Student Experience

Kristina Dortschy

Freie Universität

Berlin, Germany

Fall 2011 

My study abroad experience was indescribable. Even though I have family where I studied, I lived with a roommate from Berlin for 8 months and resided in the centre of the city, where my apartment had an incredible view of the TV Tower and was surrounded by open markets and shops, nightlife, and many touristic sites. I was able to sign with the FC British Lions ‘football’ team, which competed in the Bezirksliga and there I made many friends from all over the world! I attended two separate programs with Freie Uni. The first one was a summer intensive program, where I took language classes to improve my grammar and a lectured course in German where I learned about post war literature. The other program was specifically for European Studies. This program offered language courses and two lecture courses, where I was able to learn about Environmental Policy making in the European Union and Literature and Film in Germany. Both of the programs offered specific touring and events, which I could attend! Two tours I really enjoyed were the Chancellor’s Office and Sanssouci, a summer palace for Fredrick the Great. My program also provided a week trip to Munich and Vienna where we were able to tour many famous buildings and sites. In Vienna we were able to see a live orchestra in the Schloss Schönbrunn palace and the Spanish Court Riding School! They also brought us to a place outside of Vienna and we toured the beautiful Melk Abbey, a famous monastic site. Both of the programs offered many excursions. I was able to meet Christian Hey, who is a part of the German Advisory Council on the Environment and other excursions I was able to visit different districts of Berlin and learned about its history. I am glad that I went and was able to stay much longer than I normally do and am even more excited to go back for the holiday!