Germany: Lüneburg - German Language, European and Sustainability Studies

When I went I was unable to grow as an individual in the comfort of my normal life. When I went I got to live the life that I wanted to live. I became a new person because of my friends and experiences I had. I got to have many different experiences were I went to Amsterdam, Rome, and Thessaloniki for a weekend with my friends. I got the ability to meet up with my German TA from my university. I recommend anyone that has the chance to travel to do it and go out of their comfort zone. I was able to learn so much about the language and the culture.

When I was little, I dreamed of studying abroad in Germany during my college years. Thanks to USAC's program, my lifelong dream of immersing myself in the culture that was rooted in my family for generations came to fruition. Studying abroad in Lüneburg, Germany was a life-altering experience that helped me to grow into the person I am today, especially thanks to my decision to live with a host family. They allowed me to achieve my personal goals of increasing my language skills and cultural immersion. In living with them, we now share an unbreakable bond woven with laughter, tears, and countless moments that will forever dance within our souls.

Let me give you the run-down:

Pre-Departure:
USAC needs to improve their stuff ASAP. The people helping me did not fill me in on the order I was supposed to complete the process and it was a nightmare. I was highly unprepared even when I thought I would be prepared — but don’t be scared, people will help you once you get there if it happens! Not to mention the actual USAC office is on my university campus and they still weren’t helpful. If you have questions ask old USAC students that are available pls. There are lots of us. Also ask people travelling with you — some of them have done this before!!! Otherwise, basic knowledge — pay your phone off before to use Airlo for phone plans and find a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees — also being at least 2 CC and 1 debit card — losing your stuff is possible.

Arrival/Experience:
The beginning is a lot, but stay active and your sleep schedule will adjust. I thought I was good at German and then I got there and it was HARD — but now I know soooooo much more German it’s amazing. The school campus is kind of far from Leuphana, but their plan is to integrate to the main campus so hopefully that happens for you! Otherwise, they have student leaders who are from Germany and speak great English and our two Leuphana student helpers were awesome, we used to go out with them and stuff and have fun. If you’re 18, go to the karoke bar in Lüneburg it’s awesome! Otherwise explore and don’t be afraid to mess up. One time I was ordering a bratwurst with this man at one of the markets and he turned out to just be a customer and not a worker and everyone laughed at me and I was so embarrassed but I laugh about it now — you will too. Try new things and put yourself out there. If you explore alone just make sure you know what you’re doing and are safe. Make friends with your USAC program people because they are awesome and all looking for friends just like you. Make friends with your apartment roomies (I still talk to mine because they were amazing — we’d have nightly dinners and chat for hours at a time together it was amazing and I miss them dearly) or if you have a host family go on family outings with them and practice your German with them — they’re very helpful. Make sure to explore other countries/German cities because it’s fun. Try to figure out public transportation and remember Deutsche Bahn is not reliable. If you’re a frequent traveler to long distance places or plan to go all over Germany, get a trial Bahn card — it’s cheap and discounts your tickets by 25% — just make sure to cancel it in time (like 6 weeks before it expires). Otherwise I can’t think of anything else, but have fun and put yourself out there! It’s a fantastic experience. You also may get home sick, but you can talk to your resident director or a therapist if you struggle with stuff it’s very helpful. I was only really home sick around the Super bowl, but otherwise it was nice. And go on the field trips!!! Our Berlin/Hamburg field trips were awesome and all of the history field trips they take you on are very educational/interesting and sometimes sad. Otherwise, I miss all my friends so use the time wisely. Locals are very nice and friendly.

Post-Germany:
I’m sad and miss it — post-study abroad depression is real. Getting back to normal life is hard, so remember to take lots of pics and stay in contact with your German/USAC friends to help missing it. And occupy yourself getting back helps too — hang out and catch up with your old friends :)

USAC's Lüneburg study abroad program brought great opportunity to create a new lifestyle around the German culture, allowing myself to improve myself. I greatly enjoyed stepping outside of my usual bubbles and talking in a foreign language, even with the knowledge that I wouldn't be perfect. I got to meet many different locals and explore Lüneburg with complete freedom. USAC was great with pairing people with neat and friendly host families and I was very pleased that I got to get to know the other students who came from different backgrounds from me.
My favorite part were the really neat field trips. They were very informative, but also really helped me focus my understanding of the German culture as a rich and varied people.
I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in history and meeting really nice people. Bonus tons of castles!

The three months that I spent in Lüneburg were easily the best three months of my life. The support of the staff and the friends that I met through the program was an amazing help to feeling safe and having fun! The classes were interesting and really helped me to better my language skills. It was clear that the instructors cared not only about us learning, but about us enjoying our experience as well. The program offers field trips, where staff took us to a few different cities nearby. These were great ways to see more of Germany without having to worry about the hassle of planning things ourselves. The city itself felt incredibly safe, as did the other students living in the apartments that they put our program's students in. I will say that the program itself did not make us really immerse ourselves in the culture. The USAC classes were in their own building, somewhat far away from the main campus of the university, which was a little disappointing because we didn't have that constant interaction with Lüneburg residents. Lüneburg is a beautiful city with lots to offer, and I can't wait to go back at some point in the future!

Spending a semester in Lüneburg was an unforgettable experience. From the minute I arrived, I felt comforted by the staff of USAC. It was challenging getting there and settling in primarily because of COVID, but the group advisor kept us all in the loop and aware of the regulations. We took classes online for the first part of my semester, which wasn't ideal but went very smoothly. Our transition to in-person classes was needed, especially if you are learning the language for the first time. As our classes progressed, I felt more comfortable speaking German in public. Also, people from Lüneburg were friendly and accepting of us, especially when we tried to interact with and speak their language. The food was amazing and there. are a bunch of really good places to eat around town. Lüneburg is also the perfect place for anyone interested in history. I enjoyed traveling around the area and meeting new people. I would 10/10 recommend this experience to anyone who has to opportunity to go.

I spent 6 weeks in Lüneburg, Germany in the summer of 2019. I made some of the best friends and best memories while I was there. In that short time I visited Köln, Hamburg, Berlin, Paris, Aarhaus, Stavanger, and Bergen. Being able to experience the ease of transportation in the town of Lüneburg as well as Germany as a whole was something I’ll never forget. My classes were just challenging enough and my professors were some of the best educators I’ve ever had. My only regret is not staying longer.