Each weekday we had class for several hours during the morning, followed by a lunch break. Meals were not included in the cost of the program, but there was a cafeteria on campus with relatively cheap food that we frequented for lunch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we had additional classes in the afternoon. The remaining days, however, were usually free for us to do as we pleased after morning classes. We had homework most nights, but it typically wasn’t anything very time consuming. Aside from the final project I rarely spent more than an hour or two on homework a night.
You may question my objectiveness, but I think it was better for us not to have tons of homework every day. The best way to learn the language is to force oneself to speak it with locals. Unfortunately I ended up speaking English with a lot of the other students, but we did have opportunities to practice German when we were out in Bonn.
 |
| Me (left) and the crew I hung out with in Bonn |
As I mentioned previously we had extra classes twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays). There were a dozen or so different classes we could choose from, based both on the skill level and subject matter. The two I selected covered German culture and conversational vocabulary. It was good to get the additional practice, but they weren’t too challenging.
During the weekends and on selected evenings we took several group trips. They didn’t cost us anything, and although most were optional a majority of the students took advantage of them. A few were just tours around Bonn, but we also had excursions to Aachen, Trier, and a winery. Trier, once ancient Roman town, is one of the oldest cities in Germany. Among other sights, Trier is home to the best preserved Roman gate north of the Alps, ruins of large Roman baths, and one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany. Trier is also the birthplace of Karl Marx; I found the house when we visited, but it wasn’t marked well and strangely there didn’t seem to be other tourists around (maybe it’s a good metaphor for the state of the world Communist movement – most people seem to have lost interest).
 |
| remains of the Roman era Trier city gate |
 |
| central square in Trier |
 |
| A huge cathedral in the center of town |
 |
| The surprisingly inconspicuous Karl Marx house |
The trip to the winery was probably the most fun of the group excursions. Unlike what would be the norm stateside, we actually got to try a handful of wines! Just imagine a student trip to a winery in the US – since it’s a school sponsored event, there is no drinking allowed, not even if you are 21! Contrast that with the trip in Germany where nobody cares how old we are; drinking wine was actually recommended! And the thing is, when the drinking age isn’t made into a big deal, kids learn to be responsible about it. Drinking is done out in the open, around adults who can teach kids how to do it in moderation.
Anyway, enough of my little speech. We had a great time at the winery, and towards the end of the tasting students from each country represented were asked to sing a song from their home country. The US students had a little trouble choosing a song, but we finally settled on a classic, Build Me Up Buttercup, which was a hit with the group.
 |
The hispanohablantes performing their song at the winery
(three are Spanish, one Mexican, and one Argentinian) |
Comments