Name: Meghan Seeberger
Year: Junior, Class of 2018
Major: Economics
Minor: Statistics
1. Where did you study abroad and what made you choose this country?
Berlin, Germany. I chose Germany specifically because I am German, so I thought it would be cool to visit where my ancestors are from. I chose Berlin because I wanted a unique experience; I didn’t know anyone who had studied abroad there so, I decided to try it out. Also, after some research last spring, I discovered Berlin has a great art and music scene; some people compare it to “’80s New York” or “Grungy-Brooklyn”, this definitely intrigued me.
2. How did you feel about the coursework that was given at your university and your relationship with the professors?
The coursework at my university was very interesting but definitely not a total walk in the park. Since I chose to take a more rigorous German course (in order to complete my entire Pace language requirement), I had German class Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 12 pm every week. I also took two other courses, Contemporary Germany in the European Perspective and Themes and Issues in Transatlantic Relations. Both of these courses were extremely interesting and I learned a lot about German history, specifically Berlin history, which is so important when you’re living in a place as historically significant as Berlin. However, I would only have those courses once a week from 1:30 to 4pm so, class itself wasn’t too bad. We did have a bunch of reading to do each week and each course required multiple papers (including 10-page research papers). However, I did manage to learn a lot despite being in a completely different country and not at Pace! One cool aspect the program factors into the courses is lots of field trips/excursions so, for my German class we went to IKEA and a mall to practice our language skills. For my other courses, we went to museums and the Parliament building, “The Reichstag”, that was a plus for sure.
3. What did you and your friends typically do on the weekends?
My strategy while I was abroad was to try and travel mostly every other weekend, that way I could get to know Berlin too! In the beginning of the semester when the weather was still warm, my friends and I would walk around a lot, go to beer gardens and parks, just to take in the city itself. Once the weather cooled off, we definitely opted for more indoor activities like museums and shopping in the different neighborhoods around the city. Also, in December, there were Christmas markets around the city which we would go to almost daily.
4. Tell us one of your favorite memories!
It’s so hard to choose just one, but one I will remember forever is when I visited Paris. It was my last weekend of traveling for the semester and I was meeting my best friends from high school (who were studying abroad in Barcelona the same semester) in Paris and some friends from Berlin decided to tag along for the weekend. Our first night there, we went to an amazing fondue place near the Eiffel Tower and decided to grab some bottles of wine and sit under it. We found the best spot, literally right underneath the Tower which was beautifully lit up! We opened our bottles, played some music and stared in awe at the Eiffel Tower shining right above us. I just had this moment when I looked around me and saw not only my best friends I’ve known for years but some of my new best friends I had met over the semester in Berlin and there was the beautifully lit up Eiffel Tower above us and we were in Paris! It was so magical, there really is no other way to describe it, even though I know it sounds extremely corny.
5. Looking back, were there any challenges you faced?
One of the challenges I faced was when I came back home from abroad. While some people were ready to come home to America by the time the semester had ended, I found myself not wanting to leave Berlin, or Europe in general. When I came back home, I had to reacquaint myself with the idea of relaxing and not constantly traveling or doing things. It sounds like a weird concept to most people but, for four months I was constantly in a place where I was unable to let myself have a day of Netflix and napping. My prerogative was much more: you’re in Europe, in whichever beautiful city it was that day and you only have a little bit of time, you need to go see monuments, museums, parks, etc.! So, coming home, being so immobile and being surrounded by the familiar and seemingly boring surroundings, I was a little disgruntled and in a weird place.
6. Do you have any advice for other students who are considering spending a semester abroad?
My advice would be to GO! I am not kidding when I say I think it is the best decision I ever made. Traveling and getting to see so much of the world when you are young is so important and formative. You learn so much about yourself, other people and cultures; it’s an experience unlike anything else. Plus, there really is no better time to do it than when you’re at Pace where you can apply your scholarships and aid to your semester abroad, making it a practical choice as well. Oh and one other piece of advice: don’t worry too much about “not knowing anybody”, there are so many people in the same boat. Part of what made my semester abroad so awesome was the group of friends I made, getting to travel with them and now keeping in touch with them.