Auf wiedersehen, Berlin!

I have now been home for a few days after coming back from my semester long journey in Europe. It was certainly an unforgettable experience, and I am very glad that I made the decision to go. Before writing this final blog, I decided that I should first look back at my first post and reflect on whether or not my expectations and worries came true. My first worry was that I would be in a country speaking a foreign language that I was not 100% confident in, but I was also excited to use my years of learning German in real world situations. It ended up being a happy medium in this aspect, as I definitely advanced my German skills, but I also could use English in most situations when need be. I was also nervous and excited about the prospect of needing to make a whole new set of friends, something that I have not really needed to do in three years. This part worked out great on my side, as I was lucky enough to have a great group of people in my program. I made friends that I hope to stay in contact with for a long time to come, and now I have reasons to visit countless places across the United States!

I highly recommend that anybody who is even slightly considering studying abroad to take the leap and do so. The main reason that people say they don’t study abroad is that it is too costly. Although this is a real issue, it can easily be avoided if you plan well. At UMD, the program fee for my program in Berlin was approximately one half of a normal semester’s costs. Plus, there were countless scholarship opportunities offered by both UMD and outside organizations that greatly reduce the price. No matter what, I would recommend that everyone at least consider the possibility of studying abroad. And if it is possible, then go ahead and enjoy what will be one of the most fun semesters of your life!