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Middlebury School in Germany
Rheinstraße 42
D-55116 Mainz
Germany
Tel. (06131) 22 10 40 (in Germany - outside Mainz)
011.49.6131.22.10.40 (from U.S.)
Fax. 011.49.6131.55.4.33.9
Director: Heike Fahrenberg, Ph.D.
mailto: hfahrenb@middlebury.edu
Office hours during the semester:
Johannes Gutenberg Universität
Room/Hours TBA
International Programs and Off-Campus Study
127 Sunderland Language Center
Middlebury, VT 05753
Tel. 802.443.5745
Fax. 802.443.3157
mailto: schoolsabroad@middlebury.edu
German School
Sunderland Language Center
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753
Tel. 802.443.5203
Fax. 802.443.2075
mailto: cellison@middlebury.edu
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german
Please note: Information in this handbook is subject to change.
Copyright 2015 by Middlebury College. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photographic
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Middlebury College.
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Table of Contents
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR.............................. 2
PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION .......................... 3
Approximate Program Costs ...........................................................................................................................3
Expenses ..........................................................................................................................................................3
Student Visas ....................................................................................................................................................3
Customs ...........................................................................................................................................................4
Registering with the U.S. Department of State................................................................................................4
International Students ......................................................................................................................................4
Travel to Germany ...........................................................................................................................................4
TSA Regulations ..........................................................................................................................................4
Airline Luggage Regulations ........................................................................................................................5
Comfort in Flights .......................................................................................................................................5
Immunizations .................................................................................................................................................5
List of Important Things to Pack: ...................................................................................................................6
General Packing Suggestions ...........................................................................................................................6
Clothing .......................................................................................................................................................6
Bed and Bath Linens ...................................................................................................................................6
Toiletries ......................................................................................................................................................7
Prescriptions ................................................................................................................................................7
Electrical Appliances ...................................................................................................................................7
Computers ...................................................................................................................................................7
Gifts .............................................................................................................................................................7
Moodle-Registration.........................................................................................................................................7
ARRIVAL IN GERMANY..................................... 8
Immigration .....................................................................................................................................................8
Upon Arrival ....................................................................................................................................................8
How to Get to Mainz from the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) ..............................................................................8
Getting to your dorm ..................................................................................................................................9
Taxi from the Mainz Train Station..............................................................................................................9
Housing Office ............................................................................................................................................9
How to Get to Downtown Berlin from the Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL) .......................................................9
By Cab ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
By Bus ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Temporary Accommodation......................................................................................................................... 10
Orientation .................................................................................................................................................... 10
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ACADEMIC & ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS11
The Master of Arts Program ......................................................................................................................... 11
Program Philosophy, Mission Statement, and Learning Goals .................................................................. 11
Program Philosophy ................................................................................................................................. 11
Mission Statement and Learning Goals ................................................................................................... 12
Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................. 12
Learning Goal No1: Improvement of Language Skills ........................................................................... 12
Learning Goal No 2: Intercultural Communicative Competence ........................................................... 14
University Courses ........................................................................................................................................ 16
A) Hauptseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Advanced (Graduate) Level Required:
Minimum 1 per semester .......................................................................................................................... 16
B) Proseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Basic Level ......................................................... 16
C) Übung / Übungs-Module, all levels .................................................................................................... 16
D) Vorlesung, Restricted: One Per Year .................................................................................................. 17
PROGRAM POLICIES .............................................. 17
Language Pledge............................................................................................................................................ 17
Plagiarism ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
Attendance .................................................................................................................................................... 18
Tardiness ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Deadlines and Extension Policies ................................................................................................................. 18
Exams............................................................................................................................................................ 19
Research Papers ............................................................................................................................................ 19
ABCs of Paper Writing and the Writing Workshop Platform ................................................................. 19
Navigating the German Academic World .................................................................................................... 19
Unspoken Expectations and Practical Suggestions .................................................................................. 19
Etiquette ........................................................................................................................................................ 21
Punctuality ................................................................................................................................................ 21
Course Materials ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Conduct in Class ....................................................................................................................................... 22
In-class Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 22
Criticism and Praise .................................................................................................................................. 22
Attendance--Missing class due to sickness ............................................................................................... 22
Drop Policies ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Course Listings.............................................................................................................................................. 23
FAQs Concerning Mainstream-Course Selection......................................................................................... 24
Do I have to take 4 Hauptseminare per semester? ..................................................................................... 24
Do I have to write research papers for all of my classes? ........................................................................ 24
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When do I have to make the final decision about which classes I am going to take? ............................. 24
How does choosing classes work? ........................................................................................................... 24
FAQs Class Work and Absences .................................................................................................................. 24
How do I find a paper topic if the professor doesn’t hand out any lists? ............................................... 24
How many times do I have to meet with a professor? ............................................................................ 24
Can I get help with writing my paper? ..................................................................................................... 25
Why do classes scheduled to start on the hour start 15 min. late and end 15 min. early? ....................... 25
INDIVIDUAL WRITING-AND-COMPOSITION WORKSHOPS
25
Guidelines ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 25
Attendance .............................................................................................................................................. 25
CULTURAL LEARNING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
25
Effective Immersion and Intercultural Learning .......................................................................................... 26
Documenting your Learning Progress: Your IDI- Profile ........................................................................... 26
Reaping the Benefits of Effective Immersion .............................................................................................. 26
Only Active Immersion can Become Effective Immersion .................................................................... 26
How to Turn your Experience into Insights ............................................................................................ 27
Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in Germany ....................... 27
Internships .................................................................................................................................................... 28
Internships for Credit ............................................................................................................................ 28
Getting Started ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Our Responsibilities: ................................................................................................................................ 29
Your Responsibilities: ............................................................................................................................... 29
Previous, current, and future internship providers: ................................................................................. 30
Cultural Activities.......................................................................................................................................... 30
LIVING IN GERMANY ..................................... 31
Housing ......................................................................................................................................................... 31
Mainz ........................................................................................................................................................ 31
Berlin ........................................................................................................................................................ 31
Finding Your Own Housing in Germany ................................................................................................ 32
Meeting Germans.......................................................................................................................................... 32
Character of the City ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Meals ............................................................................................................................................................. 33
Travel ............................................................................................................................................................ 33
Travel/Ticket Agents ............................................................................................................................... 34
Working in Germany .................................................................................................................................... 34
HEALTH AND SAFETY .......................................... 34
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Sexual Harassment and Assault .................................................................................................................... 34
Health ............................................................................................................................................................ 35
Drugs............................................................................................................................................................. 35
Psychological Health and Counseling ........................................................................................................... 36
Student Safety................................................................................................................................................ 36
Medical and Accident Insurance ................................................................................................................... 36
ON-SITE MONEY MATTERS ................................. 37
Currency Exchange ....................................................................................................................................... 37
Money and Banking ...................................................................................................................................... 37
Emergency Cash ........................................................................................................................................... 37
Credit and Debit Cards ................................................................................................................................. 38
COMMUNICATION WITH HOME & FRIENDS ...... 38
Communication and Immersion ................................................................................................................... 38
Mail................................................................................................................................................................ 38
Mainz ........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Berlin ........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Internet and E-mail ....................................................................................................................................... 38
Language Pledge............................................................................................................................................ 39
Phones ........................................................................................................................................................... 39
Skype ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Fax/Xerox..................................................................................................................................................... 39
Semester printing account and Studicard in Mainz .................................................................................. 39
Semester printing account and Mensacard in Berlin ................................................................................ 40
LOCAL INFORMATION ................................... 40
Mainz ............................................................................................................................................................. 40
Emergency Services .................................................................................................................................. 40
U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt ............................................................................................................ 40
Temporary Accommodations .................................................................................................................. 40
Hospitals and Medical Services ................................................................................................................ 40
Drugstores and All-Night Pharmacies ..................................................................................................... 41
Public Transportation ............................................................................................................................... 41
Eating Establishments .............................................................................................................................. 41
Libraries .................................................................................................................................................... 41
Bookstores ................................................................................................................................................ 41
Movie Theaters ......................................................................................................................................... 42
Department Stores ................................................................................................................................... 42
Markets and Supermarkets ....................................................................................................................... 42
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Berlin ............................................................................................................................................................. 42
Emergency Services .................................................................................................................................. 42
Embassy of the United States Berlin ........................................................................................................ 42
Temporary Accommodations .................................................................................................................. 42
Public Transportation ............................................................................................................................... 43
Eating Establishments .............................................................................................................................. 43
Libraries .................................................................................................................................................... 43
Bookstores ................................................................................................................................................ 43
Movie Theaters ......................................................................................................................................... 44
Department Stores ................................................................................................................................... 44
GRADES CONVERSION SCALE .............................. 44
ACADEMIC CALENDAR ......................................... 44
Arrival Periods .......................................................................................................................................... 44
Weekends and Holidays ........................................................................................................................... 45
Departure from Germany ........................................................................................................................ 45
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Letter from the Director
Dear Students,
Congratulations on your decision to study at Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz or Freie Universität in
Berlin. I would like to personally welcome you and invite you to make the most of your time abroad.
Immersing yourself in a different culture is an exciting adventure that can be challenging at times. Try to
maintain the inquisitive spirit of the explorer you've already demonstrated by signing up for study abroad. A
new world awaits and welcomes you, but you should inform yourself about what to expect. This handbook is
designed to answer most of your important questions before departure. Please also consult the website of the
School in Germany.
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german
Once you're here, the success of your stay depends mostly on your own initiative. Not knowing initially how
everything works shouldn't hold you back. After all, going abroad is not about “knowing” but about “finding
out”! If you're ready to make your stay an experience you'll cherish for the rest of your life, I'm more than
willing to assist.
This handbook is a companion piece meant to be read and used in conjunction with the Guidelines for
studying with a Middlebury Graduate School Abroad Handbook. Please make sure you completely
understand the information provided and bring them both with you in your carry-on luggage when you come
to Germany.
Welcome to Mainz and Berlin - I look forward to meeting you!
Heike Fahrenberg, Ph.D.
Director and Associate Professor
Middlebury School in Germany
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Pre-Departure Information
Approximate Program Costs
The following is an estimate of program costs as of January 2015. Please remember that Middlebury College
only bills you for the tuition portion and housing (if pre-arranged through Middlebury); the remaining
expenses will be out-of-pocket. Figures may vary depending on individual lifestyles and situations. Please note
that the "Personal" figure covers some basic necessities (local transportation, cell phone, bank fees, programsponsored excursions, etc.) and does not, and is not intended to include students' discretionary spending (e.g.
entertainment, fitness, and travel). For financial aid budgeting purposes, the exchange rate is 1 € = $1.38.
Berlin students who arrange dorm housing through Middlebury will be billed for the reservation fee only
(500€ as of February 2015). This reservation fee minus 50€ will be applied to the rent once students sign their
rental contract in Berlin. Most dorms ask students to pay the first month's rent plus a down payment (one
month’s rent + 10€) in cash when signing the rental contract. These students should be aware that the
remaining rent will have to be paid by them via bank account transfer.
Mainz students who arrange dorm housing through Middlebury will be charged for rent on their Middlebury
bill in 6-month increments.
N.B. Fluctuating exchange rates make advanced planning of costs challenging. We advise that you
overestimate your costs to accommodate these fluctuations.
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/dates_fees
*Tuition includes orientation, academic fees, overseas health insurance and
one group trip per semester. Tuition does not include housing or food.
Students in Germany are responsible for paying for their own meals and
personal expenses.
Expenses
Keep in mind that the amount of money you spend ultimately depends on the
lifestyle you choose. The figures above do not account for nights out or restaurant meals
taken every day.
Remember to budget extra if you are planning to travel before or after your program. Plane or train travel
may seem relatively inexpensive, but travel costs still add up quickly. If you are a big spender in the U.S.,
bringing more money would be a good idea. If you plan on regularly sampling the nightlife of your city, you
should remember that this adds to your expenses, and also budget extra money for taxis.
Student Visas
Citizens of the U.S., Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, as well as EU citizens do not
need to apply for a student visa to enter Germany. They may automatically apply for their permit of stay
(Aufenthaltsgenehmigung) upon arrival in Germany without a visa. However, students with other passports will
be required to apply for a student visa at a German Consulate in the U.S. prior to departure. While entry into
Germany may be possible on a tourist visa, visas cannot be converted from a tourist to a student visa once in
Germany. Unless exempted above, students cannot apply for a residence permit without a student visa, and
therefore cannot be enrolled at a German university. Please note that German authorities will require you to
leave and return to your home country for proper documentation before readmission.
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In Mainz, the director of the School in Germany will help you complete the paperwork for a permit of stay
(Aufenthaltsgenehmigung) during orientation. You are required to bring your passport to the first orientation
meeting.
In Berlin, the program assistant and tutors will help you complete the paperwork for a permit of stay
(Aufenthaltsgenehmigung) and enrollment with FU before the beginning of Orientation.
Getting the permit of stay may entail handing in your passport to German officials for a couple of weeks.
Therefore you should plan to not leave Germany for the first 2 months after the beginning of the program to
ensure that you will receive your permit of stay in due time.
Customs
If you plan to bring any new, non-U.S.-made articles of value, such as cameras, MP3 players, computers,
bicycles, or jewelry that are LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD, you should register them with U.S. Customs
and Border Protection before departure (CBP Form 4457). Alternatively, you can carry your original sales
receipts to prove that you purchased them in the U.S. This avoids your having to pay a duty upon your
return. Customs regulations vary from country to country; there are usually limitations on liquor, cigarettes,
and other goods.
To register your items, download and complete the form available online at
http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_4457.pdf and present it with your items to a Customs and Border
Patrol Officer at an international airport.
Registering with the U.S. Department of State
All U.S. citizens are required to register themselves with the U.S. Embassy in Germany before departure from
the U.S. In the event of an international, political, or family emergency, or in the event that a passport is lost
or stolen, the U.S. Embassy will be much better able to assist registered citizens. Please visit the Department
of State’s Web site and follow the links to register:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_4789.html
Registration is fast and costs nothing. Please print the confirmation page after you have registered; leave one
copy at home and take one with you. Students of other nationalities should check to see if it is possible to
register with their own embassy in Germany.
International Students
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require re-entry documents for some foreign
nationals. If you are living in the U.S. but are a citizen of another country, check with the USCIS to
determine the regulations that apply to you and be sure to obtain all necessary re-entry documents before you
leave the United States.
Travel to Germany
TSA Regulations
The Transportation Security Administration regulates what items may be carried aboard aircrafts and these
regulations are subject to change. Therefore, you should consult their Web site closer to your date of
departure: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel
N.B. Possessing certain items while going through security may result in fines of $250 - $1,500 or, in the case
of firearms, may be considered a criminal offense.
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Airline Luggage Regulations
You should contact your airline to confirm exact luggage allowances. We strongly suggest you stick to these
guidelines, or be prepared to pay excess baggage fees, which can be quite expensive. We also suggest that you
consider insuring your luggage through a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Some travel insurance is
included under the HTH Worldwide policy. Furthermore, it is possible that you may be covered under a
policy held by your parents, so investigate this prior to departure. Travel insurance options can be researched
at: http://www.insuremytrip.com
You are responsible for your own travel arrangements. We recommend using a student travel agency for
flexibility and the best rates. Some agencies to investigate, among others, are:
STA Travel: http://www.statravel.com
StudentUniverse: http://www.studentuniverse.com
Travel CUTS: http://www.travelcuts.com
Comfort in Flights
The following recommendations should help you during the flight and may ease the effect of “jet lag” when
you arrive at your destination:





Wear loose-fitting clothes while in flight, as well as shoes that can be removed easily.
Replenish fluids frequently. Avoid alcoholic beverages, which are dehydrating. Too much coffee or
tea can also cause dehydration.
Contact lens wearers should remove them or use saline solution every few hours.
Those with sensitive skin should carry moisturizing cream.
Take a walk around the cabin when the seat belt sign is off.
Immunizations
Although no agency requires proof of any immunizations for travel to Germany, experts recommend that
travelers take certain precautions. You should ask your doctor for advice regarding inoculations. We suggest
you inquire as to the advisability of tetanus and flu inoculations, as well as immunoglobulin injections for
hepatitis A and/or B. You may also check the most recent CDC recommendations at: www.cdc.gov/travel/.
Some immunizations require waiting periods in excess of six months between doses and others cause brief
discomfort, so, if you decide to be inoculated, we suggest you plan ahead; do not wait until only a month
before you depart.
Arrival: Please consult the School in Germany calendar on the School’s webpage before purchasing any
tickets and plan to arrive during the Check-in Period, unless you are searching for housing. Once you have
your travel itinerary, please e-mail it to the director. If you do so early enough, we can arrange for an
assistant or tutor to pick you up at the airport (Berlin) or train station (Mainz).
Make sure you do not arrive at night, on a weekend, or on any national holidays. You will find it impossible
to find a place to stay or move into any pre-arranged accommodation if you do so. If you have pre-arranged
your housing, we strongly recommend that you arrive in your host city during the suggested “check-in
period” on each site's calendar. If you are arranging your own housing, you should plan to arrive at least one
month prior to the first orientation meeting. Make good use of your time to become familiar with and adjust
to your new surroundings, to arrange for cell phone and email service and shop for food and supplies.
PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY IN THE MORNING. Nobody will be on duty on weekends or German
holidays. Dormitory staff (holders of the room keys) will not be on duty around the clock and probably won't
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be in their offices on Friday afternoons either. University housing offices are only open on weekday
mornings.
If you decided to stay in a dorm, the assistant or tutor who picks you up, will have your keys and bring you to
your dorm. A program assistant or tutor will help you in the first days with food shopping, buying a cell
phone and all bureaucratic affairs (stay permit, residence registration, trip to the health insurance agency,
signing the rental contract).
Departure: Since you will need to hand in your research papers, clean your room, and make an appointment
with the dormitory staff to get your room checked before your departure, it is especially important that you
plan your return to the United States or travel to another destination after the date of the last day of the
semester. Exam dates will not be changed to accommodate students’ travel plans. No exceptions will
be made, so please do not ask.
List of Important Things to Pack:
Guidelines for Studying with a Graduate School Abroad:
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/handbook
School in Germany Graduate Handbook:
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/handbook
CD-Rom College-Level Dictionary German-German (DaF)
CD-Rom College-Level Dictionary German-English-German
Airline ticket/electronic ticket information [+ 1 copy]
Proof of Insurance from HTH Worldwide [insurance card + letter]
Extra passport photos
Debit/Credit cards
Certified copy of original birth certificate [in case your passport is lost or stolen]
Medications in original containers and copies of prescriptions
International Student Identity Card (optional): http://www.myisic.com/MyISIC/
General Packing Suggestions
As you pack for the flight over, keep in mind that when you travel, you will be carrying your luggage by
yourself, sometimes over great distances or on crowded trains. This means TRAVEL LIGHT. We cannot
emphasize this strongly enough. Choose each item carefully and avoid duplication. Take things that are easy
to manage and avoid over-packing. One rule of thumb is to pack your bags and carry them around the block
three times; then re-pack.
Most American products are sold in Germany, but you may find they are more expensive. Consider buying
European products. If you cannot do without certain items or if you are not willing to experiment with
European products, take along a sufficient supply.
Clothing
As the recent years have shown, winter in Mainz and Berlin may become quite severe: it is damp and has a
penetrating chill, so you should bring warm clothing, including a heavy winter coat or a down jacket.
Remember that German clothes are often expensive and sometimes require dry cleaning, so be sure to bring
with you whatever you think you will need.
Bed and Bath Linens
We do not recommend that you bring sheets, blankets, or pillows with you. They are heavy and take up too
much space in your luggage (and you may find that sheets from home do not fit your bed properly). These
items are also costly to ship in advance. Therefore, we suggest that you purchase them once you arrive in
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Germany; there are reasonable discount stores in both cities. You may want to consider bringing a couple of
towels with you, which should suffice until you are able to purchase more.
Toiletries
Toiletries, though readily available, may be more expensive throughout most of Germany than in the U.S. If
you are particular about brands, you may want to pack an appropriate supply of the articles you regularly use.
However, there are convenient discount stores like ‘dm’ and ‘Rossmann’, where you can find toiletries at
reasonable prices.
Prescriptions
If you are taking any medication that is not available in Germany you should take a full supply of what you
will need including all appropriate prescriptions with you in your carry-on luggage. Mailing medicine is not
recommended. Prescription medicines should be left in the original containers. You may wish to carry a note
from your doctor to avoid questioning. Please also note that in the event that a prescription must be replaced
in Germany, you should have the GENERIC NAME of your medication on the prescription, in addition to
the American 'brand' name.
If you are under a doctor’s care for a specific condition, you may want to bring a copy of your medical history
with you or sign a release form with your doctor in case your medical history needs to be sent to a doctor in
Germany.
Please note that medication in Germany, including Aspirin and cold medicine, is available only in pharmacies.
Electrical Appliances
The electrical current in Europe is 220 volts rather than the 110 found in the United States. You should make
sure that any appliance you bring is 110/220. Transformers and adapter plugs (also for computers and
modems) are available in Germany, but it is best to buy them in the U.S. before you leave. American
transformers, for example, are lighter and cost less (approx. $15). However, some American transformers
will not fit German outlets, as German outlets tend to be recessed (not flush to the wall surface like American
outlets). Occasionally, even though a transformer is used, an appliance may not work properly. Because of
this difficulty and because of their weight and bulk, you may want to leave most electrical appliances at home
and buy those that you find absolutely necessary after you arrive in Germany.
Computers
You are expected to type your papers and should be advised that computer resources in Germany are
more limited than in the U.S. Therefore bringing your own laptop is strongly recommended. In Mainz,
you may use the computers and printers at the Zentrale für Datenverarbeitung. In Berlin you may use the
computers in the Zentraleinrichtung für Datenverarbeitung (ZEDAT). In Mainz, you'll have wireless access on
campus once you have enrolled with the university and have registered with the ZDV (approx. three weeks
after your arrival). Up to this point, you can either use one of the internet cafés in the city or use free internet
access provided by several cafés as the Extrablatt, ALEX and Eiscafé Florenz in Mainz.
If you do bring your own laptop, you should be aware of the risk of theft. Also, look at your power cord to
determine whether it has dual voltage capability (110/220).
Gifts
We suggest bringing small gifts for your future roommate. Something simple from your local area such as
candy, pictures/postcards, baseball cap, t-shirt (medium size) etc. Choose a gift that has significance to you
and is packable and light.
Moodle-Registration
In order to have access to all support materials, the Writing Workshop platform and the Culture Portfolio
Course, please register at:
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https://login.middlebury.edu/cas/login?service=http%3A%2F%2Fmoodle.middlebury.edu%2Flogin%2Find
ex.php
You need to register with your Middlebury Email-Account which you will receive before the start of the
summer school. Once you’ve provided all necessary information, you’ll receive an email-confirmation of your
registration and a notification that you now may log in on the Moodle Platform.
You’ll have to join the following course-platforms:
Writing and Composition Workshop School in Germany (major tutorial and communication platform
for all students in the program)
Culture, Competence, and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in Germany (credit
bearing course unit, mandatory part of academic and cultural program)
You’ll receive the necessary passwords from the director shortly before your arrival.
ARRIVAL IN GERMANY
When purchasing your airline ticket to Germany, remember that you cannot be picked up or move into your
dorm on a weekend or a German holiday and use the Check-in Period if you don’t need to arrive early to find
housing. Once you know your itinerary, please email it to the director. The director will share it with the
orientation assistants who will in turn contact you about arranging a pick-up at the airport (Berlin) or train
station (Mainz). While it is not required that you be met upon your arrival in Germany, it is strongly
recommended. The sooner you know your itinerary, the easier it will be to arrange a pick-up.
Immigration
Follow the crowd through passport control to the Gepäckausgabe (downstairs in all the terminals); get your
bags and go through the customs exit with the green “Nothing-to-Declare” sign.
Upon Arrival
Call the director at (06131) 22.10.40 on the day of your arrival to let her know that you arrived safely. If you
are being picked up by a tutor or program assistant, this person will notify the director in your place. Students
are required to check in and/or inform the director of any delays in arrival. If you do not check in, the
director will assume you have not yet arrived in Germany. Also make sure to notify your family at
home. If you do not check in within 48 hours after your announced arrival, we are obliged to assume
that you are missing and will have to call the police.
How to Get to Mainz from the Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
• If you arrive in Terminal 2, follow the signs to the Sky Line. Take the Sky Line to Terminal 1. Once you are
in Terminal 1, find the sign for the regional train station (Regionalbahnhof - NOT the Fernbahnhof), located
below Terminal 1, one flight down. On the concourse level, go through the sliding doors to the automatic
ticket machines and get a ticket (Einzelfahrschein) for Mainz Hbf, by pushing 6 + 5, then the adult fare button
(identified by icons). The machine then shows the price for the ticket (approx.. €4). If the machine asks you
to choose between über Frankfurt/Hbf or über Rüsselsheim, choose über Rüsselsheim.
•If you don’t have any change or euros, there are banks in the arrival halls which will change dollars and
travelers checks, or break a euro bill for you. If the banks are closed, buy yourself a newspaper with a bill and
get change that way.
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•Proceed to the platform level. All trains for Mainz leave on Track 3. Make sure you only board the S8 to
Wiesbaden VIA MAINZ HAUPTBAHNHOF. Do not board any train going via Mainz-Kastel or you will
end up on the ‘wrong’ side of the Rhine River!
Under no circumstances should you board a train without a ticket. It could cost you €40 in fines. Do not get
on an IC (Intercity) or EC (Eurocity) train: the tickets from the automats are not valid for them. Taking the
S-8 is the safest way!
The trip to Mainz takes about 30 minutes. The train will cross the Rhine, make one stop and then go through
two tunnels, one short, one longer. Mainz Hbf (Hauptbahnhof) is the first stop after the two tunnels. Be careful:
do not get off at any other station that has “Mainz” as part of a longer name (e.g. “Mainz-Gustavsburg” or
“Mainz-Süd”).
If the director of the School in Germany or an orientation assistant has been informed of your arrival date
and has agreed to pick you up, give them a call from the Mainzer Hauptbahnhof as soon as you get there. . S/he
will come to the train-station and pick you up.
If you have not made any arrangements with the director, you will need to pick up your key at the
Studentenhaus: put your bags in one of the coin-operated lockers (a Schließfach) at the train station. You will
need euro coins for each locker you use. You don’t want to be carrying your baggage around the campus
before you actually have your room key in hand.
Plan your flight to arrive during the daytime. If you arrive so late that you can neither be picked up or move
into your room by yourself, a reasonably priced hotel near the train station is Hotel Terminus, one-half block
to the right (uphill) from the station. Have this Handbook handy for your arrival. Make sure you inform the
assistant, so s/he can pick you up the next morning.
Getting to your dorm
If you have not arranged to be picked up by a program assistant or tutor, check online how to get to your
dorm: www.mvg-mainz.de. (Type in the address of your dorm and you will receive information which bus to
take from the main train station.
Taxi from the Mainz Train Station
A taxi from the Hauptbahnhof to the dorms will cost around €10, depending on the amount of luggage you
have.
Housing Office
If you have pre-arranged to live in a dorm but have failed to make arrangements for an assistant to pick
you up, please go to the housing office on campus to pick up your room key. It is located in the
Studentenhaus (‘Studihaus”) at Staudingerweg 2. It’s in the first of two clusters of buildings on your right,
across from Inter I. Go to the Wohnraumverwaltung des Studentenwerks, located on the upper floor of the
complex. Enter through Eingang C, go to the door marked Sekretariat der Wohnraumver waltung. The office hours
are: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. There you will receive further instructions for getting into
your dorm room. You may ask for Frau Gerold, but if she is not there, anyone else should be able to help
you.
How to Get to Downtown Berlin from the Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL)
Since Berlin is a rather large city and you will probably be jet-lagged, we strongly recommend that you make
arrangements with the director of the program, so that an assistant will be able to pick you up and accompany
you to your dorm or apartment.
Berlin is currently served by three airports. Flights from the U.S. fly into Tegel. To figure out the easiest route
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to your new home, we suggest you visit the B.V.G. website (http://www.bvg.de/) before your arrival in
Berlin. This website has a transportation calculator, called "Fahrplanauskunft". Just enter "Tegel airport", your
final destination, day + time and it will tell which bus/subway/S-Bahn to take. It's a very convenient website
that will also help you throughout your stay in Berlin. Note: the bus X9 takes you to the nearest S-Bahn
station ("Jungfernheide"). From there you can easily move around with the S-Bahn.
Tegel airport is quite small and in the shape of a ring, so you cannot get lost. When you get off the plane
you’ll immediately spot the baggage claim area (Gepäckausgabe). Collect your bags and go through the customs
exit with the "Nothing- to-Declare" sign. If you made arrangements to be picked up by one of the assistants,
she/he will be waiting outside. Make sure you have the complete address of your room or the place where
you will have to pick up your key if you’ve arranged for a dorm room.
From the airport, you can take a bus or a cab into the city.
By Cab
Cabs leave from the inside of the ring. Take any of the exit doors across the hall from baggage claim and
you’ll spot the taxis. You should carry at least €60 in cash if you’re planning to take a cab. You’ll find ATM
machines throughout the airport.
By Bus
Buses depart from the outside of the ring at Tegel. To get to the bus stop follow the exit signs that say
"bus/BVG". BVG is short for Berliner Verkehrsgesellschaft - the transportation company in Berlin. Several buses
leave for the city center every 5-10 minutes. Depending on where your dorm is you can take one the
following buses: 109, 128, X9, TXL. Tickets can be purchased in the waiting area or from the bus driver. A
one-way ticket (Zone AB is sufficient) costs €2.30 and an all day pass costs €6,30.
Temporary Accommodation
If you arrive in Germany without a pre-arranged student dormitory room, you should make arrangements to
stay in temporary quarters until your search for permanent housing (apartment) is successful. It is not
advisable to simply show up in Germany without some kind of housing already lined up. Please keep the
director advised of your current address, no matter how temporary.
Orientation
The orientation period in Mainz and Berlin runs for
approximately two to three weeks before classes begin.
Participation is mandatory.
Do not plan to travel during this time.
If you decide to arrange for your own accommodation,
make sure that arrangements have been completed by
the time orientation starts.
During this time, you will, supported by native
speakers, take the mandatory culture and language
orientation course, do culture-projects, get familiar
with your surroundings, apply for and receive your
permit of stay, enroll (immatrikulieren) at the university, and receive an email account.
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Please note that registering for an email account at the local university is necessary in order to be able to use
the on-line services of that specific university. You will also begin the process of selecting courses (in
consultation with the director of the School in Germany and with the individual teacher of each course).
You also should start looking around for activities you might want to engage in, clubs to join, places that
might have the potential to become your favorite spots. Once classes begin, you won't have the same amount
of time available to make yourself at home in the city of your choice – the earlier you start, the faster you'll
feel settled.
Orientation at both sites serves the purpose of making you familiar with your new surroundings, of giving
you useful information on German methods of researching and writing papers and of doing oral reports for
courses as well as on the culture you’ve come to study and explore. You’ll be introduced to your language
tutors and will learn how the Writing and Composition Workshop and your Culture Portfolio work best to
enhance your learning experience inside and outside the classroom, while intercultural training modules and
specific language exercises will give you the perfect head start for your new life abroad.
Please note that the orientation entails afternoon activities, so that it will take up most of your weekdays.
ACADEMIC & ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
The Master of Arts Program
To complete the M.A. through the program in Mainz or Berlin, you must take three courses during the
required preliminary summer session at the German School in Vermont. One course is Introduction to Literary
Scholarship, a seminar that includes a Proseminararbeit. It is strongly recommended that your second course be a
survey course in literature, history, or philosophy.
After successfully completing the summer session of the German School, M.A. candidates take at least nine
courses over the course of the year, all of them related to German Studies. These courses may be taught in
Deutsche Philologie, Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft, Volkskunde and Theaterwissenschaft but may also be found in
departments teaching philosophy, history, political science, economics, or art history. Six of the nine courses should fit a
common theme (i.e., focus on clearly related topics). The other three courses may not be related to the topic
of the first six courses but they still must have a clear German studies angle.
The mandatory course is called ‘Culture, Competence, and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School
in Germany.’ It entails doing research and writing a paper on topics related to German Culture.
In order to meet these requirements, you must get your preliminary course list approved by the director of
the School in Germany. If you enroll in fewer than four courses in either semester you may be asked to
withdraw from the program.
M.A. students are required to complete all of their courses except one per year by writing German research
papers on the Graduate level. One course per year may be completed with a written exam of 90min length.
You will submit a copy of each paper to the director who will hand it in to the professor of the course.
Program Philosophy, Mission Statement, and Learning Goals
Program Philosophy
Middlebury has designed overseas programs in which student independence and immersion in the local
culture are primary goals. Language proficiency and integration into the local educational system are
important stepping stones toward these goals.
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In Germany, Middlebury offers programs in Mainz and Berlin that are designed to help you reap the benefit
from the experience of living and studying in your city of choice, learning first-hand about the host culture
while improving your skills in the target language.
The program at both sites is dedicated to provide the opportunity for you to profit from a richness of
experience and to achieve a level of maturity not easily available in the familiar surroundings of home.
In order to support this process, the program at the Middlebury School in Germany offers a blend of
structure and independence in order to both encourage student independence and individual responsibility, as
well as academic and social integration. As a result, the Director and staff abroad are always available for
academic advising and general administrative matters. While we are responsible for helping students develop
a deep understanding of the host culture, we’re also there to support the your readiness to strike out on your
own. Therefore, we’re ready to support you in your genuine efforts to make new discoveries about the host
culture and yourself in dependence on your individual needs and preferences.
Mission Statement and Learning Goals
Mission Statement
Like all of Middlebury's Schools Abroad, the School in Germany was designed to connect Middlebury to
other places, countries, and cultures. Therefore, its program provides opportunities for both undergraduate
and graduate students striving to enhance their capacity for rigorous academc analysis and independent
thought in the target language by directly enrolling in academic mainstream courses at either Johannes
Gutenberg Universität Mainz or Freie Universität Berlin.
Aside from encouraging the development of academic rigor, all elements of program design support students
who want to improve their language skills and who are eager to obtain a deeper understanding of both their
own cultural background and the host culture.
Specific assignments as much as student-centered individualized support facilitate students' effective
immersion to significantly and measurably increase their level of Intercultural Communicative Competence.
Learning Goal No1: Improvement of Language Skills
General Goal and Method
1. By
o participating in writing
workshops
o keeping the language
pledge
o taking mainstream
courses of academic
content
o actively immersing
themselves in the host
culture
Students improve their
language skills with regard to
speaking, writing, and reading.
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Tasks
Learning Outcomes
Required:
Expressive/Reflective/
Analytical Writing (Culture
Portfolio)
Optional: Creative Writing
(Culture Portfolio)
Required:
Academic Writing ( research
paper assignments, graded by
university professors)
Students improve their ability to handle
German grammar.
Students improve their ability to pick the
adequate vocabulary and style depending on
the sort of text they are asked or want to
produce.
Students improve their ability to use
sentences, paragraphs, and chapters to create
logical structure and coherence in their
academic writing.
Students improve their academic research
methods and know how to pick the adequate
materials for their in-class research projects.
Based on their research, students can
conceive an answer to the question their
paper topic entails.
Students learn how to phrase a strong thesis
statement.
Students know how to use secondary
material to prove that, from their point of
view, and given the material they used, they
came to a well-reasoned conclusion.
Students' academic writing demonstrates that
they are aware of other scholars' views but
have developed their own independent point
of view based on the research they did and
based on the materials they used.
Students learn how and when to use quotes
or examples from secondary sources to
support or illustrate their argument.
Students' academic writing demonstrates that
they have both the academic honesty and
skill to master the mechanics of correctly
citing the sources they used.
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2. Speaking
Speaking (oral reports or
presentations in class.
Optional: In dependence on
indvidual interest, the student
can engage in supported, selfdirected projects for
pronunciation, oral
presentation techniques , or
interview projects that are
documented in the portfolio
Optional:
Students may opt to join a
language-tandem in order to
improve their speaking skills).
By keeping the language pledge, students
perceptibly improve their ability to engage in
German conversations inside and outside of
the classroom.
3. Reading
Reading (in-class
assignments, study of
secondary sources for paper
assignments, course work in
general.
Optional: Self-directed
reading projects or
vocabulary projects are
possible and can be
documented in the portfolio)
Students improve their ability to read
complex, abstract, academic texts.
Students improve their familiarity with the
specialist terminology they choose to
acquire.
4. Listening
Listening Comprehension
(lectures, in-class activities,
listening to radio, TV,
German audiobooks . . .)
Optional: self-directed
exercises are possible and can
be documented in the portfolio
Students experience progress with regard to
their ability to follow speech produced by
native speakers inside and outside the
classroom.
Learning Goal No 2: Intercultural Communicative Competence
Method
Learning Outcome
Students participate in regular, mainstream
university-courses and engage in self-directed
exploration of various elements of the host
culture.
Students increase their factual knowledge of various
dimensions of 'culture' in general and the multiple layers and
complexities of the host culture specifically. Which specific
area(s) a student wants to explore outside of the classroom
may depend on personal interests.
With adequate support, students proactively
seek the opportunity to interact with native
speakers and to regularly engage with their
new surroundings.
Students improve their ability to communicate effectively in
the target language with native speakers or people from a
different cultural background from their own.
Students are provided with the theoretical
background necesssary to successfully engage
in the analysis of culture and intercultural
learning immersed in another culture.
Students improve their ability to apply the terminology and
method linked to cultural analysis, intercultural exploration
and learning to their own experience abroad.
Students are asked to complete specific
writing tasks throughout the semester.
Students document their own increasing ability to apply the
terminology to their own experience, to reflect on their
experience, and to put their observations and reflections into
writing that adequately reflects their learning progress.
Students are asked to keep an analytical
notebook and to prepare monthly reviews of
that notebook, while they receive weekly
feedback from their culture-resource-person,
who also does the monthly review with them.
Students improve their ability to practice Close Observation
and Thick Description.
Rather than focusing on extraordinary events
or adventures, students should focus on what
they observed, felt, and thought while
something happened, and why they thought
and felt what they did while it was happening
in their everyday lives abroad. They are
encouraged to be as specific as possible and to
provide concrete examples / descriptions
for/of what they choose to write about.
Students are asked to respond to the feedback Students increasingly replace superficial observation and
they receive. This feedback focuses on
judgment with self-reflection and analysis that, ideally, should
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encouraging students to become aware of
everybody's need to categorize the world and
everybody's habit of attaching value
judgments to the categories they created.
accompany each piece of observation.
Students are encouraged to repeatedly
postpone judgment and re-engage in extended
observation and communication.
Students are asked to reflect on their own
cultural point of view and understand that
point of view as framing their judgment of
whatever they exprience as 'strange' or
different from themselves or their own
culture.
Students increasingly understand that the meaning and value
of virtually everything is embedded in and defined by culture
and develop their ability to apply this understanding to their
own experience.
When analyzing their observations, students
ask themselves why they see things the way
they see them, and which element in their
own cultural background might be the cause
for their seemingly spontaneous liking or
disliking of certain elements of the host
culture.
Students are encouraged to perceive
themselves from the point of view of a
member of the host culture, so that they
understand that cultural misunderstanding is
always mutual.
Students become increasingly aware that their own point of
view and therefore their way of seeing things depends on
their own cultural background.
Students are encouraged to develop their
ability to decentre and adopt another person's
point of view: they can explain the meaning of
their observations from more than one angle.
Students are taught how to analyse critical
incidents and how to solve cultural conflicts
via intercultural (meta-) communication.
When encountering a cultural conflict or
critical incident, students are encouraged to
ask themselves which expectation wasn't met.
Rather than to immediately ascribe ill will or
other negative characteristics to a member of
the host culture who doesn't meet students'
expectations, could the discrepancy be due to
cultural difference?
Students are asked to apply what they have
learned from situations they've mastered to
new, unknown situations or to conflicts
between people from cultures they do not
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Students improve their ability to identify critical incidents as
misunderstandings based on people's different cultural
backgrounds, because they have learned to identify the
symptoms of that kind of conflict.
Students improve their ability to approach a native speaker
and elicit information that leads to a deeper understanding of
the host culture's customs and values.
Students reach a level of cultural understanding and
competence that allows them to apply what they have learned
to the observation and reinterpretation of phenomena they
had not yet observed either in their own or their
know.
current/future host culture.
Students are encouraged to increasingly apply
their knowledge and skill to new
circumstances and intercultural situations in
Students develop the kind of intercultural communicative
theory (tasks) and practice, as reflected in their competence that enables them to initiate and maintain
analytical notebook.
meaningful relationships with people from the host culture
because they can recognize and respect cultural differences
and value systems without necessarily embracing, adopting, or
opposing and condemning elements of their own or the other
culture.
University Courses
Every student’s academic program must be approved by the director of the School in Germany.
Please note that the requirements for Middlebury Graduate Students may differ from the regular class
requirements.
The courses offered at Johannes Gutenberg–Universität and Freie Universität Berlin fall into the following
categories:
A) Hauptseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Advanced (Graduate) Level
Required: Minimum 1 per semester
Normally taught in one two-hour session per week, the Hauptseminar, like its equivalents in the Bologna
system, is the typical seminar for graduate students in Germany. Depending on the topics, in-class discussion,
oral reports and short lectures might characterize the sessions. Students are expected to have read the texts
before they come to class and also to have familiarized themselves with the time period with which they are
dealing. Depending on the Fachbereich in which the Hauptseminar is taught, you are normally not expected to
have taken a Proseminar on the same topic before you are allowed to take a Hauptseminar, but you should talk
to the professor if you intend to take a Hauptseminar on a topic you’ve never studied before.
You will write a paper of 12 pages (minimum). If you are also required to give an oral report (20 minutes),
you may develop the topic of this report into the paper, subject to the approval of the professor. The paper’s
level of analysis should be fairly complex and demonstrate your familiarity with the primary source as well as
your understanding of what has been written on the topic or in relation to the topic before. Therefore, the
use of secondary material and primary sources is of utmost importance for building your argument.
You should talk about the secondary material you selected with your professor at least once.
B) Proseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Basic Level
Especially designed for undergraduate students, but available to grads (see FAQs); the Proseminar serves as
an introductory course into various fields and methods of scholarly work. You will write a paper of 12 pages
(minimum) or take a 90 minute written exam. If you should be obliged to give an oral report (20 min), you
may develop the topic of this report into your paper, subject to the approval of the professor. You should
make sure to ask your professor for guidelines applying to the Fachbereich where you take the Proseminar.
C) Übung / Übungs-Module, all levels
The Übung addresses specific interests and serves graduates and undergraduates alike. The level of in-class
discussion mainly depends on the participants. German students tend to take this course type less seriously,
because they don’t have to write a paper or take a written exam to gain credit for it. Please note: A 12-page
paper or 90 minute exam is required of School in Germany participants. You should also be aware that
16
class discussion and the preparation of the assignments are to be taken just as seriously as in seminar courses,
even if this course type normally asks for less preparatory work than the Proseminar.
D) Vorlesung, Restricted: One Per Year
The Vorlesung also serves graduates and undergraduates within the same session. This course type is
supposed to provide students with background knowledge, but also may explore specific topics. While
German students consider this to be the easiest course and do not earn credit for it since “all” they have to
do is “listen” and take notes, listening and taking notes continuously for 45 minutes is a respectable
achievement if you are not a native speaker of the language. For your convenience, the Middlebury School in
Germany can provide you with audio recording devices to re-listen to the lectures at home and go over your
notes again. If you would like to use an audio device please ask your tutor. Most “lectures” are taught in two
one-hour sessions per week. If you are taking this type of course you should be prepared to have to check up
on dates or facts in the library. To gain credit, you will take a written exam which covers a sensible
chunk of the lecture but not all of it. In the Bologna System, students have to do exams for most
lectures. Make sure you take note of whether there will be a central exam for the Vorlesung you want
to take! If there isn’t, you should ask your Professor within the first week of class whether s/he is
willing to create an individual exam for you or not.
Please note: Due to the fact that different departments at both universities are in the process of implementing
the Bologna System, you might find new course types listed along with the old course types. Do not worry
about those different, and sometimes confusing, choices—pick the courses you are most interested in and
present your list to the director for approval in any case.
Program Policies
Language Pledge
To take fullest advantage of your time in the host country, you are required to maintain the spirit of the
Middlebury Language Pledge to speak only the language you are studying. We expect no English to be used
in the Schools’ offices or surroundings, except in emergency consultations with the Director and her staff.
Please keep in mind that this Pledge plays a major role in the success of your study abroad experience, both as
a symbol of commitment and as an essential part of the language learning process, as proven by the successes
of our summer Language Schools. Speaking the host language to fellow students as well as to native speakers
will help you to focus your energies on the acquisition of the language and to internalize the patterns of
communication and the cultural perspective associated with the target language. That is why you are asked to
agree to abide by the Language Pledge in the U.S. (electronically signed on Studio Abroad) and then again
during orientation.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is passing off another person’s work as one’s own. It is taking and presenting as one’s own the
ideas, research, writings, creations, or inventions of another. It makes no difference whether the source is a
student or a professional in some field. For example, in written work, whenever as much as a sentence or a
key phrase is taken from the work of another without specific citation, the issue of plagiarism arises.
Paraphrasing is the close restatement of another’s idea using approximately the language of the original.
Paraphrasing without acknowledgement of authorship is also plagiarism and is as serious a violation as an
unacknowledged quotation. The individual student is responsible for ensuring that his or her work does not
involve plagiarism. Ignorance of the nature of plagiarism or of College rules may not be offered as mitigating
circumstances. Students with uncertainties and questions on matters relating to footnoting and citation of
sources should consult with the course instructor for whom they are preparing work.
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Graded assignments should be the work of the individual student, unless otherwise directed by the instructor.
It is the student’s responsibility to seek clarification about such matters as paraphrasing lecture notes, giving
proper citations and footnotes, and proper recognition of joint work on homework assignments and
laboratory reports. A paper submitted to meet the requirements of a particular course is assumed to be work
completed for that course; the same paper, or substantially similar papers, may not be used to meet the
requirements of two different courses, in the same or different terms, without the prior consent of each
faculty member involved. Students incorporating similar material in more than one paper are required to
confirm each professor’s expectations in advance.
Should work you hand in for mainstream or in-house courses to your tutors and/or for grading be found to
be plagiarized, Middlebury’s Academic Disciplinary Policies apply. Please review the policies contained in
Guidelines for Studying with a Middlebury Graduate School Abroad at
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/handbook.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend each class session, writing workshop, field trip, internship/practicum session,
and any other course- or program-related event. Attendance and class participation will influence their course
grades. If a student expects to be absent from a course, s/he must notify the instructor and the Director in
advance, preferably in writing.
Regular or repeated absences without a medical excuse or similar extenuating circumstances may result in
course warnings and will ultimately affect the final grade. When disruptive to the program, this can result in
the student’s dismissal.
Please note that missing a mainstream-course twice for reasons other than documented compelling
conditions may result in dismissal from the course and an F as final grade.
Early submission of course work is not an excuse to curtail class attendance or depart campus ahead of
schedule for travel or other purposes. Travels and/or visits with parents, relatives, or friends do not
constitute a valid excuse for not attending classes or handing in work late.
Tardiness
All students must make every effort to be on time for all scheduled meetings, writing workshops, and class
sessions and should notify the appropriate persons by phone or written message of extenuating circumstances
that result in tardiness.
Deadlines and Extension Policies
Unless specified differently, the deadline for all papers a student wants to submit for credit in a mainstream
course is the last day of classes in each semester. Students must not negotiate individual deadlines with their
Professors.
Papers must be handed in to the director and on-site staff via email.
Work handed in after the semester’s deadline will not be accepted and may lead to an F for the
course in question.
Extensions are granted solely at the discretion of the director.
Students who request extensions for other reasons than documented compelling conditions, should
be aware that their grade may be lowered by 15% per week. If an extension is granted for compelling
conditions, the final grade will not be affected.
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Unless specified differently, extensions add three additional weeks after the last day of classes, while tutorial
support ends two weeks after the last day of classes.
Exams
Students are required to take all exams when and where they are designated. This means that students
are required to sit for exams at the same time and place as students in the host country.
Note that you cannot take a class if the exam is scheduled after the date you plan to depart from
Germany. Please make sure you inquire about exam-schedules within the first three weeks of classes to make
sure you can take a specific class for credit. If you should happen to take a course in which you are the only
person who has to take a written exam in the end, you should suggest to the professor to send the examquestions to the director. You then make an appointment with your tutor, who will proctor the exam.
Please Note: You are entitled to use a German-English dictionary during exams. Please understand that a
professor might not allow this dictionary to be stored on your laptop or be located on the web. Make sure
you find out about your professor's preferences ahead of time.
Research Papers
General rules concerning papers will be outlined during the on-site orientation and serve to define the
standard of the School in Germany. All papers must comply with these rules. Specific rules concerning the
form of the bibliography and footnotes might differ depending on the Fachbereich or the professor.
Therefore, you should ask your professor for guidelines that apply to the Fachbereich where you
take your courses.
Each paper should reflect a complex analysis of the topic. The phrasing of a clear thesis statement that is
supported by systematic presentation of evidence and a stringent, logical argument in the main body of the
paper are basic requirements. The use of secondary material and primary sources is of utmost importance for
building your argument. Professors usually help with selecting secondary material, so that you won’t be in
danger of “drowning” in the mass of material usually available to students.
ABCs of Paper Writing and the Writing Workshop Platform
Once you have registered for Moodle and have joined the Writing Workshop Platform of the School in
Germany, the ‘Hausarbeiten ABC’ detailing the process from making the first appointment with your
professor to handing in the last draft will be available online for your convenience, amongst other useful
resources that are meant to help you practice and enhance your writing skills. Indeed, the ‘Hausarbeiten ABC’
will become your main reference point because it gives detailed instructions on and support with meeting the
writing requirements of the program. You may also download a copy for your immediate convenience at
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/handbook.
Navigating the German Academic World
Unspoken Expectations and Practical Suggestions
Professors may not express it, but expect from students a fair amount of self-reliance, responsibility, and a
willingness to learn things even though they might not be on the test or relevant to the topic of their paper.
They furthermore expect students to ask questions whenever they feel they do not understand something.
Professors can’t foresee which student might need which information at which point in time. Remember:
they won't invite you to ask questions because they think it's a given that everybody who has a question will
ask! Needless to say, you’re welcome to use that same technique with the staff of the School.
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When a professor hands out a reading list in class students may ask how many of the listed works they should
actually read. A typical response from a professor would be that it all depends on a variety of decisions that
the professor will not make for you. You should ask yourself what you are interested in and how much you
want to know about the material. Look at a couple of the sources. You may not find each of them equally
helpful. Make an informed decision on what to include or exclude based on what is most relevant for your
paper topic or the exam you need to prepare. Afterwards, you can draft a list and then consult the professor
so that s/he may approve of your choice.
Learning how to make those decisions is an integral part of your educational experience because it is a skill
you will need in order to work academically in nearly every field. Nobody expresses this expectation —it's a
given in Germany. Likewise, nobody thinks it's necessary to let students know they should have prepared the
material before it is discussed in class. It goes without saying. In a way, the professor, by sharing his/her
expertise, only points out fields of possible interest or provides students with the basis from which they are
expected to start exploring the field on their own.
In that sense, professors teach methods and support the students' efforts, but, in order to do so, they expect
students to demonstrate efforts they then support. A professor might provide a course-binder and store it in
one of the libraries. S/he might keep you informed on the binder's content and assume you know that it is
relevant to the course, but s/he might not tell you how much you should have read by which time. It goes
without saying that if you're interested enough in the course, you are going to check out the binder, copy it,
and familiarize yourself with its contents as soon as possible in order to be a well-informed participant during
in-class discussions or to benefit from a lecture. Likewise, nobody will tell you that you are responsible for
keeping track of your academic assignments , obligations and appointments. If you haven’t worked with a
calendar or time-management system before, the time has come to do so simply to keep yourself
abreast of deadlines and appointments that might either not be mentioned or mentioned just once.
Be prepared to write them down whenever they’re mentioned – you might not ever hear about them
again before you will have missed them. Sending reminders isn’t a practice here, where everybody is
expected to keep track of their own obligations.
Possibly the most ancient style of teaching, “lecture” was supposed to provide students with the opportunity
to listen to the unquestionable “expert” who would share his (!) knowledge with those striving to become
experts themselves. Many people think that it is due to this tradition that course syllabi or schedules are not
seen as a necessity. Students are supposed to 'follow' their teacher, who will lead them but won't necessarily
tell them exactly where they are going. The traditional belief that one who “knows can teach” goes back to
times where pedagogy had not been invented. If you were an expert you were by definition capable of giving
your knowledge to future experts who would “learn” by listening to you. While this teaching style may seem
outdated and ineffective to students used to more interactive formats, you should realize that students today
make a different use of those lectures than the students of the past. Students today look at lectures as a
“service” provided by the professor who shares his or her expertise without necessarily implying that his or
her perspective on the matter is the only perspective acknowledged in the field. So students gather
background information they can apply to their seminars or use as a point of departure for their own further
exploration of their topics of interest. That is why lecture halls are stuffed, even though German students
neither receive a grade nor a Schein for attending courses of this type. You can get an overview of German
literature in the 18th century within 15 weeks—which helps you approach this immense body of literature
from a more informed basis—what you make of the material freely delivered to you is your choice.
The seminars, whether at the graduate or undergraduate level, are designed to provide an opportunity for inclass discussion. The skill professors look for is your ability to reflect upon the provided materials, or the
material your own research provided, and to bring your knowledge to the classroom. You cannot acquire this
“knowledge,” however, by memorizing the points of the authors you've read. The professor will want to see
that you have engaged the material and have gained a certain distance from it. They want critical reflection
and analysis, not a simple repetition of the authors' points.
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What is true for in-class discussion (integral part of Übungen and all seminar-types) also applies to the papers
assigned in the seminars. The assignment or topic mostly consists of a question that your paper should
answer. While you are not expected to reinvent the wheel, and while it is very likely that other people with
greater expertise than you have written on the same subject, you are still supposed to develop your own thesis
(i.e., your own response to the question your analysis strives to answer). The secondary sources (i.e., all those
articles or books dealing with points related to your topic) should only serve one purpose, namely, to help
you phrase your OWN thoughts more clearly. They should help you to find out what you think and why you
do so. And the “what” and “why” should be clearly reflected in your paper. Spontaneous and unreflective
responses are uncalled for. As soon as you can prove that your response is based on an intense involvement
with the material by reflecting this material in your paper, you succeed. The paper then is graded according to
the level on which it reflects your skill to perform the following tasks:
1. Adequate selection of material (focused, balanced, sufficient)
2. Presentation of a thesis you can prove by your argument, based on the primary sources and
supported by or defended against secondary sources.
3. Structuring of your points and supporting material in a logical, coherent way. Professors do not
care about what you think unless you can show them on what your thoughts are based—and
they should be based on the material you used in order to write your paper.
Given the all-encompassing emphasis on “Selbstständigkeit,” professors hardly encourage students to
participate and rarely feel responsible for a student's failure to do so. You may choose to not participate at all.
This will necessarily affect the quality of your learning experience and might also affect your final grade. But
since professors expect you to know the natural consequences of your decisions, they don't feel responsible
for you choosing to do the ‘wrong’ thing.
Nobody will point that out to you, but it's seen as a given that bad decisions will affect your academic career
in a very negative way. Students who make the wrong decisions might fail or pass the course with the lowest
grade possible, but they won't distinguish themselves within the educational system or the program. They
won't have the same level of knowledge as actively involved students. The decision to which group of
students you want to belong is yours. You will not be treated as an underage high-school student but as as a
young adult who is fully responsible for his or her own academic success and the knowledge s/he acquires.
While the responsibility for what you learn is yours, you are perfectly welcome to ask questions. Because you
don't have as much time to prepare your papers as German students do, it's perfectly legitimate for you to
explain your situation to your professors and ask them for support. Usually this is taken as a sign of your
being interested in achieving a high grade because you show that you're willing to work for the course.
Everybody knows that no one (native speaker or non-native speaker) can understand everything. However,
no one understands why the person experiencing a problem doesn’t come forward and ask questions (maybe
twice if necessary). So don’t wait for a formal invitation – just ask!
Etiquette
Punctuality
Being on time is a must. Even if you see other students come in late, be aware that your professor's
impression of your overall performance will be seriously affected if s/he repeatedly notes your being late.
In general, being late in German culture might be interpreted as a sign of disrespect and an indication of
lacking reliability. The idea of “around nine” or “nine-ish” doesn't really exist. If you have an appointment
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with a professor or a member of the program staff at 9.30 a.m., s/he wants to start talking with you at that
time, not wait for you to arrive.
Course Materials
If you receive handouts or other class materials, you're expected to read them and bring them to the next
session even if nobody explicitly states that you should. Teachers will assume that you've read and
understood the material unless you ask questions, but they might neither ask you to read the materials, nor
necessarily invite you to ask questions.
Likewise, nobody will tell you when to take notes; it is taken for granted that you can decide what's important
for yourself. Most students take notes in every session in order to keep a course-journal. This is especially
helpful when you take a course on which you'll be tested at the semester's end.
Conduct in Class
Even if you might see German students wearing baseball caps or hats of any kind in class it is generally
considered impolite. It is acceptable to bring a bottle of water to class, but snacking is not. Students who put
their feet on tables or chairs are considered to be impolite. While you might observe students talking to other
students during class time, this behavior is not accepted and seen negatively. It can ruin your rapport with the
Professor in no time.
In-class Discussion
In Germany, in-class discussion may encourage students to criticize each other or challenge the opinion
expressed by the professor. Remember that discussions in German might strike you as much too direct and
even impolite or outright aggressive. Keep in mind that politeness and respect and their expression are
culturally specific. Therefore, your notion of what expresses “respect” might differ from the German notion,
and your emotional reaction to what you think you just observed, namely people attacking each other
ruthlessly, might not be completely based on what actually happened. We’d like to encourage you to not be
irritated if people tell you that they do not agree with you. They are not being rude--they are being honest,
and their statement is not meant to express their appreciation or depreciation of you as a person. You might
observe how people “fight” over issues for an hour and then see them have lunch together as if nothing has
happened. For them nothing has happened, because they only fought over the issue, not against each other.
There is a German saying that illustrates this point: An Evening during Which Everybody Agreed on
Everything is an Evening Lost.
Criticism and Praise
You will notice that German professors rarely, if ever, praise their students even when they are happy with
their in-class comments. Though this partly depends on individual teaching styles, German teachers tend to
concentrate on “mistakes” while they seem to take correct responses for granted. They want to focus on
helping students improve—that is why they sometimes focus only on the areas that need
improvement. Once you arrive on site, more detailed information on cultural specificities and techniques of
how to deal with them will be available for your convenience.
Attendance--Missing class due to sickness
In general, a professor can deny you credit for a class if you miss it more than twice without a serious reason.
You may be asked to show a doctor's confirmation in case you claim you missed your class due to sickness.
This is the standard procedure and is not meant to question your integrity. If you do get seriously sick, go
see a doctor and ask them for an ärztliche Bescheinigung -- they'll know what to do. The unspoken
cultural understanding in Germany is that if you are sick enough to miss class, you are sick enough
to see a doctor. If you’re not sick enough to see a doctor, you might as well go to class.
Please note that you won’t find real medication in drugstores – you need a prescription for everything that
actually contains active substances in adequate concentrations. Your insurance covers you completely.
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So do not hesitate to see a doctor – and never hesitate to ask a member of the program staff to accompany
you if you do not want to go alone.
Drop Policies
During the period of course-selection, students may take up to 10 or 12 courses. They can reduce this
number to the normal course load of 3 mainstreams and the portfolio by dropping courses throughout the
three initial weeks of each term, according to the specific Academic Calendar of the School attended and with
the permission of the Director. Withdrawal from a course after the on-site registration period will result in an
automatic grade of “F.”
Course Listings
Most departments publish a listing of courses a few weeks before the start of the semester, complete with
descriptions and reading lists. German studies majors may take courses in German Literature or Linguistics,
in Theater and Film studies, in Deutsche German Anthropologie (Volkskunde), Political Science, Comparative
Literature, History, Music, Religion, Jewish Studies, Art History, Economics.
http://www.fu-berlin.de/vv/de/fb (FU, Berlin)
https://jogustine.unimainz.de/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=CampusNet&PRGNAME=EXTERNALPAGES&ARGUMEN
TS=-N000000000000001,-N000000,-Awelcome (JoGu, Mainz).
In order to register for a course, it is of utmost importance that you speak to the professor after the first
session. The professor must be willing to assess your work in the class through the grading of a 12-page
research paper or by giving you a written exam of 90 minutes, no matter what kind of course type s/he is
teaching. This negotiation process will be discussed in further detail at the on-site orientation.
The following courses were among those offered by various departments in recent years. While we cannot
guarantee that each of these courses will be available to students on a regular basis, they serve as a
representative sample of the kinds of offerings you may expect.
Mainz
Berlin
Goethe and Music
Detective Stories
Comparative Politics
History of the German Language
Descriptive Linguistics
German Economic History since W.W. II
Concepts of Femininity in the History of Dance
Everyday Life in Nazi Germany
Schiller-Reception in Modern Drama
Thomas Mann
Cultural History of the Federal Republic of
Germany
History of Europe 1919-1941
Introduction to Opera and Dramaturgy
Literary Modernism
Classical Myths in German Drama
Emigration in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Epochs in World History
1950s Art of BRD
Bundestag in BRD
Max Beckmann
Frederic II of Prussia
Social Values/Norms
German Novel after 1945
Hitler's Way to Power
Photography and Architecture—A History
Kafka's Novels
Drama of the DDR
History of German Film
German Syntax – Descriptive Linguistics
Deutscher Impressionismus
Virtuelle Welten (in) der Literatur
Architektur der 60ger Jahre in Deutschland
Adorno: Ästhetische Theorie
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Introduction to the History of the Theater
Aspects of German Youth Culture
Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory
Asia-Pacific in International Politics
Nietzsche and Art
German Family Names
Monetary Integration of the European Union
Introduction to Intercultural Communication
Second Language Acquisition
Musik in Berlin: 1933 – 1945
Kontrastive Linguistik
Sexuelle Orientierung und Menschenrechte
Deutscher Kolonialismus
Die Demokratisierung der Bundesrepublik
Skulptur des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit
Wiener Moderne
Musik und Lyrik
Alfred Döblin: Berlin Alexanderplatz
FAQs Concerning Mainstream-Course Selection
Do I have to take 4 Hauptseminare per semester?
No. The actual combination of course types depends on the workload demanded in each class. This workload
may vary depending on the topic the class deals with and especially on the reading assignments. As a
minimum requirement, graduate students take one Hauptseminar per semester. The remaining course load will
be comprised of Proseminar and Übungen and maybe one lecture per year.
Do I have to write research papers for all of my classes?
No. You can replace one paper with a written exam in a given year.
When do I have to make the final decision about which classes I am going to take?
You should attend each class twice. By the end of the fourth week of the semester your schedule should be
set.
How does choosing classes work?
You’ll meet individually with the director during orientation after having browsed through the catalogues and
decided what classes might interest you.
In your first advising session, you get to ask all the questions you might have concerning the classes you’ve
picked. In the first two weeks of class, you have the chance to check out those (and other) classes to see
whether this really is what you want. After you’ve seen everything you wanted, you will again have an
opportunity to meet with the director and ask more questions, change, or finalize your decisions. At the end
of the fourth week of classes, you will be required to make a final decision and then hand in a list of courses
you plan to attend for registration purposes.
FAQs Class Work and Absences
How do I find a paper topic if the professor doesn’t hand out any lists?
Just like German students, you should go and talk to the professor during office hours at the beginning of the
semester. It is especially helpful to have some thoughts on what you would like to work on before you show
up at your professor’s door. Please insist on getting your assignment early enough for you to finish
your paper by the end of classes, i.e. in the 4/5th week of class the latest.
How many times do I have to meet with a professor?
At least three times. First, when you talk to him/her about taking you into his/her class and asking whether
you should do the paper or the exam; second, when you approach them about a paper topic; and third, when
you go back with your paper outline and suggestions about the secondary material you want to include.
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Can I get help with writing my paper?
Yes, from your tutor, and only from your tutor. You will include a statement in your paper that states that
you have received no assistance other than this person who helped you with the grammar of that paper —
that’s all you need to do. (See General Handbook section on Plagiarism.)
Why do classes scheduled to start on the hour start 15 min. late and end 15 min. early?
This is common in German university classes. The fact is that these 15 minutes (called the Akademische
Viertelstunde) are highly useful to get or keep in touch with fellow students. Universities are too big to run into
each other accidentally. So, if you want to look for German friends taking the same class with you, here is
your chance to start.
Individual Writing-And-Composition Workshops
You will receive the support of a writing/language tutor. This tutor can devote up to 3 hours per week to
you. Depending on what works best for the individual student-tutor team, the team usually meets for one
hour each week, while the rest of the time they exchange drafts via the Writing Workshop Platform on
Moodle.
Individual arrangements in accordance with specific needs are possible, while the total number of three hours
can only be extended for special reasons. If you think that special reasons apply, don’t hesitate to notify the
director.
For feedback and assessment, tutors will be using a systematic marking guide and are instructed to help you
answer those questions that cannot easily be answered by consulting a dictionary or grammar book.
Please note that tutors will point out mistakes and problems but they won't proofread papers or fix
mistakes.
From the third week of class, weekly participation is mandatory and counts towards the grade for the Culture,
Competence and Composition course.
Guidelines
Purpose
Our individualized writing and composition workshops serve to support students with systematically
improving their general writing skills throughout the term. While workshops will provide systematic writing
exercises at the beginning of the term, they’ll focus on the writing and rewriting of your paper-drafts as soon
as possible.
Please note that not even native speakers could write a research paper in a single week – so please do not
assume you can do it in even less time.
Attendance
If you have to miss an appointment, please notify the tutor at least a day in advance.
Please note that sessions will not be rescheduled unless you missed them for serious reasons of confirmed
sickness or an emergency situation.
Cultural Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom
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Effective Immersion and Intercultural Learning
Since the program is designed to promote and support your effective immersion within the local culture,
every co-curricular requirement or supported activity aims to increase your ability to reach a level of
intercultural competence that allows you to create meaningful and stable relationships with people from the
host culture. Without this ability, effective immersion is not possible.
Therefore, every piece of the program’s design is meant to support you in increasing your awareness of your
own culturally defined point of view, and in enhancing your respect for cultural differences and their ability to
negotiate cultural differences on a daily basis inside and outside the classroom, i.e. the ability to acknowledge
different value systems without necessarily embracing, adopting, or condemning elements of your own or the
host culture’s.
If you utilize every element of the program, you should be able, after some time in Germany, but also beyond
the duration of the program, to apply what you have learned to the observation and reinterpretation of
cultural differences or specificities you had not yet observed.
Documenting your Learning Progress: Your IDI- Profile
In order to document the development of your personal Intercultural Competence as objectively as possible
and to fine-tune support of your cultural learning progress in accordance, you will take the Intercultural
Development Inventory (IDI) during orientation and shortly before the end of your stay. The IDI is an
online test that will provide you with feedback on where you are on the continuum of the Intercultural
Development Inventory at the beginning and the ending of your stay in Germany.
The personalized results of this test will only be shared with you and the qualified administrators, who will
provide your individual intercultural competence development plan and will also give you a personalized
feedback session after you have completed the test.
While Middlebury will not share your individualized test results with anybody, you are of course free to use
the profile you receive once you have completed the program to prove your level of Intercultural
Competence to future employers abroad and at home.
For more information on the IDI, go to http://www.idiinventory.com/.
Reaping the Benefits of Effective Immersion
Only Active Immersion can Become Effective Immersion
The School in Germany supports students in taking full advantage of their experience abroad by facilitating
learning experiences outside the classroom. Internships, volunteer work, and cultural activities provide you
with opportunities to deepen your social immersion in German culture, enhance your language skills, and
help you to gain a better understanding of present-day Germany. Last but not least, the program supports
you in your effort to establish and maintain relationships with native speakers from the host culture in order
to facilitate meaningful cultural immersion.
Effective immersion is not a passive, but an active process – and the program will help you to engage in this
process from day one. What you have to do, is to actively check what your host city has to offer, pick an
activity that you would like to engage in, and get involved! Start right away to get in touch with native
speakers who are interested in the same things you are. Time spent alone in your room, chatting with English
speakers on the web or surfing English Web sites is time wasted with regard to your successful immersion in
the language and culture you came to study.
Don't hesitate: if you plunge in right away and disregard shyness, hesitancy, and self-consciousness about
your language skills, you will reap the benefits faster than you expected!
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How to Turn your Experience into Insights
Since having an experience, whether pleasant or not, does not automatically lead to greater insight or a better
relationship with people from the host culture, the School in Germany provides you with a tool that will
allow you to reap as many benefits from your experience as possible: the Culture Portfolio. Through
reflection, your experience will not only increase your cultural knowledge and enhance your intercultural
communication skills, but will cause you to have a happier and more successful life inside and outside of the
classroom: it will speed up your transformation from a stranger into a happy sojourner who is able to
establish and maintain meaningful relationships with people from the host culture.
Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in
Germany
While the Middlebury program in general encourages students to effectively immerse themselves in the host
culture, this specific and mandatory course taught by director Heike Fahrenberg PhD and her assistant
Barbara Wagner M.A., is designed to increase students’ ability to negotiate cultural differences, i.e. increase
their Intercultural Competence as defined by Michael Byram and as assessed by the test of the Intercultural
Development Inventory (IDI) developed by Michael Hammer:
“Building Intercultural Competence involves increasing cultural self-awareness; deepening understanding of the experiences,
values, perceptions, and behaviors of people from diverse cultural communities; and expanding the capability to shift cultural
perspective and adapt behavior to bridge across cultural differences. (Hammer, 2009 a, 2010, 2011).”(Hammer, 2012)
“Intercultural Communicative Competence entails the ability to ‘decenter and take the perspective of the listener’, in order to
engage in successful communication ‘focused on establishing and maintaining relationships’ by demonstrating
one‘s ‘willingness to relate.’”(Byram, 1997)
To help you develop the skills it takes, to increase your intercultural communicative competences, this course
will ask you to complete assignments engaging you with different aspects of inter/cultural learning:
1) Writing Task(s) require you to:
familiarize yourself with the course materials provided in the reader and accurately use the specialized
terminology provided to observe, interpret, and analyze both your own and the host culture
increase your ability to differentiate stereotypical thinking from cultural analysis, no matter whether
you are looking at your own or at the host culture, and no matter whether you're analyzing your own
or somebody else's statements / behaviors
increase your ability to critically reflect on your own ways of making sense of cultural difference
practice your ability to build an argument based on your own experience and the reading materials so
that you demonstrate your understanding of the specialized terminology and of your role within the
process of analyzing your own and the host culture
2) Essay requires you to:
practice the 'wissenschaftliche Hausarbeit'-Format applying to all papers you write for credit (thesisdriven, well-argued with all points backed up by examples / quotes cited correctly. See Academic
Writing Scale for rubrics defining the quality of academic writing)
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integrate what you have learned from studying the 'theory' of cultural analysis to your
observations / experiences in country.
practice accurate use of specialized terminology and an increasing ability to view your own
observations, interpretations and evaluations from a self-reflective point of view.
3) Analytical Notebook asks you to
note and retell experiences you have while living abroad and turn them into intercultural-learning
opportunities by practicing Observation-Interpretation-and Evaluation in a systematic way.
work on increasing your level of critical self-reflection to enhance your understanding and awareness
of your role in making sense of and in dealing with cultural difference
4) Participation in individual Culture-and-Coffee-sessions provide
intercultural coaching and allow to increase and deepen intercultural dialogue on a
personal level.
5) IDI-Test and feedback sessions -- provides us with a common framework within to interpret
your level of Intercultural Competence and to develop strategies to help you get the
most out of your experience abroad.
Internships
Students have the opportunity to gain practical experience as part of their education in Germany. If you are
interested in an internship, you should speak to the director after arrival in Germany.In your second semester,
through an18 hour per week internship in a host organization, you will gain in-depth experience and exposure
to the host culture and work environment while enhancing and strengthening your language skills. This
experience will also provide you with new knowledge and skills that can lead to greater opportunities in the
future. You cannot earn credit for the internship.
Please understand that while we help you arrange an internship, you must earn your place in an internship.
Getting an internship is a highly competitive process. Which internship might be available in a given semester
depends on a market that operates beyond our control. Therefore, participants should understand that we
cannot guarantee internships for anyone. They are subject to the agreement of the school abroad and the
prospective employer. Placements depend on availability, your active involvement in the application process,
your previous experience, qualifications, and your language ability. Based on your accomplishments in the
first semester, the School reserves the right to not support your application in case there should be
documented reasons suggesting that an internship would harm or hinder your academic performance in the
second semester.
To create the best chance for a successful internship match, we ask you to define at least two to three
different fields of interest and to make sure your application materials can be sent to future providers in the
last week of November. Please also review the internships we already had in the program, and please refrain
from applying if you do not intend to follow through.
If you agree to pursue an internship, you are expected to follow through with your commitment until the end
of the semester, unless documented compelling conditions prevent you from doing so.
Internships for Credit
Graduates have the opportunity to undertake a graded and credit-bearing internship in their second semester.
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For a credit-bearing internship, you must commit to
Work for 18 hours per week at the internship for a minimum of three months
Write a weekly journal entry of 250 words each (40% of the grade)
Write a research-paper focused on a topic linked to the internship (12 pages minimum) (60%
of the grade)
Submit an evaluation of the internship at the end of the term
Submit a one to two paragraph summary description of the internship in English
Credit-bearing internships will receive a letter grade and will be supervised by local faculty or the director of
the School.
Students who withdraw from the internship after the drop period will earn an “F” and will be ineligible to
enroll in another course.
Getting Started
As you can imagine, doing an internship in Germany during your stay in Berlin or Mainz is a unique
opportunity. In order to make your internship experience a success, please keep the following points in mind:

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

Finding an internship takes time. The earlier we start to identify possible providers, the better.
Therefore, we recommend starting to look for interesting companies and writing your CV during the
first weeks of your stay, i.e. ~5-6 months before the start of the internship
Make sure you have a wide range of interests in order to increase the number of possible internships
within your reach.
Be aware that your application defines the first impression you make. Therefore, preparing an
original, sincere, and convincing application is key to attaining an internship position. Content,
linguistic correctness and adequate form are equally important to start communications with your
future employer the right way.
Our Responsibilities:
 To support you from the start.
 To provide model CVs and cover letters
 To proofread your application materials
 To identify up to three providers of adequate internships
 To send your application to internship providers and help arrange your interview
 To help you prepare for the interview
 To consult with you and the internship provider after the interview.
 To support you throughout your internship to insure the best experience possible for you and the
provider
Your Responsibilities:
 To give us a list of at least two or three areas that are of genuine interest to you
 To search for providers and internhip opportunities and pass this information on to your internship
coordinator
 To review our list of internships and think about whether you might want to apply for one of them
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
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To draft application materials in a timely fashion and submit them so the final version can be sent to
future providers before the end of November. To keep track of your appointments with internshipproviders meticulously
To understand that you’re acting as the representative and ambassador of the Middlebury program
To act as a reliable and personable member of the team you’re going to be placed with
To fulfill your obligations throughout the period of time agreed upon
To keep the internship-coordinator informed and updated on the application process and your
development throughout the internship
Previous, current, and future internship providers:
Mainz
Rathaus, Mainzer Medienbüro
Johannes Gutenberg Museum, Druckladen
Atomic Research Reactor TRIGA Mainz
Gymnasium am Kurfürstlichen Schloss Mainz
ZDF
Mainz Campus TV
Staatstheater Mainz
Staatstheater Wiesbaden
State Parliament Rhineland Palatinate
LABOR (Internet Media Design)
Berlin
Berlin Art Gallery
Berlin State Parliament
Biochemistry Department, Freie Universität
Literaturwerkstatt Berlin
Landesbank Berlin
DEFA-Stiftung
Mare Verlag
Der Wedding (local magazine)
ArtPod Gallery
American Academy, Berlin
German Chamber of Commerce
Deutscher Bundestag, Department for International Exchange Programs
Research Internship at Political Studies Department, FU Berlin
Cultural Activities
Other options that facilitate your immersion include a Middlebury-financed group excursion to Weimar,
sports, and guided and self-directed cultural and outdoor activities, including trips to German cities. The
director is available to advise you on the wide range of possibilities Germany has to offer.
There is a cultural reimbursement each semester for students who undertake German cultural activities. You
will be asked to produce original receipts to receive a reimbursement. This normally does not cover
transportation or hotel costs but will include things like museum entrance fees, etc. Please ask the Director in
Germany for details.
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LIVING IN GERMANY
Housing
Most School in Germany students are placed in dormitories run by Studentenwerk Mainz or in dormitories run
by Studentenwerk Berlin. You should understand that the university does not operate dorms. Students from
other institutions of higher education and non-students may also live there.
Applications for the dormitories are handled on a first–come, first–served basis. Typical dorm
accommodations are single rooms with communal cooking facilities much like suites in U.S. colleges.
The Studentenwerk sets rent. A number of factors, including size of the room and age of the building,
determine the cost; hence rent varies from room to room. There are no refunds for missed or unused time.
You are reminded to exercise normal caution with respect to your personal safety and personal property while
living abroad.
Mainz
The following link leads you to a description of the dormitories in which School in Germany students are
often placed. Rooms are assigned exclusively by the Studentenwerk without any input from the School in
Germany.
http://www.studentenwerk-mainz.de/wohnanlagen.html
Dorm rooms are equipped with a bed, desk, chair, closet, nightstand, refrigerator, sink, and shelves. The
newly renovated dorms may also have en suite bathrooms with a shower and a toilet. All of them provide
Internet access as well. Each dorm has lavatory facilities. You will need to furnish your own bed linens
(pillow, blanket, sheets). Former students recommend that you bring or acquire slippers, towels, and small
pots for cooking.
Berlin
If you would like a dorm room administered by the Studentenwerk Berlin, you should notify the director in
Germany as soon as possible. She will contact their main office to reserve you a room. The Studentenwerk will
house you based on availability and proximity to the FU-area (Dahlem) whenever possible. For information
about the rooms administered by the Studentenwerk Berlin, please visit: http://www.studentenwerk-berlin.de/.
Please note: There is no way to choose a particular dorm or its location within the Berlin. If we apply
for a dorm room for you, you could be placed in any of their properties around the city.
Once the request for a dorm reservation is confirmed by FUs dorm administration, the director will have to
transfer a 500€ reservation fee. Middlebury will bill your for this amount.
Should you keep your room, the dorm administration will apply this fee, minus 50€ to the total of rent you’ll
be paying for your stay. Should you cancel your reservation, the reservation fee will usually be retained. If
there should be a retrievable sum, the director will reimburse you on site once the dorm administration has
transferred the remaining amount back to the School in Germany.
If you live in a dormitory run by the Studentenwerk Berlin (all over the city), you can purchase a reasonable
‘Einsteigerpaket’ in every dorm-center:
Einsteigerpaket "Gut schlafen": €47.90
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1 Steppbett 135 x 200 cm, Füllung 1.000 g Polyesterbausch
1 Kopfkissen 80 x 80 cm, Füllung 800 g Polyesterbausch (jeweils bis 60° C waschbar)
1 Spannbetttuch 200 x 100 cm 1 Bettbezug 140 x 210 cm 1 Kissenbezug 80 x 80 cm (kochfest)
Einsteigerpaket "Gut kochen und essen": €34.90
1 Gedeck (Teller, Untertasse und Tasse)
1 Besteckgarnitur (Menümesser, Menügabel, Menülöffel und Kaffeelöffel)
1 Fleischtopf mit Deckel
1 Bratpfanne
Einsteigerpaket ". . .wieder mal putzen": €7.90
Eimer, Besen, Lappen, Reinigungsmittel und mehr für den großen und kleinen Hausputz
Finding Your Own Housing in Germany
More and more students in Berlin are choosing to find their own accommodation in single rooms or
Wohngemeinschaft. If you choose to arrange your own housing, you should be prepared to pay from one to
three months' rent in cash as down payment upon signing your contract. In order to maximize both linguistic
and cultural immersion, no one is permitted to share accommodation with another English speaker.
The School in Germany is not in a position to respond to individual requests for help in obtaining housing
outside of the dorms. You must use avenues employed by German students, e.g., ads in local papers in Berlin
and Mainz and the Wohnungsvermittlung of the Studentenwerk in Mainz, which provides information on private
rooms. We have compiled a list of resources for students wishing to find their own housing:
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/housing
Please keep the director advised of your current address, no matter how temporary. She also must have a
permanent address as soon as you are settled.
However, if you choose to find your own accommodation, we advise you to find a place in Mainz or Berlin
and not in cities nearby. If you live too far away you might encounter trouble using the public transportation
system to get home at night, it will cost you more time to commute, and your time to simply enjoy German
student life with your fellow students will be limited.
Meeting Germans
Developing friendships with locals can add significantly to your learning experience in Germany. Besides
language practice, you can also gain insight into the local culture and society. Middlebury encourages you to
meet and talk to local citizens. Building friendships with students can be a rewarding and insightful
experience, and the School in Germany strongly encourages you to pursue such relationships.
One of the questions we are asked most frequently is how to go about
meeting German students. You will need some courage and a good deal
of initiative; results may not live up to your expectations, especially right
away, but be patient. Those of your predecessors who have been
successful in this respect would say that the best approach is to find a
group activity that includes German people: playing sports, choral
singing, cooking/wine tasting courses, volunteer work, internships, etc.
Keep in mind the strategies you would use at home to meet people you
are interested in knowing: you try to be where they are, you try to share
an interest or an activity that will bring you into contact with them, and
you get to know people who know them. It goes without saying, if you
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have one or two German-speaking acquaintances to start, it can only make things easier. Conversely, if you
insist on speaking English, it will make interacting with locals more difficult.
Character of the City
Mainz is the state capital of Rheinland–Pfalz and with its long and varied history presents an attractive
mixture of the urban and rural. Its location makes many parts of Germany easily accessible by train or plane.
For general information on Mainz there is: Karl Baedeker, Mainz und Umgebung. It is a concise and very useful
booklet with an excellent map and a wealth of historical and topographical detail. Visit
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/student_life/mainz
Berlin is the old and new capital city of Germany. The city’s rapidly changing appearance reflects its history as
well as its future. Visit www.berlin.de to get an impression! Also visit:
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/student_life/berlin
Meals
In Mainz, dorms are located in walking distance/short bus ride of supermarkets, which close either at 8 or 10
p.m. Each dorm has cooking facilities either in the students’ apartments or in a shared hall kitchen. If you
prefer to eat out the campus provides many convenient dining options. The biggest one with the broadest
variety of dishes is the mensa, which serves lunch only. Located in the same building is the mensaria, which is
open all day and serves a small variety of warm dishes, salads and snacks. Meals range from €2-4. All over
campus there are cafeterias, a campus restaurant and several Dönerbuden.
In Berlin, the mensas of FU provide subsidized cafeteria-style meals at lunchtime for students at the university.
Meals range from €2-4. You are usually provided with kitchens in each dormitory and refrigerators in each
room if you choose to live in a student residence hall. There are no vending machines in the dorms.
Travel
Two books, Let’s Go Germany or The Lonely Planet Guide to Germany, are very useful for information on lowbudget lodging and meals, sights and places of interest, transportation, and helpful addresses, such as post
offices, consulates, etc. Both are updated yearly and sold in the U.S.
Many students on Middlebury’s program buy the Bahncard (current student cost for one year is €100). This
Bahncard, issued by the Deutsche Bahn, makes it possible to buy all subsequent train tickets at half price (plus an
extra fee for fast trains). Also there are special daily tickets for weekend travel only on all local trains
throughout the country. In Mainz, the Studiticket (which is issued at Immatrikulation) is good for free train
travel in many parts of Hessen and some parts of the Rhineland-Palatinate. In Berlin, the Studiticket covers all
three zones within the city of Berlin and Brandenburg.
When leaving Mainz or Berlin overnight or longer, you must leave an itinerary and/or addresses and phone
numbers where you can be reached with the office in Mainz. This information will be kept confidential and
used only in cases of emergency or urgent messages from parents. Once you return, please send an email to
the director, so everybody knows you’ve arrived safely.
Please enter your travel information here:
http://www.middlebury.edu/study-abroad/germany/berlin/student_life/travelog
Please note that hitchhiking is strongly discouraged as a matter of College policy. It is also considered to be
extremely unsafe by security officials and is often illegal. Buses and trains provide a low-cost, safe alternative.
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Travel/Ticket Agents
There is a travel agent on campus at Johannes Gutenberg–Universität (www.statravel.de)and many in downtown
Mainz that offer special student rates. Please note that missing class or writing workshops because of
travelling is not acceptable.
In order to facilitate your learning progress, you should focus on Germany and/or German speaking
countries while you’re in the program.
Needless to say, we do understand that Europe is irresistibly attractive and therefore would like to advise you
to do your travelling in Europe either prior to or after the program.
Please note that travelling in English-speaking groups while in the program is as unacceptable as is housing
with native speakers of English, because it is just as counterproductive to your learning goals and necessarily
results in the continuous and repetitive breaking of the language pledge.
If you’d like assistance with planning your weekend-journeys to any German city of your choice, do not
hesitate to let us know – we’re more than happy to assist you with exploring this small, diverse, fun country as
extensively as you wish! And if you should be willing to do a culture-project as a part of your journey, there
might be funds available to help you finance that specific trip.
Working in Germany
It is not always easy for Americans to find a job in Germany, whether professional, clerical, skilled, unskilled,
full-time, or part-time, primarily because there are more job seekers than there are jobs. Furthermore, a
foreigner may not work in Germany without a work permit and ordinarily a work permit is not issued by
the German government in any instance when a foreigner is seeking to fill a position for which German
citizens are qualified and available. Nevertheless, students who want to work often find part-time or
temporary jobs. The Arbeitsamt on campus posts such jobs. It is not advisable to rely on a probable job to
help finance your stay. You should not plan to work more than 18 hours a week so you won't endanger your
academic progress. Internships that the director may help you set up are generally unpaid.
Health and Safety
As a foreign student, you should take the same precautions you would in any large city, anywhere in the
world. During orientation, we will address the issue of security in greater depth. For more information about
general conditions in Germany, you can also see the State Department information page.
Sexual Harassment and Assault
A recent study has shown that studying abroad may increase the risk of unwanted sexual contact. Our on-site
staff is a primary resource for you to stay safe and can also direct you to local support resources.
Many forms of harassment have been recognized as violations of the civil rights laws by the Federal Courts,
by the U.S. Equal Employment Commission, by the State of Vermont, and by the U.S. Department of
Education. Students and staff & faculty employed by the School Abroad are considered to be governed by
the same code of conduct as if they were on the Vermont campus and should conduct themselves
accordingly. We all must be aware that while in a different country, with different cultural and legal
standards, it is possible that official and legal procedures might be different from U.S. procedures.
Nevertheless, we will not tolerate sexual harassment and will always listen to you and support you in case you
think that you or a fellow student have experienced sexual harassment. We would like to strongly encourage
you to contact the director immediately in order for her to arrange adequate support and protection as fast as
possible.
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While we fully understand that nobody who experiences sexual harassment or sexual assault invited that kind
of experience, we’d like to recommend a number of measures you can take to avoid making yourself an easy
target:
1. Avoid drinking alcohol to the extent that makes it difficult for you to be fully aware of yourself
and the people in your surroundings.
2. While there is no way to say what will provoke an attack, be aware that dressing conservatively
may be the safe way to go.
3. If you think a situation is developing into a direction you don’t like, don’t be polite – just leave!
4. Do not wait around in lonely places for public transportation -- cabs aren’t that expensive and
are definitely the better solution if it’s getting late!
5. If you happen to take the U-Bahn or bus late at night, stay in eye-sight of the driver.
6. Keep your cellphone charged. Emergency calls (Police, Medical Emergency) can be made even if
you shouldn’t have any deposit left.
7. Make sure you always have enough credit on your cellphone to call program staff and/or the
director.
8. If you think you or someone else was subjected to sexual harassment, please don’t be ashamed to
ask for the director’s support immediately.
9. If you or someone you know have been the victim of sexual assault, we recommend notifying
the director and going to a hospital immediately.
10. Please know that our only interest is to support you – so please never hesitate to allow us to
provide that support, no matter what time of day!
Health
Whenever you go to any foreign country, you are exposed to germs against which your body has not yet built
up a resistance. You may, therefore, be more susceptible to illness than local people are. This is as true for
Americans going abroad as it is for those coming to the United States.
Bring enough medicines for your entire stay, as they may be difficult to acquire, and customs may prohibit
shipping of medicines. Any medication that requires refrigeration should be brought to the attention of
Middlebury prior to departure as special arrangements may be necessary.
The School in Germany’s staff reserves the right to send any participant home who, in the judgment of the
staff, is not mentally or physically fit to continue in the program.
Accommodations can often be made for students with allergies. Please notify program staff of any allergies
before committing to a program so that a discussion can begin regarding necessary accommodations.
Drugs
Different countries view use of narcotics in a variety of ways. In most countries, drug use for other than
medicinal purposes is illegal, and the local authorities may take official action against anyone found using or
possessing any kind of drugs. The use of drugs by foreigners in Germany may result in jail sentences and
penalties.
Use of recreational drugs while attending the School in Germany is strictly prohibited.
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Psychological Health and Counseling
Students should be very realistic about their abilities to function in a high-stress environment. Rather than
disappearing in the new surroundings, conditions like depression and eating disorders are often exacerbated
by a stay abroad. Psychological counseling services are available in Germany, but are not always available in
English. Students with particular concerns in this area are encouraged to consult with International Programs
at Middlebury College prior to departure.
Student Safety
While living abroad in new and exciting places, one may neglect to be as careful as one would usually be.
Please keep in mind that while Mainz and Berlin certainly aren’t New York City, it is advisable to exercise
precaution and be aware that both places aren’t small rural college towns either. Let your enthusiasm not
blind you to dangers you’d be very well aware of if you went to New York City over the weekend. Here are a
couple of points you should observe:
-
watch your belongings,
be wary of your surroundings
watch other people’s behavior around you
Whenever you move about on your own or with others,
-
-
make sure you have enough money with you to pay a cab
keep your cellphone charged and supplied with enough minutes to make that decisive phonecall in
case you or others may need help
do not expose yourself to danger by being inattentive to your surroundings
while students over 18 years of age may drink alcohol in Germany, they are expected to do so
responsibly, which includes a glass of wine or beer with dinner, but excludes drinking to excess,
engaging in drinking games or losing control over your mind and body.
stay in sight of the driver when riding a bus.
carry the contact card provided for you upon arrival with you at all times.
During the orientation period, you’ll be completing a questionnaire asking you to collect information about
how to get to the next doctor’s office, train-station, airport, and the like. Submit a copy to program staff but
keep your copy in a place that is easily accessible should you ever have to make use of it.
Medical and Accident Insurance
Students studying at the Middlebury School in Germany are automatically enrolled in a study abroad health
insurance plan for the duration of the program through HTH Worldwide. This coverage is mandatory and
cannot be waived. You will receive an insurance card and proof of insurance letter (required for university
registration in Germany) from HTH. The HTH insurance plan provides up to $100,000 medical coverage
(accident/sickness) with zero deductible. There is also medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.
Coverage begins on the first day of your program abroad and ends on the last, with the option to purchase
additional months of coverage by contacting the insurance provider directly.
Please log on to the HTH-Website, www.hthstudents.com, print your proof of insurance letter and bring it to
the appointment with a German health insurance agency. This agency will issue a letter for you that you
have to hand to the person who will enroll you with either JGu or FU. Enrollment without this letter
is legally impossible.
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On-Site Money Matters
Currency Exchange
Fluctuating exchange rates make advanced planning of costs challenging. We advise that you overestimate
your costs to accommodate these fluctuations. Please be sure to confirm the exchange rate shortly before
your departure so that you budget accordingly. The easiest way to know the current exchange rate is to check
on this website: http://www.xe.com/ The currency exchange office/bureaus in the airport arrivals building
are generally open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Money and Banking
You should arrive in Germany with some cash in Euros, and debit/credit cards in order to cover your initial
costs (phone card, train ticket, etc). All banks will change U.S. dollars into Euros at the current official rate,
but bank fees will be charged. We advise you to change at least $200 to Euros before leaving the U.S. or
immediately withdraw it from an ATM upon arrival at the airport. Withdrawing Euros from an ATM is
usually the most economical way to get Euros.
Personal checks drawn on U.S. bank accounts are not accepted in Mainz or Berlin, and even cashier’s checks
or money orders may take up to two months to clear. Consequently you should bring enough money and
have access to an debit card/ATM card to tide you over for the first six weeks.
Since many ATM cards permit withdrawals in foreign currencies, you are strongly advised to check with your
home bank to determine whether its ATM network is accessible from Europe. If this is the case, it is
normally advantageous to keep the account in the U.S. replenished (perhaps have your family deposit
financial aid distributions to that account) and to use your ATM card. Many credit cards also allow
withdrawals in cash, but fees and interest vary greatly, as do their “small-print” regulations. Therefore, caution
is advised.
Past students have found it helpful to have access to at least 1,000 Euros to cover their stay in a hotel/hostel
when they first arrive, book purchases, personal expenditures, and allowance for unexpected expenditures. If
you choose to find your own housing, you should be prepared to pay at least three months’ rent up
front.
Since you’ll have to pay rent while in the country, you’ll have to open a bank account at a local German bank.
This process is fairly easy, but we will certainly help you with the bureaucracy involved.
Please note that for opening a student bank account, you need to bring your German Student ID, your
Permit of Stay, and your passport.
Once you have opened the account, the information on your account, i.e. Bankleitzahl and Kontonummer
will be necessary whenever you sign up for any service that requires monthly payment (as a cell-phone
contract or a newspaper subscription.)
Accounts are free of charge for students under 27 years of age and include an ATM card, which works
virtually all over Europe (with withdrawal fees at other banks). You can deposit travelers’ checks (and clearly
marked cashier’s checks) to your account. Please note that German student bank accounts do not come
with credit cards!
Emergency Cash
BEFORE you leave the U.S., you should discuss with your family and friends a plan for getting more money
during the program. Check ATM availability, Western Union details and service fees, and credit card services.
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Credit and Debit Cards
It is a good idea to obtain a credit card for use in Germany. Visa is the most widely accepted card in
Europe, but MasterCard is also accepted. American Express is valid in many larger cities, but in smaller cities
it is less known. Please also note that some stores and restaurants may only accept cash or debit cards – and
yes, that is true even for Berlin!
Throughout Germany and the rest of Europe it is possible to use credit and debit cards to get cash from a
bank during business hours or from ATMs. You should make sure your card is valid for international cash
advances. You should be certain to ask your bank if you will need an internationally valid PIN. Also
check what the daily (and in some cases weekly) limit is for withdrawing funds, as well as the bank fee
charged per withdrawal.
Communication with Home & Friends
Communication and Immersion
Students who seek maximum immersion in Germany should note that regular communication with home, in
English, can significantly hinder their language progress and their adjustment to the new culture. If your goal
is maximum immersion, you should prepare family and friends for the reality that you may be difficult to
contact and that, even when possible, regular calling or e-mailing may interfere with your language
acquisition. If something has gone wrong, your family will learn about it immediately. Otherwise, you can
remind them that no news is good news.
Mail
Before you leave for Germany, you will receive your room assignments with the address of your dormitory
and room number (if you have requested a dorm room from the director). This address becomes your mailing
address for letters and packages upon arrival in Mainz or Berlin. Please note the School office is not equipped either to
accept or store students' letters or packages. THE OFFICE WILL NOT ACCEPT LETTERS OR PACKAGES
ADDRESSED TO STUDENTS EXCEPT IN EMERGENCIES.
Mainz
The main post office is in the Bahnhofstraße. Mail (including packages) addressed Hauptpostlagernd (General
Delivery) can be picked up there. In emergencies only, first class mail may be addressed to you at the
director's office, c/o MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, Rheinstraße 42, D–55116 Mainz, GERMANY.
Items you do not wish to carry may be sent by parcel post to your name, Hauptpostlagernd, D–55100 Mainz,
Germany. The post office will charge for storage after three business days and some parcel post may have to
be cleared through customs. Bring an official I.D. to claim your mail. The main post office also houses
international telephone facilities.
Berlin
You will find post offices at Bahnhof Friedrichstraße (Monday-Sunday 6am-10pm), at Budapester Straße 42
(Monday-Saturday 8am-12am; Sundays and holidays 10am-12am) and at Flughafen Tegel, (daily, 6:30am9pm). In emergencies only, first class mail may be addressed to you at the director’s office, c/o
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, Rheinstraße 42, D–55116 Mainz, GERMANY. If you want to find the closest
post office near your, go to
http://standorte.deutschepost.de/Standortsuche?standorttyp=filialen_verkaufspunkte&lang=de
Internet and E-mail
The universities in Germany are equipped with e-mail access for all students. In Mainz, you will be assigned
an account upon enrollment. All of the dorm rooms in Mainz provide Internet access as well, while wireless
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access is provided on campus. In Berlin, your account will be ready to use once you have registered with
Distributed Campus and enroll at the Akadamische Auslandsamt. Once you have your account, you will also be
able to access your home school account. Berlin dorm rooms may provide Internet access though exceptions
may apply.
Language Pledge
The Pledge you will sign upon arrival in Germany reads: "I will speak only German for the duration of my
participation with the School in Germany."
German must be spoken at all times, except in the case of a genuine emergency, a visit from family (English
may not be spoken with family when within earshot of anyone related to the program), or when an exception
is made by the staff in Germany. Phone calls to family and friends overseas, whether over the Internet, from
a land line or from a cell phone, are allowed as long as one is out of earshot of other students and
roommates.
Phones
The telephone at the Middlebury School in Germany is for the use of the director only. Students may not
receive telephone calls through this office, except in cases of emergency.
The use of cell phones is common, and they are easily obtainable upon arrival. They are the most important
device for quick communication (not only) in emergency situations. You will want to consider which plan
best meets your needs before committing to one. The director and/or orientation assistant will suggest
companies and plans to investigate during orientation.
Skype
Students are now frequently using the Internet to speak to people around the world at low or no cost. Former
study abroad students have recommended using Skype, an Internet phone software service. Visit:
http://www.skype.com/
Fax/Xerox
The fax and photocopier in Mainz are for office use only. Please note that any photocopying required for
coursework is considered your responsibility. The School photocopier cannot be used for such purposes.
You'll find public copy machines all over campus, and there is a phone-fax-booth close to the Mainz
Hauptbahnhof, from where you can make worldwide calls and send faxes if you need to. In Berlin, you can
go to local copy shops and send faxes from the post office.
Semester printing account and Studicard in Mainz
For printing copies on campus in Mainz, each student has a semester printing account, which allows you to
print course readers, online materials etc. (up to approx. 200 pages/semester).
Copying books is common practice at German universities since checking out books is sometimes only
possible over the weekend, except for the books at the main library. Copying and scanning cost money.
Depending on the amount of copies you need to make, this might be a time-consuming process, especially
because many students use the copy machines.
To make copies or recharge your semester printing account you need the Studicard, which depending on your
dorm may also be the key to your apartment. The Studicard comes with a deposit of 2,50€. It is also used for
paying in the mensa and the washing machines in your dorm. To charge your Studicard you will find charging
machines in your dorms and all over campus. If your semester printing account is used up you can recharge
your account in the UB or ZDV. In order to use the card with the printers located in the main library
and the Philosophicum, you have to transfer a specific amount of money to the printing account on
that card. You can do so at the machines located at the main library. One page (black-and-white) is
0,03€, each page in color is 0,20€. Colored printing is only possible in the ZDV.
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Semester printing account and Mensacard in Berlin
For printing copies on campus in Berlin, you have a semester printing account, which allows you to print
course readers, online materials etc. (one-time free balance of 5 euros).
To make copies or recharge your semester printing account you need the Mensacard, which you also need to
buy food at the cafeteria. You can get the Mensacard from any cashier in the cafeteria and it comes with a
deposit of 1,55€. To charge your Mensacard you will find charging machines all over campus. If your
semester printing account is used up you can recharge your account in the ZEDAT, located inside the
Silberlaube/Rostlaube building. In order to use the card with the printers located in the main library
and the ZEDAT, you have to transfer a specific amount of money to the printing account on that
card. You can do so at the machines located at the ZEDAT. One page (black-and-white) is 0,04€, each
page in color is 0,05€. Colored printing is only possible in the ZEDAT.
LOCAL INFORMATION
Mainz
Emergency Services
You should memorize the following emergency numbers and carry them on your person at all times for
emergency calls. In addition, you will receive emergency contact cards upon arrival. You are expected to
carry those cards with you all the time.
110 Police
112 Fire Department
19222 Medical Emergency (Ambulance)
U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt
Gießener Str. 30
60435 Frankfurt am Main
Tel.: +49-69-7535-0
Temporary Accommodations
Jugendgästehaus Mainz
Otto-Brunfelsschneise 4
06131 85332
http://www.jugendherberge.de/
Hotel Terminus
Alicenstr. 4
D-55116 Mainz;
06131 229876
www.hotel-terminus-mainz.de/
Hospitals and Medical Services
Mainz has a University teaching hospital. During orientation, you will be asked to identify local offices of
General Practitioners close to your dorm or apartment. Local recommendations are also available on site.
On Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next morning, and on all weekdays from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. next
morning, and on the weekend around the clock, you can count on the Emergency Services of the Hildegardis
Hospital: Hildegardstraße 2, 55131 Mainz. Phone: 06131 19292. If you’re not well, take a cab to get you there.
It won’t be more than 10€ and it is safer than taking the bus.
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Drugstores and All-Night Pharmacies
There are many pharmacies in Mainz. The days and hours of opening vary but there is a list available in the
local newspaper and online.
Public Transportation
Most students will live on or near the campus of the Johannes Gutenberg–Universität. If you live elsewhere,
commuting tickets are available for both the Bundesbahn and the lines operated by Stadtwerke Mainz. Your
Studentenausweis “STUDITICKET” (which you will receive upon enrollment) allows you free travel on all
public transport in Mainz. It also includes direct lines to Wiesbaden, and also the connections to the airport
and to downtown Frankfurt and much of Hessen. Time-limited tourist cards for Mainz and applications for
commuter tickets (if you reside outside the city) are available from the information booth on the Bahnhofsplatz.
Public transportation (buses, streetcars, and trains) is on an honor system, but there are frequent controls by
non-uniformed personnel. Passengers without tickets face embarrassment and a stiff fine. Taxis are relatively
expensive. The main stand is in front of the Hauptbahnhof. The radio–dispatched fleet will also make pickups
in most parts of town, but allow up to ten minutes for them to respond. The telephone numbers are posted
near all pay phones.
Information for long distance Bundesbahn trains is available inside the Hauptbahnhof, or by calling 15.33.97.
You may also call the general number for the Deutsche Bahn Reiseservice. This is actually faster and more
efficient, but there is a higher cost per minute. The number is: 0180.5.99.66.33.
Eating Establishments
Be sure to try some of the many restaurants scattered throughout the city. Besides restaurants serving
“traditional” German food there are dozens of good ethnic restaurants, including those serving Chinese,
Greek, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Portuguese, Syrian, Turkish, and Thai cuisine.
Mainz has a large variety of pubs. On campus, the student-run Q-Kaff offers cheap drinks and, occasionally,
live bands. Downtown, you might try Dr. Flotte in the Altstadt, with its Victorian decor, Schon schön on
Große Bleiche, with its young crowd, or Bagatelle, Fiszbah or Schröder’s in the Neustadt with its high student
population. Ask German students about their favorites, but don’t hesitate to see for yourself what you might
like!
For dancing, there are weekly parties in the Studihaus on campus. There are also many discos in the area. The
Kulturzentrum (KUZ) in downtown Mainz offers a wide range of activities from dance parties to scientific
exhibitions. Other diversions include trips to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt, a short ride with public
transportation. Frankfurt offers all the amenities of a major city, including concerts (both classical and
popular), museums, and nightlife. The opera, though expensive, is especially well known. Wiesbaden, located
right across the Rhine from Mainz, offers a change of pace nearby. The city offers some good theaters better
suited to a student budget, as well as many good shops.
As any student returning from Mainz will tell you, Mainz is what you make of it. Get out, enjoy the sights and
diversions, meet people, and explore all the city and the area have to offer.
Libraries
Johannes Gutenberg–Universitätsbibliothek
Seminarbibliotheken
Anne Seghers
Landesbibliothek
Bookstores
Gutenburg-Buchhandlung on campus and on Große Bleiche (Neubrunnenplatz); Hugendubel at the ‘Brand’ and
in the Römerpassage, the Wohltat’sche for discounted books, audiobooks and DVDs
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Movie Theaters
The major theater is located on Holzhofstraße close to the Südbahnhof. For inexpensive movies there is a
student-run theater on campus specializing in cinema classics.
Department Stores
Kaufhof
Karstadt
Sinn & Leffers
H&M
Zara
Markets and Supermarkets
Aldi
Plus
Penny-Markt
REWE
Real at Gutenberg Center (20min bus ride from Campus)
Open-air farmers’ market near the cathedral which is open every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
Berlin
Emergency Services
You should memorize the following emergency numbers and carry them on your person at all times for
emergency calls. In addition, you will receive emergency contact cards upon arrival. You are expected to carry
those cards with you all the time.
110 Police
112 Fire Department
112 Medical Emergency





Legal Assistance (emergency number around the clock): 324.22.82
Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst (Wednesdays/Weekends): 310031
Dentist emergency: 89.00.43.33
Drugstores open after hours: 11880
Poison Center: 192.37
Embassy of the United States Berlin
Clayallee 170
14191 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Tel.: +49-30-8305-0
Temporary Accommodations
Studentenhotel Hubertusallee
Delbrückstraße 24, 14193 Berlin (Grunewald)
Tel: 011 49 (30) 891 97 18
mailto: studentenhotel.hubertus@studentenwerk-berlin.de
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http://www.studentenwerk-berlin.de/wohnen/studentenhotel/index.html
Jugendgästehaus am Zoo (Comfort Inn) Hardenbergstr. 9a
D-10623 Berlin
(U-Bhf. "Ernst-Reuter-Platz")
Tel: 011 49 (30) 312 94 10
mailto: info@jgh-zoo.de
http://www.jgh-zoo.de/
Meininger City Hostels
3 in Berlin
Tel: 011 49 (30) 666 36 100
mailto: welcome@meininger-hostels.de
http://www.meininger-hotels.com
Jugendgästehaus Central
Nikolsburgerstr. 2-4
D-10717 Berlin
(U-Bhf. "Güntzelstr.")
Tel: 011 49 (30) 873 01 88
mailto: berlin@jugendgaestehaus-central.de
http://www.jugendgaestehaus-central.de/index_de.shtml
Public Transportation
Since the FU doesn’t have a traditional campus, most students live all over the city of Berlin. Until you
receive your Studiticket, you should inquire about the most reasonable tickets (day-tickets may not be the
cheapest choice) at the major train stations (Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten oder Alexanderplatz). With those
tickets, you are able to ride Bus or U-Bahn and the S-Bahn as well. You have to get your ticket stamped
before you first use it, either in the bus or at the gate from which your train leaves. There are frequent
controls by non-uniformed personnel. Passengers without tickets face embarrassment and a stiff fine. Taxis
are relatively expensive. Their number: 0800.222.22.55. If it is rather late, it might be smart to take a cab after
all!
Information for long distance Bundesbahn trains is available online: http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml
or inside the "Reisezentrum" in the main train stations. There is a special "Bahncard" available for students. If
you purchase this card, you’ll pay only half of the normal price on long-distance train tickets.
Eating Establishments
Be sure to try some of the many restaurants scattered throughout the city. Besides restaurants serving
“traditional” German food there are dozens of good ethnic restaurants, including those serving Chinese,
Greek, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Portuguese, Syrian, Turkish, and Thai cuisine.
Libraries
FU-Universitätsbibliothek
Seminarbibliotheken
Staatsbibliothek Berlin (Additional Library Card necessary, can be reimbursed by the School in Germany)
Bookstores
Hugendubel at Kudamm, across from Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche; Dussmannhaus at Friedrichstraße
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Movie Theaters
A number of theaters are located near the Kurfürstendamm and the train station Zoologischer Garten
Department Stores
Kaufhaus des Westens
Karstadt
Grades Conversion Scale
Grades received at German universities will be evaluated by the director of the School in Germany and
converted to U.S. grades. The following grades are used: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F. No grade below a
B- may be applied to a Middlebury M.A. degree, and no grade below a B+ will count towards the D.M.L.
degree. Since European universities do not use the same system of grades and credits as U.S. institutions, you
will receive American equivalent credits and grades as established by the director. The following is a table of
equivalencies.
German Grades as they may appear on your Middlebury Grades as they may appear on
'Schein' or paper:
your transcript:
1 / 1,0 sehr gut
A
1- / 1,3 noch sehr gut
A1,7 / 2+
voll gut
A2,0 / 2 gut
B+
2,3 / 2- noch gut
B
2,7 / 3+
voll befriedigend
B
3,0 / 3 befriedigend
B3,3 / 3- noch befriedigend
BAny grade below B- is not accepted for graduate credit
Academic Calendar
You should consult the calendar of the School in Germany on our Web site, as the dates may change after the
publication of this handbook:
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/berlin/calendar
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/grad_programs/german/program_tracks/germany/mainz/calendar
Please keep in mind that dates may change even after your arrival in Germany.
Important: All students must remain in Germany until they have taken their final exams/turned in their final
papers within the university’s official exam period. If you choose to leave early, you may forfeit credit for the
entire semester.
Please note that final exams may be scheduled after the last day of class, even though this information
might not be listed in the course catalogue. You must ask the Professor of the course in question within the
first three weeks of class when the final exam is scheduled.
If you find out that you cannot take the exam with the course, or that the date of the exam won’t be
announced before the middle of the term, you cannot take that specific course for credit.
Arrival Periods
Please note that for organizational reasons, we cannot accommodate students who arrive at times other than
specified by the arrival periods listed in the calendar.
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Weekends and Holidays
Please note that neither program nor FU-staff is on duty on weekends or holidays, so please check the
calendar before you purchase your tickets.
Departure from Germany
Before you return to your home-country, make sure you have enough time to exmatriculate from FU and
JGu and to notify the Bürgerämter in Berlin/Mainz that you’re about to leave the country. Failure to do
either may result in your not being able to study at a German university again and/or may prevent you from
being admitted back into Germany in the future.
If you live in a dorm room, you’ll have to make an appointment with the janitor, who will make sure that your
room is clean and that you haven’t caused any dorm damage.
Please note that if you decide to leave your room uncleaned and damaged, you’ll be charged for the costs it’ll
take to clean and fix whatever is found to be broken.
If you live in private accommodations, check your rental contract and make sure your understand the
conditions and the time frame for getting back your down payment.
Attendance at all meetings is mandatory. All dates are subject to change.
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