Studying abroad in Berlin opened so many opportunities to explore a foreign country, practice my German, learn new skills, and grow as a person overall. I studied with the IES Berlin: Language, Culture & Politics program in the spring of 2025 and stayed in Berlin through the summer to take a German language course at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. At IES, I took courses such as German Conversation, German Language in Context, and Germany and the European Union. I had plenty of opportunities to practice my German skills with my peers and learn about German history and the country’s position in the world. Outside of academics, I also worked as a communications department intern at the Hertie School, a private graduate school for governance in Berlin. As an intern, I both gained insight into working culture in Germany and was exposed to various perspectives about life in Berlin through conversations with my coworkers.

In my six months abroad, my German language skills also improved exponentially.

When I first arrived, I had a terrible fear of making mistakes and being judged for them, which made me hesitant to even place an order at a coffee shop. I decided to set a goal for myself to find as many opportunities to speak German as possible. Over time, I grew increasingly more comfortable as I learned that even if I made mistakes, these did not affect my ability to communicate with others and form connections. Before arriving in Berlin, I had heard a lot that Germans are unforgiving with language learners and switch to English, but I found that this was not the case most of the time. Though some people did insist on switching back to English, most were very encouraging and open to helping me practice. By the time I was coming back to the U.S., I had gained tremendous confidence and felt that I could express myself much easier and more fluidly.

The aspect of studying abroad I look back the most fondly on is traveling around Germany. As a Humboldt student, I received the Deutschlandticket, which permits travel for all regional and local transport in the country. Not only was it easy to travel in and near Berlin, but I was also able to easily visit a variety of different cities, including Magdeburg, Halle (Salle), Lübbenau, Frankfurt (Oder), and Potsdam. Whether traveling alone or with friends, exploring new environments and cultures broadened my understanding of Germany and its landscape.

Lastly, I can’t speak about Berlin without speaking about art.

The city itself is a piece of art: each neighborhood has its own unique character, and various styles of street art and sculptures can be found all over.

One of the most famous examples of street art in Berlin is the East Side Gallery, an open-air street art gallery presented on a preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall. But there are many more murals and other forms of art anywhere, which are tied to the history of the city and reflect the creativity and self-expression of its people. I also enjoyed spotting regularly recurring motifs in the street art, such as triangular-shaped birds and “1UP.”

On a similar note, one of my favorite places to visit, and only around 45 minutes away from Berlin, was the Museum Barberini in Potsdam. The museum hosts a permanent impressionist art exhibit, and I became so captivated with how the artists used fluid movements and vivid colors to paint light, water, and various types of nature scenes that I ended up buying the 300-page exhibition catalog. There is also a temporary exhibit that changes up to three times a year, and I had the chance to visit one with works from Kandinsky and Pissarro. There is free entry for students every Thursday, which is a great opportunity to take advantage of! The Liebermann Villa in Wannsee, the summer home of the impressionist painter Max Liebermann, also deserves an honorable mention for its art gallery, with many paintings featuring the gardens and view of the lake that are accessible from just outside.

Berlin is a great place for getting creative; seeing the street art throughout the city and being inspired by the museum catalog motivated me to go around with my sketchbook and draw places that stood out to me.

Living in Berlin was an incredible opportunity to expand on my German studies education, improve my language and speaking skills, and learn about life in Germany, and I can’t recommend it enough!