Study Abroad
Kennesaw German Studies welcomes back students who have traveled far and wide to share their experiences in Germany and throughout Europe.
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Kennesaw German Studies welcomes back students who have traveled far and wide to share their experiences in Germany and throughout Europe.
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Was this helpful?
Join a session with Dr. Sabine Smith this semester to discuss upcoming study abroad opportunities and plan for your next trip. Come to ask questions about length of study, course credits, work & study abroad choices, housing opportunities, and stipends.
Virtual Sessions via tbd (Zoom #tbd: PW:tbd.
Find a date and time that work best for your schedule below. You may also add these dates to your personal calendar to help you find a good time to drop in. Pilcher 204 is upstairs near the front desk of the Department of World Languages and Cultures (#375 on K Campus).
tbd
This is the key experience for students of German. KSU offers several ways to spend a semester or year in Germany. For students who take German culture and language seriously, study abroad is essential. Spending an academic year in Germany will help with your studies more than anything else. It is affordable and can fit into most students’ schedules with a bit of early planning. Talk to your German professors and the Education Abroad office to learn more.
Of course, students can complete a German major without this experience. But this situation is far from ideal. Studying abroad makes the culture come alive; an extended stay in a German-speaking environment makes speaking the language feel much more comfortable and natural. At graduation, many German majors reflect that studying abroad helped them grow as individuals and become independent like nothing ever before. More than anything else, study abroad will help you succeed in mastering German. It is essential.
Here are tips for making the most of your study abroad experience and using it to achieve your goals as a German major or minor - or simply a learner of German:
View the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture. Commit to speaking the German language whenever possible. Seek out friends who do the same, and make an effort to get to know Germans. This way, you can learn simply by living and socializing. The experience just might change your life.
Keep your email, Skype, Facebook, Instagram, and other contacts with people at home to a minimum. Don’t let your time abroad become just a virtual version of your life at home. Take full advantage of where you are.
If you choose to travel, spend some significant time exploring the German-speaking countries.
Welcome the opportunity to challenge yourself and grow while exploring another language, culture, and way of life. Recognize that you will have moments of homesickness and “culture shock.” These are normal and part of adjusting to a new culture. You will have wonderfully exhilarating moments too, especially if you make your best effort to explore and live in German.
In this video, Ale Schiach and Dr. Sabine Smith of KSU German Studies delve into the intricate world of culture shock and reverse culture shock, phenomena that often shape the experiences of international students and travelers. In this exploration, we will unravel the complexities of adapting to a new cultural environment and the equally challenging process of readjusting to one's home culture upon return. Our focus will be on students preparing for study abroad in Germany, offering insights into how they can navigate and embrace these transformative experiences. (Accessibility note: use the CC toggle to enable high quality English subtitles for this video.)
Kennesaw students showcase their knowledge of the various opportunities and scholarships related to study abroad with a quiz. We congratulate the 2022-23 winners: Luke, Lauren, and Michelle!
German university students have less daily homework than Americans. Use the down time to read and study in German what interests you. Remember to practice the principles of “active” learning described above in the section . Also, use your time to explore the world and people around you (in German, of course!).
