Friday, November 14, 2008
Captian's Log #7 Stardate 6741
School has began, and oh boy is it different. Aside from the fact that everything is in German, the atmosphere in the classroom is a lot less high school, and a lot more cool.
First of all, in every class each student is excepted to do a Referat. Now, usually this word translates to speech; however, the Referate are more closely related to presentations. The student (or group) basically spends their time teaching the class. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, but for normal university courses class is only once a week.
In addition to this, classes don't have tests (some degrees require them, but not for Exchange Students like myself). Instead, at the end of the semester we are expected to write a 10-12 page Hausarbeit (literally home-work) wherein we have a general thesis and, drawing from the knowledge learned, develop it.
Sounds scarey as hell, but I have some time before I have to really worry about it.
Overall, there is a lot more Reading to do, and self preperation, than in the US. As in, the classes are more like discussion groups, and, unlike the US, you MUST prepare for them.
My classes are as follows:
German History: From Unification to Reunification (Class for just my program participants)
A History course spreading from a little before the Weimar Republic to a little after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It includes an excursion to Berlin! But we have to pay for it :(
Speil Zeil ("Play Time): Theater-Theory-Performance (Class for just my program participants)
A course about the importance of Theater in Germany, with emphasis on Freiburg. The class is going to see about 5 plays performed at the Theater in Freiburg. Sweet!
Aufbaukurs (Grammar Review) (Class heavily recommended, just for program participants)
Not a huge fan of this class, but it is dearly needed review
Die Außenpolitik der indischen Union 1947-2007 (The Foreign Politics of the Indian Union 1947-2007) (Regular University Course!)
Quite literally what the title says. We've dealt a lot with theories, and are only now moving onto India. The class is 50-50 German - AYF (there are only 10 people in the class though...). Hopefully this'll mean we'll catch a small break, but we'll see. Of all the classes I might drop, this is at the top (just because its intense. About 50 pages a week about politics auf Deutsch...)
Gegenwartsliteratur (Current Literature) (For Foreign Students)
Interesting enough. We haven't actually started to read any of the books, but I really like hearing all the different accents in German, and I've even been able to start identifiying them! (Specifically British and Italian).
In other news:
I had quite the scare Thursday night. I was walking with Heidi to my WG (WG=dorm), so that I could change in to work-out clothes. When we were heading back to Heidi's WG, we took the usual shortcut path to the sidewalk. There was someone leaning out the window yelling in German, and I assumed it was silly college stuff. It happens a lot in the US. We continue down the path when I notice that something is on the path. Maybe its who the person is yelling at? We get closer and realize, no. Oh no. It is a poor old man who had apparently stumbled on the steps of the path in the dark, pitched forward and cut open his face and broke his right arm. Heidi goes to help, and I run like the wind back to my WG to ask on my German roommates what to do. She calls the police (011, fyi), and we find out someone has already called an ambulance.
Beside the incident being rather intense, it kind of freaked me out to realize that I didn't know the German equivalent to 911, and, moreover, that even if I had I would have no idea how to clearly explain what happened, where it took place, and how badly hurt.
Or maybe I can, but since the situation hasn't arose where I was forced to do it myself I just assume I cannot?
Next Post: Movies in Germany
First of all, in every class each student is excepted to do a Referat. Now, usually this word translates to speech; however, the Referate are more closely related to presentations. The student (or group) basically spends their time teaching the class. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, but for normal university courses class is only once a week.
In addition to this, classes don't have tests (some degrees require them, but not for Exchange Students like myself). Instead, at the end of the semester we are expected to write a 10-12 page Hausarbeit (literally home-work) wherein we have a general thesis and, drawing from the knowledge learned, develop it.
Sounds scarey as hell, but I have some time before I have to really worry about it.
Overall, there is a lot more Reading to do, and self preperation, than in the US. As in, the classes are more like discussion groups, and, unlike the US, you MUST prepare for them.
My classes are as follows:
German History: From Unification to Reunification (Class for just my program participants)
A History course spreading from a little before the Weimar Republic to a little after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It includes an excursion to Berlin! But we have to pay for it :(
Speil Zeil ("Play Time): Theater-Theory-Performance (Class for just my program participants)
A course about the importance of Theater in Germany, with emphasis on Freiburg. The class is going to see about 5 plays performed at the Theater in Freiburg. Sweet!
Aufbaukurs (Grammar Review) (Class heavily recommended, just for program participants)
Not a huge fan of this class, but it is dearly needed review
Die Außenpolitik der indischen Union 1947-2007 (The Foreign Politics of the Indian Union 1947-2007) (Regular University Course!)
Quite literally what the title says. We've dealt a lot with theories, and are only now moving onto India. The class is 50-50 German - AYF (there are only 10 people in the class though...). Hopefully this'll mean we'll catch a small break, but we'll see. Of all the classes I might drop, this is at the top (just because its intense. About 50 pages a week about politics auf Deutsch...)
Gegenwartsliteratur (Current Literature) (For Foreign Students)
Interesting enough. We haven't actually started to read any of the books, but I really like hearing all the different accents in German, and I've even been able to start identifiying them! (Specifically British and Italian).
In other news:
I had quite the scare Thursday night. I was walking with Heidi to my WG (WG=dorm), so that I could change in to work-out clothes. When we were heading back to Heidi's WG, we took the usual shortcut path to the sidewalk. There was someone leaning out the window yelling in German, and I assumed it was silly college stuff. It happens a lot in the US. We continue down the path when I notice that something is on the path. Maybe its who the person is yelling at? We get closer and realize, no. Oh no. It is a poor old man who had apparently stumbled on the steps of the path in the dark, pitched forward and cut open his face and broke his right arm. Heidi goes to help, and I run like the wind back to my WG to ask on my German roommates what to do. She calls the police (011, fyi), and we find out someone has already called an ambulance.
Beside the incident being rather intense, it kind of freaked me out to realize that I didn't know the German equivalent to 911, and, moreover, that even if I had I would have no idea how to clearly explain what happened, where it took place, and how badly hurt.
Or maybe I can, but since the situation hasn't arose where I was forced to do it myself I just assume I cannot?
Next Post: Movies in Germany
3:40 PM
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