Good evening, y’all, I’m back at home safe and sound, after having finished my summer abroad program. For those wondering, my exams did go well. The written exam was relatively simple, as we had to just write an “email” about a potential intensive language course being offered. The oral exam was a little more involved, as we had three separate topics we had to speak about- the first being a unique experience, the second being analyzing a graph, and the third being planning a trip on a limited budget. I struggled a bit more with the oral exam, specifically with my issues with hearing, but I still managed to do well on both exams.
We also had the presentations for our final projects- the second week of classes, we were put into groups that each covered a different aspect of Leipzig culture, and on the last day of classes, we were expected to put together a presentation. My group was supposed to cover the musical history and culture surrounding music of Leipzig, which prior to the project, I hadn’t really known that there was anything really special about the city in that regard. But I learned a great deal (for example, Bach was the musical director at one of the churches in the city), and we ended up putting together a game show of musical trivia! It was a lot of fun performing, and seeing everyone else’s hard work be realized.
Looking back at the program, it was really educational and enjoyable. It was my first time being in a foreign country by myself, and I like to think that I learned a lot about both organizing solo travel and participating in group travel. It was rather daunting trying to organize my flights and travel back to the airport, but now I know that I can do it in the future, if I ever get the opportunity to travel solo again. Honestly, having the freedom to do as I pleased and participate in whatever activities I wanted to at my own pace was really fulfilling. That being said, it was also really nice to be able to turn my planning brain off for a while with the group activities. Being able to bond with the other members of my group during those mandated activities was an amazing experience as well.
In short, I loved that the program allowed me to both have structured time and freedom to explore and hang out on my own. As for the city itself, I definitely would want to come back to Leipzig. While I feel like I got to know the city pretty well in my month there, I know that there’s a lot more that I missed that I could definitely revisit. I also feel that my German has improved quite a bit, as I have gotten a lot more comfortable speaking with others and gotten better at being able to understand spoken German, which were two of my weaknesses. The classes were properly challenging without feeling overly difficult or impossible. Our instructors were very patient and understanding, and were always willing to define an unfamiliar word or give a gentle critique to my grammar structure. Overall, I do not regret a thing about this program, I only wish that I had more time there.
Well, that’s it for me! I wish y’all a wonderful rest of your summer, and I sincerely hope that y’all decide to do the Intensive German program next year! Learn more about studying abroad during the summer!