A Much Needed Update...

Since it has been a good couple of months or so since I last did an entry, anticipate this post to be rather lengthy. Please stick with me and read it all! I apologize for the lack of updates. I don't really have an excuse, I just never got around to it.

But anyway, classes have been in session for quite some time now. In fact our Christmas break begins in two weeks. It's going to be weird to not be finished with a semester, but still getting about two or three weeks off from classes. In fact, one of my classes (my German politics course) is basically done in a couple of weeks, and only meets one more time after Christmas.

When I think about this semester in terms of stress levels compared to the stress I usually feel back home at IU, I can't really even call this stress. I mean, I don't want to say I don't have work to do for my classes, however I have such a large amount of free time that I don't ever have the stress of getting it all done. (With the exception of now until next Wednesday. I had some problems getting a book from Amazon to deliver, so now that it FINALLY arrived, I have 5 days to read a 230 page book in German.) But really, as long as I do my readings and show up to class, I really don't have much other work to do. I mean, I have the occasional presentation to do or an occasional midterm, but they're so spread out and I have so much time to prepare, that I don't ever really feel stressed. It actually feels foreign to have so much free time, that in order to help fill up the time, I've been doing a bit of independent reading. I just finished reading the first Harry Potter book in German! Now, this really wasn't much of a feat, seeing as Harry Potter is a children's book, therefore uses rather very simple language. But still, it was a fun read and I'm about to start the second one.

Since the last post, I've gotten to do something rather cool, that I didn't anticipate to do before I arrived here. For my politics class, we ended up going to Strassburg in France, to visit the European Parliament.  I don't have a huge interest in any form of politics, but it was still a great experience, witnessing the European Union's Parliament in action. One thing that I found fascinating was how they've handled the various language usages. Their policy is everyone should be able to communicate in their native tongue, therefore they have people constantly translating and you can listen to whichever language wish through a set of headphones. In order to be employed at the parliament, you must be fluent in a minimum of FOUR languages. I find it troublesome enough to learn one foreign language, let alone more. I guess I'll never work for the European Parliament. One aspect of this excursion that tripped me, was which language I should have used when I ordered a coffee. As in, I don't speak any French, and I hate assuming they can understand German or English. Luckily my one year of French in high school allowed me to assemble "coffee with milk, please" in French (shout out to my high school French teacher, Mr. Rottet!). However, any following questions I was unable to answer, so I just nodded and handed them my money.

I want to take a minute to discuss my progress in the language. I have to reflect sometimes back on what I've done to improve my language skills. Grammar-wise, I definitely understand nearly all concepts on paper, and when I think before I say something, I can effectively utilize them, however, if I am just freely speaking as I can, I am aware of the numerous mistakes I'm making. But awareness is definitely a step of progress. My reading comprehension is also definitely improving. I would say nearly every aspect of language learning has, with the exception of my vocabulary. I am exposed on a daily basis to numerous amounts of unfamiliar words. You would think that just by being here I would naturally pick up a huge amount of vocabulary, but that simply hasn't been the case with me. Yes, I've picked up a few words here and there, but not as much as I had hoped I would by now. About a week ago I've decided to find a new method to learning vocabulary. I've bought a small notebook that has a line down the center. I write new words on one side, the English translation on the other. Then in my spare moments (sitting on the bus, etc) I quiz myself. I've only just begun this basic method, but I think it'll be helpful. It definitely can't hurt. In conclusion, I've gotten much more comfortable using what I already know (sometimes in rather creative ways), but I haven't learned much new stuff that I can continue to grow with.

I know I have so much more to share, but I couldn't think of more at the moment. I'll try and think of them and post another entry in the next couple of days, hopefully this weekend.

Feel free to leave a comment requesting a particular topic, event, or my thoughts on any aspect of studying abroad! I'll be happy to share them!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Ein bißchen Deutsch, ja?

Warning! The following post is in German. I will, however, have a copy of it in English for everyone.  I just want to prove I can facilitate some use of the language before I depart in 64 days, 23 hours, and 8 minutes.

Heute abend habe ich ein paar Blogs von anderen Leuten gelesen, die ein Jahr oder Semester in Freiburg studiert haben.  Das war ein Fehler.  Es gab mir nur mehr Angst.  Und machte ich aufgeregter als gestern und vorgestern.  Ich kann nicht glauben, dass ich fast ein ganzes Jahr in Deutschland wohnen werde.  Ich habe mich errinnert, dass ich ein Placement-Test machen muss. Ich bin nicht bereit.  Mein Deutsch ist nicht gut genug und ich denke ich werde in einer schlechten Gruppe sein.  Diese Woche habe ich viel gemacht um mein Deutsch zu verbessern.  Ich hörte deutsche Musik.  Ich schaute Videos auf Deutsch. Hoffentlich werde ich okay sein. Okay, das Ende. Tchüss!

Tonight I read a few blogs from other people who studied in Freiburg for a semester or a year.  That was a mistake.  It only gave me more fear.  And made me more excited than yesterday or the day before.  I can't beleive, that I will be living in Germany for an entire year.  I remembered, that I have to take a placement exam. I'm not ready. My german is not good enough and I think I'll be placed in a "bad" group.   I did a lot this week to improve my German.  I listened to German music. I watched videos in German.  Hopefully I will be okay. Okay, the end! Bye!

Also, a friend of mine, Valerie Gregorash, is studying this year in Nagoya, Japan. Please check out her blog! It's going to be exciting! valinnagoya.blogspot.com

The anticipation is getting too great to handle -- Flight plans

I still have just over 72 days before my departure time.  I'm taking a few music classes this summer to finish some stuff before departing, and I had thought that these classes would keep me distracted and make time fly by. It's not.  I have way more free time than I thought I would and so I'm spending so much time just trying to keep myself occupied.

That's besides the point.  I believe I've forgot to talk about my flight plans! So here we go.

I depart from Chicago at 10:15 on August 27th.  There is a freakishly long flight to Istanbul in Turkey, where I will have a few hours layover before flying to Stuttgart, where my host family has so generously agreed to pick me up from! I will officially arrive at my foreign home late in the evening on the 28th of August, where I will have a couple of days to orient and settle myself before orientation stuff begins on the 31st, I believe.

The other day, a friend of mine and I got brunch together, and spent a significant time just chatting in German.  It was so much fun and doesn't help my excitement, other than just make me want to leave more.  I really hope my language abilities are enough for me to just dive in and speak only German.  My host family I'm sure will be very encouraging and patient and helpful.  It's a good thing I have a few days to just acquaint myself before jumping into orientations.

It is a weird assortment of emotions, thinking about what is coming up in 72 days.

Less than 100 days!

So, nothing really new to update, other than I officially have a host family! It's possible I might even be able to meet them this weekend, because they'll be in Jasper for a few days to pick up their daughter Shannon, who studied at Jasper High School for the year.

Rather exciting news! Also, less than 100 days until my flight departs for Germany! Excited! I'm attaching a link to a countdown I have going. Cause I'm a nerd. :D

Departure Countdown!

Hello! It has now officially been approximately two weeks since I have learned of my acceptance into the Freiburg Academic Year for 2014-15!  I am completely excited to begin my adventure in Germany for a year long study abroad.  My intentions for this blog will be to keep my friends and family back home in the states updated on what I am experiencing and how I am doing.  I will include all sorts of exciting pictures and personal experiences, that will (hopefully!) make you jealous and dying to visit me in Pfaffenweiler/Freiburg.

Up until now, all I've been able to do is research ways to prepare for a study abroad.  I've watched videos on other people's experiences, discovered ways to make the experience enriching, and all it's done is make me more and more anxious to just hop on the plane and land in Germany.  Seriously, though, it's really helped me learn what to expect and how to handle some common situations that will be foreign to me.

Really, applying for the program was rather easy.  It was an online application, where I basically just put in my information, wrote an essay, and applied for a few scholarships and hit submit.  A week or two after the deadline, I received an e-mail asking me to set up an interview time.  This was the part I was most nervous about in the application process. The interview, naturally, was conducted in German.  Sure, I felt I knew the basics of German, but I in no way have any form of confidence with it.  Regardless, the interview went surprisingly well and a few weeks after I received my acceptance e-mail.

It's now just been a waiting game. I have a few forms to fill out, a few advising meetings, etc.  It hasn't really felt like I'm able to do much yet.  I'm doing my best to improve my German as much as possible, to feel as prepared as I can for next year.

That's all for now, updates will be slow, seeing as I'm not there yet.  But I'll update occasionally with how my preparation is going!

Keep checking back!
Thanks!

Taylor