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Outside the Classroom

Excursions

The FU-BEST program organizes regular field trips as part of its program. All of the costs associated with these excursions are included in the Maryland-in-Berlin program fee.

Local field trips within Berlin and as part of the academic program are offered regularly – normally every one to two weeks. These include:

  • Excursions to practice German language skills in the real world
  • Repeating excursions offered every semester to all students:
    • The Reichstag (Parliament) building, including a session of the German Parliament or the Bundeskanzleramt (Chancellor's Office)
    • Sachsenhausen, a former Nazi concentration camp
    • Two Stasi memorial sites (former East German secret police)
    • Potsdam, includng the royal palaces and the 1945 allied conference site
  • One week-long excursion is offered each semester traveling to a city outside of Berlin and to one outside of Germany, the cost of which is included in the Maryland-in-Berlin program fee. The destinations of these excursions change from semester to semester, but past destinations have included:
    • Poland
    • Munich & Vienna
    • Dresden & Prague
    • Hamburg & Copenhagen
    • For Fall 2009, the week-long excursion will be to Nuermburg and Prague

Meet German Students

Although FU-BEST classes are taken alongside other FU-BEST students, with the proper initiative, there is ample opportunity to meet local German students:

  • A small number of German students from Freie Universität enroll in FU-BEST courses
  • One-on-one language tandem program (Sprachtandem) through which FU-BEST students are paired with German students to practice German and English
  • Take part in regular Stammtisch gatherings
  • Join the Freie Universität's International Club and their events (organized by German students from Freie Universität)

Other Extracurricular Activities

Each term the FU-BEST staff organizes tickets for students interested in activities such as concerts, operas or soccer programs. Students may choose to take part in up to four of these activities each term. The cost of these programs are included in the Maryland-in-Berlin program fee.

Still looking for something else to get involved in while in Berlin? No problem! The FU-BEST staff is very accessible and can serve as a great resource while in Germany. They can help find music lessons, extra tutoring, other special organizations or clubs at Freie Universität, or areas of Berlin and Germany that may be of interest. Students are encouraged to take the initiative and to pursue individual interests through all the programming and resources that the FU-BEST program and staff have to offer!