IES Abroad Freiburg

When I first came to Freiburg, I had no idea what to expect. My German hadn't seen much use outside the classroom, this was my first time living abroad, and I knew that I would not know anybody involved in the program. The affair could have gone in a few directions. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life.

The IES Abroad staff created a community of individuals, a whole comprised of students from vastly different academic backgrounds. By providing us with numerous resources (ranging from the helpful "Cool Places to Go" to the essential "What To Do & Where To Go If Anything Bad Should Befall You"), our lovely administrative staff gave us a solid foundation which in turn made us feel more comfortable branching out in our own directions. While feeling always welcomed to attend IES events where I would get to know my fellow students better, I never believed myself put upon by the program, never saw my attendance at said events as being obligatory. In short, as I was getting settled in, IES was there if I ever needed them yet gave me room to pursue my personal plans (i.e. international travel).

Freiburg itself is among the most beautiful cities I've ever visited and I plan to return! The people were quite friendly and always willing/able to switch into English if need be. Though there are some labyrinthine parts of the city, the ubiquity of maps allowed for safe navigation while the exemplary public transportation system facilitated my dorm-to-class commute. (One could buy either a bike or a Strassenbahn Semester Ticket for a reasonable amount; having a personal preference for reading/looking out windows while traveling, I chose the Strassenbahn Semester Ticket). The Black Forest is, besides being readily accessible (especially with the Semester Ticket, which at designated time intervals allows one to take regional trains for free), nothing less than utterly absorbing in its beauty. In fact, from the Münster to the numerous art museums, this city was brimming with top-notch aesthetic experiences.

All in all, the IES Language/Area Studies Program in Freiburg was so much more than the typical study abroad experience. It was another home - and still is, for me. I look forward to returning to this wonderful city, reminisce about old memories, and make many new ones!

I had an absolutely amazing time in Freiburg. IES does a great job organizing the program. The staff was very friendly and helpful. My German improved drastically. All the classes in this program are taught in German, and I greatly enjoyed the cultural immersion aspect of the program as well. I learned so much about Germany and the region of Baden-Württemburg, as well as the history of Freiburg. The living situation was great, as I lived in Händelstrasse, a student apartment building in a pretty affluent area. My three roommates were all German, and we spoke mostly German around the apartment, which helped improve my language skills as well. Furthermore, Freiburg is a very safe place to live and study. I never felt uncomfortable or like I was in danger, even walking back to my dorm late at night.
Overall, the semester I spent in Freiburg was one of the best experiences of my life, and I would definitely recommend the program.

This is a great program for anyone who is seriosuly committed to improving his or her German. If you are enthusiastic about being pushed to constantly practice speaking, writing, reading, and listening to German, then this is the program for you. All of your classes will be in German, all the time, but the instructors are understanding that you are dealing with a language that isnt your first language, and this they grade very easily. Freiburg is a beautiful city, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Also, its in a great location of you're interested in traveling to other cities. You can cross the border and visit France or Switzerland in an hour or so by bus, or you can take the train to more far away places like Budapest or Bratislava. Freiburg itself is also fairly small, so getting around within the city is easy.

I absolutely loved my time in the EU program where I had the happiest four months in my life.
-TRAVEL
Traveling is what first attracted me to the EU program. The program itself took us to 3 different field trips and 8 different cities over 3.5 weeks. The trips were very well organized with different activities/lectures to learn about the EU and the local culture. We always got clear schedules, maps, and recommendation for places to visit in each city. I also took several weakens to travel to different countries with my friends. It's just so easy to travel in Europe!
-ACADEMICS
The classes we had at the center were very well-connected with the things we learnt from the field trips. In the end, I was surprised by how much I learnt about the EU in just one semester. Even though the classes were generally easier than those at my home institution, I still got much out of my classes. The professors were very interesting people too. They came to field trips with us and I really got to know some of them very well!
-LIVE
We lived in University of Freiburg student dorms with German students. All the dorms are very nice and my room was huge! We had a nice living room/kitchen where my friends and I cooked a lot. My German suite mates were wonderful people. They were extremely helpful and great to talk to. We had dinners and hangouts at the student bar together. Freiburg is an amazing city with lots of students and a gorgeous view everywhere you go. You will find great restaurants, shopping malls, bars, and clubs here!
-CULTURAL IMMERSION
Because the EU program is taught in English, most student don't come knowing German already. We don't have classes in the University of Freiburg or with the German students, which could be a downside to cultural immersion. However, I believe most student didn't choose this program for intensive language training and the program already did its best by arranging us to live with German students. I still had many chances to immerse myself in the culture, just by talking to my professors, talking to local restaurant owners, and exploring the different corners of the city. If you're driven to learn more about the culture here, trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so!
-STAFF
The staff at the EU center were amazing. They were very responsive and helpful to all problems. You will love them!

Freiburg was a great place to study abroad. It was absolutely beautiful especially in the Fall and there was a lot to do in the surrounding area. IES organized a lot of excursions for us to explore. I really loved the IES staff and my teachers. They helped me improve my German tremendously and I never felt very stressed about homework or anything really because the staff was incredibly helpful with everything. I also loved my living situation and the opportunity to live with German people my age. Going out was very fun although I did travel during a lot of my weekends and took advantage of my classes' great scheduling. I enjoyed every aspect of the Freiburg Language and Area Studies program and would recommend it to anyone looking to improve their German in an awesome town.

I attended IES's Environmental Studies program in Freiburg, Germany. I absolutely enjoyed my time abroad. All of my classes were concentrated in the environmental field. My favorite was a renewable technologies class taught by four engineering professors. Another class that I gained a lot of knowledge from was ecosystems and forestry in Southwest Germany and the Swiss alps. During one field trip, we took a three day hike in the Swiss Alps looking at the make up of the forests and discussing how the Ice Age and the forestry culture of the region has shaped the area. The program is located in Freiburg, which is not only an ecofriendly city, but also has a major university to get the most out of your study abroad experience.

I had the privilege of studying abroad in the cozy town of Freiburg, Germany, situated right on the outskirts of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). Living in Freiburg is reason enough for you to take part of this program; this is a very green, active city. They have activities ranging from hiking through the Black Forest, taking a stroll around the beautiful Seepark, getting lost while weaving through the cobblestone streets of downtown Freiburg, or stuffing your face with yummy sausages, and other regional delicacies. Freiburg is also a university town so there is plenty to do throughout the weeks you are there.

As far as academics go while on this program, I think IES provides a decent range of diverse topics you can take classes on. If you are a political science major, this program has your name written all over it. While there, you can your fellow classmates partake in three different field study trips, traveling to places like Prague, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Athens and many others. What is nice about these field study trips is that they try to tailor them to your interests in your major. For example, I am an International Business major so while traveling, we met with officials and went to offices that related to potential fields I would be interested in working in and that related back to the course work I was taking while abroad.

Overall, the perfect combination of German culture, diverse field study travel, engaging professors and classwork, and the city of Freiburg itself, made for the best semester of my college career. You only have the opportunity to study abroad once in your lifetime, and choosing IES Abroad European Union is definitely worthwhile. This trip positively influenced my global perspective and I will forever be grateful for the friends, memories, and experiences I had during my time abroad in Freiburg.

I travelled with class trips, studied things I would have never been able to study at my home University, but still were relevant to what I want to learn, met amazing friends, experienced living in an apartment for the first time, and enjoyed the day to day life, taking in whatever was around me. The people in charge of the program were not only helpful, but also helped me whenever I needed something, or even were around if I just wanted to chat. You definately learn what you need to on your own, but you can always get advice or learn about things whenever you want.