A Life-Changing Immersion Experience

Having already spent a gap year in Germany, I was looking for a program that would offer academic rigor and balanced independence. The BCGS program with Carmen and Niko was exactly that and so much more.

The one-month German Culture and Discourse class offered the ideal transition into the German academic setting. Never before had I been so challenged in a German language course. The daily discussions, the Referat, and the mini-Hausarbeit equipped me with the language skills to take on my FU courses. The workload was also well balanced and left plenty of time for students to bond and explore the city together. My fellow BCGS students were adamant about sticking to the language commitment, and that made our collective experience so much more enriching.

As classes started up and people found their own apartments and WGs, students became increasingly independent. However, BCGS provided a constant support structure that students could rely on. Carmen and Niko are the most incredible program coordinators, and they were there to catch us when we fell. If any issues arose with professors, housing, or paperwork, we knew that Carmen and Niko were on our side and would make every effort to help us. BCGS is also staffed with 3-4 writing tutors who meet with students one-on-one. These sessions helped me stay on top of deadlines and produce high quality work.

I was lucky enough to be matched with a host in her late 20s. Though she was technically my "host mom", the dynamic between us was much more like that of a WG. We got along so well that I decided to stay with her for the rest of my time in Berlin. To this day, Kathi remains my closest friend in Germany and we write to each other weekly. Through her, I met several native Berliners; but I was also able to take advantage of the social network built by other BCGS students. By spending time with the housemates of other BCGS students, I was able to meet a wide variety of local Berliners.

The diversity within our BCGS class was incredibly refreshing. Despite our different backgrounds and interests, we loved spending time with each other. While we each developed our own circle of native German friends, we regularly met up at parties or for picnics at Tempelhofer Feld. Many of us are still close friends; and I can't imagine a more fun and open-hearted group to have explored Berlin with.

It is hard to fully convey how life-changing the BCGS program has been. With the support of BCGS, I was able to take full advantage of everything Berlin had to offer. I met my current boyfriend that semester and went on to spend the following summer interning at Boston Consulting Group's Berlin office. I am now looking to join many of my fellow BCGS students in Germany after graduation. The BCGS program helped each of us gain the confidence to take on life in Germany, and I cannot thank Carmen and Niko enough for all that they've done.