us access to memorials and museums that enhanced the learning experience and allowed me to learn from a German perspective and about aspects of the Holocaust I would have never learned in the United States. The classwork was extremely manageable in my opinion: we had class four days a week, for three hours each. We had discussion posts due before each class and ended up completing two 3-page essays, a midterm on vocabulary, and a group presentation. Having a small class size of nine people also made me feel comfortable participating and asking questions. Although the program says to plan for 6 hours of additional work before every class, it took me about 1-2. The grading was fair and I ended up with an A in the class. I also now know much more deeply about the Holocaust and am glad I got to see some of the historical sites related to it. CIEE also offers an optional, 1-unit German language course at no additional charge if you're interested in learning German. I didn't take this course, but my friend said she really enjoyed it and it was not difficult.

There were not many downsides of the program. However, one thing to take into consideration is that besides the paid dinners, you are responsible for all your own meals, as there is no dining hall. As mentioned earlier, there are grocery stores and food markets a short walk from campus that sell affordable groceries ready to eat or to cook. Also, because you do not live with a host family, it may be harder to feel as immersed in German culture. Even so, I felt like I was able to immerse myself by exploring the city on my own.

Overall, I would recommend CIEE Berlin if you're looking for a prime location, opportunity to socialize and explore, and manageable, interesting coursework. Thank you CIEE for this great experience!