Hallo! My name is Erica Fugger and I am a member of the Class of 2012 at Union College in Schenectady, NY. Since you are reading this blog, you may have interest in Union's study abroad programs or would like to learn some more about the experiences of college students spending a term in a foreign country. Fortunately, you have come to the right place!
This blog is a series of reflections and recounts of my term abroad living in Freiburg and Berlin, Germany in the Spring of 2010. At the time, I was a sophomore undergraduate, with an interest in German and a passion for history. Since then, my interdepartmental majors have been declared as History (with a concentration in Revolutions) and German, and I am minoring in American Studies. To give some more background, on campus, I am a member of the Union Swimming and Diving Team and an editor of the Concordiensis Newspaper. I greatly enjoy writing and traveling in my spare time, but also appreciate the simple joy of catching up with my family and friends.
Now, with the introductions out of the way, I will share a bit more information on the term abroad itself. As I have briefly mentioned, the spring was spent in two different cities in Germany. Union College's Germany Term Abroad Program is very unique for this reason. Unlike some of the other opportunities out there, this program allows students to experience a wide variety of cultures, while visiting vastly different regions and settings.
The first month abroad was spent in the medieval city of Freiburg im Breisgau in the southwestern region of Germany. Here, we dormed in the Goethe Institut's Gästehaus, living and taking classes with other international students of all ages. We spent time hiking through the Black Forest with people from around the world, while also embarking on Union-sponsored excursions to nearby cities, such as Colmar, France. In addition to taking a language-intensive course with German teachers at the Goethe Institut, the Union group participated in a German culture and history class with Union College's Professor Erika Nelson. This course spanned the length of the term, while two separate language courses were taken, one in each city.
Following our month-long stay in Freiburg, the Union group traveled together for a week through Germany and the Czech Republic before reaching our final destination of Berlin. During this time, we visited numerous cities including Munich, Prague, and Dresden. One of the special features of the week of travel was that as we continued to learn of Germany's chronological history, its past would play out in the sites we visited in our travels.
Following our arrival in Berlin, students were placed with host families throughout the city. This gave the opportunity to establish a connection with the German people and culture, while also giving us the chance to gain some independence to explore the historical city. Classes at the Goethe Institut were resumed and excursions to various museums (such as the Jewish Museum) and historic sites (including the Buchenwald Concentration Camp) were planned weekly.
As our language skills improved throughout the term, so too did our knowledge of the German history and culture. But the transition and personal growth can certainly be viewed from more than just an educational standpoint. As the term progressed, I found myself changing, becoming more confident, independent, and proficient. I think we all grew a bit in those two months we spent abroad. Not only did these experiences allow us the opportunity to witness history and reflect on its ramifications on the world today, but it also gave us the ability to approach our lives with this new found knowledge and understanding of the many complexities of living in a foreign country and culture. It has certainly given me a greater appreciation for the strength and perseverance of our nation's many immigrants, past and present.
In the term since I have been back at Union, I have looked to become closer to the international student community for this reason, hoping to help even a few people in the transition to living in the United States. I have also come to realize that the term showed me so much about history, but also a lot about myself. I complete my last two years here at Union with a greater understanding of my passions, strengths, and weaknesses, and the desire to capitalize on this insight. I believe that the term abroad was one of the most fulfilling and worthwhile opportunities I have experienced in my life, and I strongly agree that a Union College education, or any college experience for that matter, is incomplete without living abroad in some capacity.
That all being said, I welcome you to my term abroad blog! If you would like to start at the beginning, please feel refer to the "Blog Archive" on the right hand side of the page where you may view the entries in chronological order. In case you have the desire, some of our class assignments are also available for your viewing pleasure under the "Pages" tab.
To sum everything up, thanks for your interest and for tuning in to this blog! Danke! Viel Glück und viel Spaß mit alles! And, in accordance with my signature farewell: 'Til next time...Tschuess!
