Let's get down to business

Well, I'm not sure how interesting this will be, but people keep asking me, so I suppose I should post about it. Classes in Freiburg....GO!

An overview:
I'm going to go ahead and say it. Yes. Classes are hard. Now, whether they are hard in general I don't think I can fully say, but because German is my second language, that about quadruples the difficulty level for me. Lectures seem to be very similar to those in the US, except that they are all 90 minutes, usually don't have a powerpoint, and the majority of the students actually do the reading to prepare class. Oh, I forgot, and they don't have any required work throughout the semester, just a GIGANTIC paper and a 45 minute presentation, or just a final exam at the end of the semester. I guess they aren't really that similar after all. But there are professors. And lectures.

For the diligent student, this is great. You can work on two things for a class the entire semester and make them amazing. For the procrastinating student, this doesn't quite work. For american students, who are used to assignments throughout the semester, lots of deadlines and tests; this is a little difficult to get used to.

My classes:

I am taking five classes, all in German.

1. German History after WWII - with all american students
2. Immigration in Germany - with all international students
3. Writing Practice in German - with all international students
4. Knights of the Middle Ages - with all german students
5. Something like philosophy - with american students, germans students, and some senior citizens

2,3, and 4 are all only one day a week for 90 minutes. 1and 5 are two days a week, but all of these classes are on Tuesday and Wednesday. It has been so great to have the free time during the week to brush up on my German, prepare for class, and start writing papers. 

I often wonder what it would be like to take these courses in English. Because I think they're all interesting, but also because my understanding ranges from 90% - 10% depending on the topic and the professor, so they would definitely be even more interesting if I understood more of what was going on. In addition, if you want to take notes on the lecture, choose wisely on what you write down. You may very well be confused about whats being said for the next 10 minutes and miss something more important than what you decided to write down.

Anybody ready to study abroad yet? I know I'm painting such a great picture. But really, though I was overwhelmed for the first two weeks of classes, and I still, on occasion (or maybe daily basis), wonder what on earth I've gotten myself into, I really am enjoying the challenge and adventure of it all. I continue to realize how gutsy studying abroad is, especially when your classes are not in english.

So there you have it! The whole reason I'm here: to study, and have a great time, in this sunny little town in Germany.

Until next post,

Kate