Heidelberg

I am sure some of the people who stumble onto this blog via the International Program Website will end up studying in Heidelberg. I am sure if you do, you'll love it. I wish I could persuade you to Konstanz, and I am sure the Freibergers wish they could persuade you there, but if you want to go to Heidelberg, do it. From what I hear, the Uni is ancient and lovely, and great for all of the liberal arts. The Old City, which is the only part I saw, is also wonderful and on the whole it's a great town. If you are trying to make up your mind, I think you'd enjoy it. It seems like a great Uni town.

Actually, here is a good place to make a point that might seem obvious, but actually bears saying: Study abroad is going to be fun. It's as simple as that. I don't know anyone who has committed themselves to their exchange and not had it pay off in spades. Two people who studied with me earlier this year were unhappy and went home, but it was clear that they had been able to let themselves open up and really take it all in. One girl who left actually began to regret her decision as the day approached, once she realized that most of her problems were typical initial homesickness and that she had become happy. Everyone has troubles at the start of their exchange, with getting adjusted to other customs and finding friends, but it always works out incredibly. Being an exchange student is like being a first semester freshman. Everyone from the Uni is trying to help you, and everyone you meet is in the same boat and wants to be your friend.

A corollary to that is that wherever you study, you will love it. You've probably heard that before, but it bears repeating. When you first plan to study abroad in a country, the choices you have can be bewildering. There are about a dozen universities under the umbrella of the UMass/Baden-Wuerttemberg program alone, and it's hard to make up your mind where to study. You haven't heard of at least half of the places, and they all offer similar classes, and how are you supposed to know whether Ulm or Tuebingen will better suit your academic tastes? Here's a secret: They would both equally. I picked Konstanz on a whim. At first I wanted to go to Freiberg or Heidelberg but the process was taking to long so I picked the dark horse. The city and people are awesome, and my choice has paid off, but I don't fool myself into thinking it was fate or something.

There is no such thing as one true love, and there's no such thing as one true study abroad program.