Sara
"Studying abroad made me think much more deeply about my identity as a US- American. My friends were from all over the world, and I also volunteered regularly with refugees from the war in Ukraine. I suppose I realized that I was more US-American than I knew, and about what that meant for me writ large. (Plus I learned very quickly to say that I was from the US, rather than from America.)"
I am a German major, and I knew that the best way to become truly fluent was to live there for a while. UCEAP only offers programs in Berlin, so that was the obvious choice. Although I hadn't originally planned on studying abroad for a year, the German academic calendar does not align with the American one and it ended up making the most sense to go for a year. I am very glad I did.
My life abroad was very normal. I would wake up and go for a run along the canal by my apartment. If I had class, I'd head to campus; if not, I might run some errands or go to a museum or something. Afterwards, I might meet a friend at a coffee shop to do some readings for class or just chat. If I had work that day, I would head there—a typical shift for me was late afternoon to fairly late at night, midnight or later. If I wasn't working, I might meet a friend for dinner or cook dinner at home and then head to a bar.
I took coursework in the German department and the political science department, mainly, but my favorite class happened to be a philosophy class. The courses had less day to day work, but they required you to take much more ownership of your own work—if you were interested in a topic, you were expected to find material related to it and do your own research. I also found the discussions were much more in-depth—you were absolutely expected to have done the reading and have done at well, and the professor was there to guide the discussion, not to be a direct facilitator. Most classes had very few assignments that counted towards the final grade—typically just one presentation and one 4500 word paper on any topic somewhat related to course material.
Studying abroad made me think much more deeply about my identity as a US- American. My friends were from all over the world, and I also volunteered regularly with refugees from the war in Ukraine. I suppose I realized that I was more US-American than I knew, and about what that meant for me writ large. (Plus I learned very quickly to say that I was from the US, rather than from America.)
I felt that I really came into myself while I was in Berlin. Although I had assistance through the UCEAP Study Center for serious problems, I mostly just had to figure things out for myself. I became very self-sufficient and independent in ways that I don't think I would have had I stayed in Berkeley. I learned just how adaptable and capable I am.
Loneliness! Many of my classes were online in my first semester, and I felt very isolated. I am lucky enough to be a pretty independent person and to enjoy my own company, but I eventually got to a place where I thought that I should probably go to therapy. The UCEAP Study Center in Berlin were SO helpful in finding a great therapist (love you Barbara and Tanja), which was ultimately was free through UCEAP travel insurance.
Yes! Berlin is an incredible city, and I learned so much about myself and about the broader world around me. If possible, I would heavily encourage students to consider going abroad for a year. I felt that it allowed me to truly be a Berliner, rather than someone just passing through.