Germany: Lüneburg - German Language, European and Sustainability Studies

I had a great time in Lüneburg! Lüneburg is a small town near Hamburg with a beautiful old down town. I met so many cool people (most from the us though ;) ) I did not have as much contact with germans because I lived and studied only with students from usac. I wished i had met more germans. The courses were good, i learned so much about european culture and history.

I really loved this program. When signing up for the program, I listed that I preferred to live on campus. I originally wanted this option because I thought it would be easiest, and because for those of us who aren't morning people it's faster! I do not regret this decision at all! I lived, literally, across the street from the school and it was really nice, especially when there was 2 feet of snow!

My day started, I woke up and went to German class, followed by 2 other classes. It was really nice because I was finished with my school days pretty early in the day. After class, my classmates and I would go eat in the Mensa with other international students and some German students as well. We would then do whatever else needed. I went to Pennymarkt, which is a local grocery store, to get food normally two or three times a week. It's really close to the university, probably about a 4 minute walk, at the most, so extremely convenient. We had classes only Monday through Thursday, Fridays were reserved for tests, which wasn't every week.
Wednesday nights we typically went out to the city and went to the bars and clubs with other international students. I'm not too sure why, but Wednesdays were the days that we noticed lots of the Germans out as well! It was really fun and became a tradition in our group.
The only downside of living on campus, is getting home after going out all night. The first semester I was lucky enough to become really good friends with someone who I would always walk home with, but during the spring semester I typically either rode my bike home, or walked alone (which I don't entirely recommend). Lüneburg is a very safe city. I never feared walking alone at night, like I do here in America.

This truly is a great program and I recommend it to every person in the German department at my University. It's in a small enough town to where you are forced to speak German, but is also only 30 minutes away from Hamburg, where you can go shopping, visit the Reeperbahn and even see HSV play!

Lüneburg is a beautiful town with tons of medieval charm. It's small, but has easy access to larger cities like Hannover and Hamburg. One of my favorite things about this program is that student IDs give you access to the regional train within Lower Saxony for free - just watch out which train you catch to Lübeck because if you take the wrong one, you'll get a pretty hefty fine.

The classes were intense and involved a good amount of work outside of class. Not exactly what you want when you study abroad, but my German improved so much as a result. The professors were great and the classes small enough for a good amount of one-on-one time.

The buddy system is helpful - it's an easy way to befriend a local and get a little more cultural insight. I still occasionally speak with my buddy. We also met other international students (mostly USAC), which I didn't expect since I went for a summer session. The staff made us aware of on-campus activities and student organizations we could join as well.

The group I went with is still friends and we try to schedule reunions.

Every day in Germany was a different experience. Nothing ever remained the same or was boring. I will never forget the moments where I thought I understood the culture from the classes I took, and yet was proven wrong when being surrounded by it (the best example being when I forgot one has to buy plastic bags when grocery shopping). They may have been slightly humiliating, but I adapted; I learned. And that is the point of studying abroad: to step out of the comfort zone of the home country and witness a whole new world. That way, the outcome is a well-rounded individual, with more than a year's worth of stories to tell to family and friends when returning home. I myself have traveled throughout Germany, including Berlin, as well as outside with a trip to Rome and Stockholm. I came, I saw, but most importantly; I grew with knowledge. At first, studying abroad was a large step for someone like me, with very little travel experience. In the end, it became an adventure that I would gladly relive and experience over and over.

Studying abroad in Luneburg, Germany was honestly the best experience of my life. I'm sure you hear people saying that about studying abroad all the time. But this city and the people were amazing. From the culture, to the food, to the people and the location. It was so fun and I learned so much. I learned a second language and a different way of life. I definitely would suggest it to anyone who is thinking of going abroad!

I felt like I learned an immense amount while I was in the program both from daily living and interaction within the community and academically. The instructors were excellent and accommodating, always willing to work with students individually to make sure that everyone was learning. We had tests an quizzes frequently and the academics were rigorous, but not unreasonable. The community in Luneburg is amazing and I honestly had a hard time leaving.

Luneburg is a gorgeous city! For a person who is travelling out of the country for the first time or who is uneasy about being in a big city will adjust comfortably here. It is one of the few cities in Germany that remained untouched during WWII which makes this city very special. It has that cookie cutter village feel, and the people are very friendly. It is located very close to Hamburg, and with your transportation pass you can travel as often as you want as well as other Niedersachsen cities. This program offers you a German buddy to show you the ins and outs of the city/culture. I was extremely thankful to have my German buddy and to this day we still keep in touch. The time I spent in Germany has greatly improved my German because I got to practice it everyday. Twice out of the semester the program gave us long weekends, which allowed us to travel to different cities. My friends and I visited Amsterdam, Munich, Cologne and Dusseldorf. Included in the program fee is a week trip to Berlin! We had a tour guide and we got to see all the important historical sites. This had to have been one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me. There is so much to do and see in Berlin. One tip I would give to students would be to pack less, even though you think you will need a lot this is far from the truth. What you bring is what you haul. Having to haul your suitcases through the city which was paved with cobblestones was a nightmare! I wish I would have packed less. Overall this program is fantastic! The opportunity to not only see a different country but to experience the culture is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I have made friends and memories to last a lifetime. I am always reminiscing about the great times I experienced in Germany. I would highly recommend this program to any college student.

Lüneburg was the perfect town for an American to sstudy abroad in. With the population just under 100k, it is small enough that you can see everything, yet large enough that you're not stuck in the same section for the whole time. It is also near enough to Hamburg, if one would like to get lost in a larger city.

The university staff is quite willing to help with anything you need. Contance, my German language teacher, was excellent, as were most of my other professors. I cannot say enough how perfect the program was as a whole.