Germany : Reviews (Berlin)
The following program review responses have been selected for publication by Study Abroad & Global Engagement
Rate Your Study Abroad Program!
Erin Ray Ann Christiansen,
Summer 2012 Participant
The experience of living with a host family was very special I thought. The ability to live with an actual family was a great way to be immersed into the culture. It also made my experience more comfortable to live with a family and made me really feel at home in the new country. My family taught me a lot about German culture and everyday ways of life.
Summer 2012 Participant
My favorite part of the program was living with a host family. The host families give you the courage to speak German to the best of your ability and have lots of listening practice.
Ethan Matthew McBride,
Summer 2012 Participant
My favorite part of this program was the weekly excursions that we made. It was nice to have a break from classes to enjoy some of the amazing sights and culture to be found throughout Germany and Austria.
Summer 2012 Participant
We had GREAT professors! All of our excursions were so much fun and very interesting!
Theven "Brice" Smith,
Summer 2012 Participant
My favorite part of the program was the unity between faculty and the students. We all quickly became a family, which I believe helped the program to be one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I will never forget Holzkirchen, and certainly would recommend the program to any German student.
Summer 2012 Participant
The cultural excursions in Germany were very eye opening and informative. It was also very good to live with a host family.
Summer 2013 Participant
My favorite part of the program was learning more about the culture of southern Germany, as well as Köln and Berlin.
Summer 2014 Participant
My favorite part of this program was how much German we got to speak and learn because we were immersed in the culture, either doing things as a group or hanging out with our amazing host families.
Cameron Scott Moss,
Summer 2015 Participant
My favorite part of this program is probably when we traveled to different locations. Every Monday would bring a new adventure for us all. One day would be to Tegernsee, the next would be to King Ludwig II's castles. I heartily enjoyed every minute of it. This program is excellently designed, in my honest opinion. It masterfully balanced education and fun (although the education was fun as well). I left feeling completely satisfied, I feel we didn't leave a single stone unturned. It was an experience I will never forget (although the pictures we took will certainly help with that).
Summer 2015 Participant
My favorite part of the program was that we were able to go to so many different cities. We were able to experience Cologne, Berlin, and Munich, and had a handful of detours to smaller places as well. The food, architecture, history, and people in each of these cities were all distinctly German, but different at the same time. It was an eye-opening experience for someone who had never traveled out of the States before.
Summer 2016 Participant
My favorite part was traveling around with Dr. Keel and listening to him tell stories and teach us through many unique ways. The people in the town went out of their way to help make us feel welcome and at home, and Dr. Keel and Herr Werner were a huge part of that.
Summer 2016 Participant
Living with a host family was a fantastic way to hone my everyday use of the German language, as well as get an in-depth understanding of the German culture.
Connor Heo,
Summer 2016 Participant
I most enjoyed living daily life in Holzkirchen, as the city is beautiful and really catered to my personal preferences.
Natalie Ann Newgent,
Summer 2016 Participant
The first two weeks is constant traveling all over Germany and I really enjoyed this because of all the eye opening opportunities to experience major history first hand.
Katherine Eleanor Fehlig,
Summer 2017 Participant
I absolutely loved getting to know other students from KU and other universities who were just as interested in the German language and culture as I was. We were all so different, but it was German that brought us together.
Summer 2017 Participant
I loved the fact that we lived with a host family. It forced me to speak German for an extended period of time and advanced my German more than I could have hoped.
Leonides Joseph Moreno,
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was living with a German family that knew little or nothing about the English language, so I HAD TO speak German the whole time. Also, it was their first time hosting someone, so the parents and the children were super excited and welcoming.
Collin D Cox,
Summer 2018 Participant
My favorite part of the program was the traveling portion of the experience. While it was great to engage with the culture in Holzkirchen, I learned the most from visiting the museums, attractions, life/culture during the traveling phases.
Rylie Elizabeth Lindig,
Summer 2018 Participant
I enjoyed the out of classroom excursions because it truly immersed us in the German culture. I learned so much! I also loved learning to dance like the Germans because it was fun and we got to wear traditional attire.
Ashlyn M Pretz,
Summer 2018 Participant
There was a good balance of class time, travel time, and free time while we were in Holzkirchen that gave me the structure that I like but also the ability to do others things that some may not want to do and experience the city and culture on my own terms.
Michael Scott Webster,
Summer 2018 Participant
I really enjoyed the first two weeks of traveling around Germany and experiencing a variety of different cities, such as Köln, Bonn, and Berlin. Each of these cities has their own unique history, and cultural practices and that really fascinated me.
Summer 2018 Participant
My favorite part of this program was the lasting friendships I made with the other students and the connections I now have through my professors and host family.
Summer 2019 Participant
I enjoyed living with a host family the most as I was able to really learn about their culture and way of life in addition to the language skills from talking to them every day.
Summer 2019 Participant
I loved the fact that we were able to truly get a sense of the culture, through trips/touring, living with a host family, and taking culture classes from local professors.
Summer 2019 Participant
I really enjoyed living with a host family to practice German with native speakers. I also enjoyed where the program was, Bavaria is a very nice part of Germany. The best trip we did was the hiking trip overnight.
Erin Ray Ann Christiansen,
Summer 2012 Participant
It was very rewarding to me to go around town and use my German in everyday situations, like running errands. It was wonderful to be completely surrounded by the language.
Summer 2012 Participant
I found the trip to Cologne, Bonn, and Berlin very educational and a great insight into the different German Cultures. The group trips twice a week were also very rewarding because we were able to experience a lot from museums to Bavarian foods to beautiful castles.
Ethan Matthew McBride,
Summer 2012 Participant
I truly enjoyed how close all of the students became after six weeks in Germany. We are all still friends, and I am glad that we had the opportunity to spend so much time together while we studied abroad. I think we made lasting friendships.
Theven "Brice" Smith,
Summer 2012 Participant
The cultural integration was incredibly rewarding. As a musician, visiting Bonn, where Beethoven lived, was a moment I will always cherish. It is hard to pinpoint certain qualities when the entire program is a 100 percent in my book!
Summer 2012 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was speaking only German within my host family. Learning to communicate in a foreign language was critical to have a successful summer.
Summer 2013 Participant
I found living with a host family to be the most rewarding element of this program. It really allowed me to improve my language skills by being forced to use them on a daily basis.
Summer 2013 Participant
I found the cultural excursions (both with and without the group) most rewarding, as it provided some of the best sights one can see.
Summer 2013 Participant
Speaking with my host family in only German, while extremely challenging, was beyond satisfying.
Summer 2014 Participant
The most rewarding part was being able to hold a stable and fluid conversation in German by the end of the program.
Summer 2014 Participant
I think that living with a host family and being totally immersed in German language was an incredibly rewarding experience. My language skills developed so much more than they could have in a classroom.
James Champion Russell,
Summer 2014 Participant
Living with a host family was most rewarding because it allowed me a chance for total immersion to learn the language and the culture.
Sarah Elizabeth Cullip,
Summer 2015 Participant
I found the host family placement and location of the program to be very rewarding. Holzkirchen is a small town rich with culture, so unlike the internationality of a big city, you really got a feel for everyday life in Germany.
Frank Kim,
Summer 2015 Participant
I found the social aspect of the program far more rewarding than I had expected prior to my experience. Also, the emphasis on allowing the students to be immersed in the local culture and have time to explore things independently was also indispensable.
Summer 2015 Participant
The classes and the excursions allowed for a lot of learning -- we got to really go in depth into the culture and sights and meet a lot of people while doing it. The home stay was also very beneficial. It was much better than having to stay in a hotel or something; being able to live with a family and interact with them really helped to boost language understanding and show some in depth details of German culture.
Summer 2016 Participant
The traveling portion for sure. Seeing the different subcultures within Germany and surrounding countries was something that you would not have gotten in any other program.
Connor Heo,
Summer 2016 Participant
Towards the end of the program, I had conversations with my host family and with my professors and I realized just how much German I had actually learned. I had this newfound confidence and that was most rewarding.
Natalie Ann Newgent,
Summer 2016 Participant
Living with a host family in Holzkirchen really taught me a lot. You will be forced to speak German. I came out of my comfort zone and gained more confidence in my speaking.
Leonides Joseph Moreno,
Summer 2017 Participant
The cultural immersion, the everyday language practice, and the lovely acceptance by the the Holkirchen community might be some of the most rewarding elements of the program. It was very rewarding to have been immersed into the German culture to get to know their actual history, culture, and feelings. Then, living with a family gave me the satisfaction of experiencing how a different culture raises a family. Lastly, the Holzkirchen community is one of the most welcoming places that I have found while in Europe. They are all aware of who you are and will treat you as their guest anytime.
Summer 2017 Participant
I found the host family stay the most rewarding because I was able to use my German language skills in real-life situations. I also learned more about the German culture by staying with a family.
Edward Joseph McDermott,
Summer 2018 Participant
The single most rewarding part about the program was getting the opportunity to meet and make 20 new friends from both KU and the University of Arkansas who I wouldn't have become such good friends with otherwise. Additionally, staying with a host family and speaking the language every day helped my abilities tremendously and prepared me for the rest of my time in Germany.
Rafael Toche,
Summer 2018 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was getting to use all that German that I had been studying for the past year. It was very rewarding to have native German speakers tell me that my German was very good. It made all the hours of practicing german very worth it.
Summer 2019 Participant
I found the travel excursions most rewarding as I, not only got to experience different parts of Germany but I also got to see some really beautiful sights and parts of the country.
Summer 2019 Participant
I found my improved speaking within my host family the most rewarding. I am also still in Germany and find myself speaking and understanding very well compared to before the program
Erin Ray Ann Christiansen,
Summer 2012 Participant
No matter how many years a person has studied the language or how much experience they have speaking it, the people involved with this program and the people of Holzkirchen are all very kind and willing to help one learn.
Summer 2012 Participant
You really get a good sense of what life is like in Germany for this program only being 6 weeks. My langauges skills increased, and my knowledge about Germany increased! It was a great experience and I'd do it again in a heart beat
Ethan Matthew McBride,
Summer 2012 Participant
I think being able to make appropriate travel arrangements and knowing exactly what to pack would be the most helpful tips for prospective students. It makes the hassle of international travel much easier and adjusting to foreign life much more fluid.
Theven "Brice" Smith,
Summer 2012 Participant
I quickly learned how important it is to read my maps and train schedules correctly! :-)
Summer 2013 Participant
Something that I would recommend to future students:"Speak German whenever you can, which is always!"
Scott Allen Friesen,
Summer 2014 Participant
I learned that it requires a great deal of discipline and patience to realize just how invaluable full language immersion really is. Not to mention the time with our host families taught us so much about the daily routine of the German culture as a whole.
Summer 2016 Participant
PACK LIGHT! Also enjoy yourself, do not get caught up in petty group drama and be inclusive to everyone. It will make the program 10 times more enjoyable.
Connor Heo,
Summer 2016 Participant
It definitely is a case of what you put in you get out. The students who want to go out and explore everyday can most definitely do that. On the other hand, if a student prefers to chill at home or just walk around town, this program caters to that, too. There is enough time in the program to fall into a daily routine.
Summer 2017 Participant
If you're a German language student that is considering this program, just do it. There's no way for me to explain how helpful and how much fun this trip is. I was able to learn more German in this short program than I did in two years of studying at university.
Katherine Eleanor Fehlig,
Summer 2017 Participant
I not only learned a lot about the German language and culture while getting to know other students also studying German; I also learned a lot about myself and how I interact with the world.
William Spencer Klaviter,
Summer 2017 Participant
One point that I would strongly make about this program is the idea that you shouldn't be afraid to try new things and everything that you have learned so far. Yes, you will make mistakes and laugh at yourself quite a few times, but by doing this, you are able to gain not only confidence in what you are learning, but you are able to also help further your skills and experience much more than you ever would be able to in just a classroom.
Summer 2017 Participant
It would be very helpful to bring a laptop.
Leonides Joseph Moreno,
Summer 2017 Participant
Punctuality and organization are two main characteristics and solid points in German culture. These are serious keys of success for Germans and have helped me to become a better person.
Kelli Lynn Nemetz,
Summer 2017 Participant
Advice I would give future students on this program: wear good tennis shoes, bring your student ID for extra discounts, bring cash (not a lot of places take cards), bring a water bottle and fill it up in the sinks (it's safe to drink tap water, but many restaurants make you pay for water out of a bottle!)
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned that it is important to enjoy every day abroad because the time goes by very quickly!
Edward Joseph McDermott,
Summer 2018 Participant
Not only did I learn new skills in terms of the language and culture, I also learned how to operate in a foreign country and be able to find what I needed and be a resourceful individual.
Michael Scott Webster,
Summer 2018 Participant
This program is definitely worth attending if you have an interest in German, either through language, culture, or history. I would recommend that you prepare for constantly being busy, but not regretting it, because you will have a good time and learn so much.
Summer 2018 Participant
Not only did I learn about the German language and the German culture but I learned a lot about myself and I grew as a person because of this experience.