IES Abroad Freiburg – Environmental Studies & Sustainability

When I first arrived in Freiburg, it was weird. It didn't feel like I was in Germany at all. The first week was a blur of meeting new people, exploring everything in the city that I possibly could, and adjusting to the time change. After the first month, I had made my friends and become comfortable in my new city. My classes were easy, so I was able to spend a lot of time outside with my friends and travel as much as I wanted. I lived in Vauban, which was an area with a bunch of student apartments. It was a hippie town and I loved it. I lived in an apartment with 5 other Germans from all over the country. I became really close with two of them, Manu and Laura. They introduced me to their friends and allowed me to come to parties with them and go out with them. Laura even let me use her extra bike after mine got stolen in the first month. Traveling was one of the most amazing things about going abroad. I went to Berlin, Munich, Prague, Cologne, Vienna, Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Colmar, and near by towns with my classes. I also got to go hiking in the Swiss Alps and the Vosges Mountains. I always thought that when I would go abroad, my whole life would be put on pause and I would just go to a foreign country and have a fantastic time without having to worry, but that's not the case. And I think it's better that way, because it really allows you to LIVE in another country instead of just being a visitor. You must find constants in your new city without allowing yourself to fall into a routine. If you fall into a routine, then you will never experience spontaneity like biking through the nearby towns and villages just to see a different place or challenging yourself to swim in every body of water you see, no matter how cold they are. Going abroad made me more mature and allowed me to solidify what I want for my future.

Freiburg is an amazing city which has many different aspects to offer. It is also very international and is extremely close to France and Switzerland. I really liked the outdoor activities that Freiburg had to offer. Hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and more. The program was great because it fit well into my major, but the classes were lacking rigor. I would say that this is good for a study abroad program though. The social life was great, but it was hard to integrate into german culture because we didn't have that many interactions with german students. I had two tandem/speaking partners which at least allowed me to get to know a few more german people better. I would highly recommend having a tandem partner. If you are there to learn german I would suggest branching off from the people in your program because otherwise you will just end up hanging out with only americans. I would say that one of the only major problems would be that there was not any time off to travel within the programs. We had class every day of the week, and only 3 three day weekends which meant that you could only do a 2 day trip anywhere. Another problem is that the classes are very time consuming and are not equally challenging. Overall it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend everyone to take part in some study abroad program.

Studying in Freiburg was life changing in the best of ways. Students are immersed in a society of outdoorsy, friendly, green-living people. Classes are starkly different than their American counterparts: a module system allows you to focus entirely on one subject for 3 weeks before moving onto the next. Although the classes broach challenging subjects, their interactive, discussion-based style allows for easy absorption of material (and many class days spent applying knowledge in the field while hiking!). Minimal work was required outside of class which allowed us to wander the cobblestone streets, throw potluck dinners and bonfires, and explore Europe. Aside from introducing you to the green lifestyle and educating you on international forestry subjects, this program offers guided excursion and the perfect location to travel on the weekends (or a plethora of hiking trails and cool places to explore within walking/biking distance!). I've returned home with a new perspective on forestry, diversity, and international relations, along with German conversational skills. More importantly, I made life-long memories and friendships.