C.V. Starr - 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
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany
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
Please note: Information in this handbook is subject to change.
Copyright 2014 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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR ............................................................................................................................. 6
PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION ......................................................................................................................... 7
Approximate Program Costs .......................................................................................................................... 7
Expenses .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Student Visas ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Customs ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Registering with the U.S. Department of State............................................................................................. 8
International Students .................................................................................................................................... 8
Travel to Germany .......................................................................................................................................... 8
TSA Regulations ..........................................................................................................................................8
Airline Luggage Regulations .....................................................................................................................9
Comfort in Flights ......................................................................................................................................9
Immunizations ............................................................................................................................................. 10
List of Things to Pack:.................................................................................................................................. 10
General Packing Suggestions ...................................................................................................................... 10
Clothing ................................................................................................................................................... 10
Bed and Bath Linens................................................................................................................................ 10
Toiletries................................................................................................................................................... 10
Prescriptions ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Electrical Appliances ............................................................................................................................... 11
Computers ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Gifts .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Moodle-Registration .................................................................................................................................... 11
ARRIVAL IN GERMANY .................................................................................................................................... 12
Immigration ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Upon Arrival ................................................................................................................................................ 12
How to Get to Mainz from the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) .......................................................................... 12
How to Get to Downtown Berlin from the Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL) .................................................. 13
Temporary Accommodation ....................................................................................................................... 14
Orientation ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Berlin, Wellesley Students: ..................................................................................................................... 15
ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ..................................................................................................... 15
Program Sites ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Berlin ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Mainz ....................................................................................................................................................... 15
Credit ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
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All Undergraduates ................................................................................................................................. 15
Middlebury Undergraduates.................................................................................................................. 16
Students from Other Colleges and Universities.................................................................................... 16
Transcripts ............................................................................................................................................... 16
Program Philosophy, Mission Statement, and Learning Goals .............................................................. 16
Program Philosophy ................................................................................................................................ 16
Mission Statement and Learning Goals ................................................................................................. 16
Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................... 16
Learning Goal No1: Improvement of Language Skills ........................................................................ 17
Learning Goal No 2: Intercultural Communicative Competence ....................................................... 18
University Courses....................................................................................................................................... 21
A) Hauptseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Advanced (Graduate) Level .................... 21
B) Proseminar – Seminar or Course / Module on the Basic Level ..................................................... 21
C) Übung / Übungs-Module, all levels................................................................................................. 22
D) Vorlesung ........................................................................................................................................... 22
PROGRAM POLICIES ........................................................................................................................................ 22
Language Pledge .......................................................................................................................................... 22
Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
Attendance ................................................................................................................................................... 23
Tardiness ...................................................................................................................................................... 23
Deadlines and Extension Policies ............................................................................................................... 23
Exams............................................................................................................................................................ 24
Research Papers ........................................................................................................................................... 24
ABCs of Paper Writing and the Tutorial Platform................................................................................ 24
Navigating the German Academic World ................................................................................................. 24
Unspoken Expectations and Practical Suggestions .............................................................................. 24
Etiquette ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Punctuality ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Course Materials ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Conduct in Class...................................................................................................................................... 27
In-class Discussion.................................................................................................................................. 27
Criticism and Praise ................................................................................................................................ 27
Attendance--Missing class due to sickness ........................................................................................... 28
Drop Policies ................................................................................................................................................ 28
Dance, Music, and Studio Art Courses ...................................................................................................... 28
Course Listings ............................................................................................................................................. 28
FAQs Concerning Mainstream-Course Selection ..................................................................................... 29
Do I have to take 3 Proseminare per semester? ................................................................................... 29
Do I have to write three research papers per semester? ..................................................................... 29
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When do I have to make the final decision about which classes I am going to take? ...................... 30
How does choosing classes work? ......................................................................................................... 30
FAQs Class Work and Absences ................................................................................................................. 30
How do I find a paper topic if the professor doesn’t hand out any lists? .......................................... 30
How many times do I have to meet with a professor? ......................................................................... 30
Why do classes scheduled to start on the hour start 15 min. late and end 15 min. early? ............. 30
Can I get help with writing my paper? ................................................................................................. 30
TUTORIALS .................................................................................................................................................... 30
Guidelines..................................................................................................................................................... 31
Purpose..................................................................................................................................................... 31
Structure .................................................................................................................................................. 31
The Final Draft ........................................................................................................................................ 33
Attendance ............................................................................................................................................... 33
CULTURAL LEARNING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM ............................................................................ 33
Effective Immersion and Intercultural Learning ...................................................................................... 33
Documenting your Learning Progress: Your IDI- Profile ........................................................................ 34
Reaping the Benefits of Effective Immersion ............................................................................................. 34
Only Active Immersion can Become Effective Immersion .................................................................. 34
How to Turn your Experience into Insights ......................................................................................... 34
Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in Germany .................. 35
Analytical Notebook and Creative Storage Space................................................................................. 35
Personalized Support on Site .................................................................................................................. 35
Internships ................................................................................................................................................... 35
Internships for Credit ............................................................................................................................. 36
Getting Started......................................................................................................................................... 36
Our Responsibilities: ............................................................................................................................... 36
Your Responsibilities: .............................................................................................................................. 37
Previous, current, and future internship providers: ............................................................................ 37
Cultural Activities ........................................................................................................................................ 38
LIVING IN GERMANY ...................................................................................................................................... 38
Housing ........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Mainz ....................................................................................................................................................... 38
Berlin ........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Finding Your Own Housing in Germany .............................................................................................. 39
Meeting Germans ........................................................................................................................................ 39
Character of the City ................................................................................................................................... 39
Meals ............................................................................................................................................................ 40
Travel ............................................................................................................................................................ 40
Travel/Ticket Agents............................................................................................................................... 41
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Working in Germany .................................................................................................................................. 41
HEALTH AND SAFETY ...................................................................................................................................... 41
Sexual Harassment and Assault.................................................................................................................. 41
Health ........................................................................................................................................................... 42
Drugs ............................................................................................................................................................ 42
Psychological Health and Counseling........................................................................................................ 43
Student Safety............................................................................................................................................... 43
Medical and Accident Insurance ............................................................................................................... 43
ON-SITE MONEY MATTERS ............................................................................................................................ 44
Currency Exchange ..................................................................................................................................... 44
Money and Banking .................................................................................................................................... 44
Emergency Cash .......................................................................................................................................... 44
Credit and Debit Cards ............................................................................................................................... 45
Travelers Checks .......................................................................................................................................... 45
COMMUNICATION WITH HOME & FRIENDS ...................................................................................................... 45
Communication and Immersion ................................................................................................................ 45
Mail ............................................................................................................................................................... 45
Internet and E-mail ..................................................................................................................................... 46
Language Pledge .......................................................................................................................................... 46
Phones........................................................................................................................................................... 46
Skype ............................................................................................................................................................. 46
Fax/Xerox .................................................................................................................................................... 46
Semester printing account and Studicard in Mainz ............................................................................ 46
Semester printing account and Mensacard in Berlin .......................................................................... 47
LOCAL INFORMATION............................................................................................................................... 47
Mainz ............................................................................................................................................................ 47
Emergency Services................................................................................................................................. 47
U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt .......................................................................................................... 47
Temporary Accommodations ................................................................................................................. 47
Hospitals and Medical Services.............................................................................................................. 48
Drugstores and All-Night Pharmacies .................................................................................................. 48
Public Transportation ............................................................................................................................. 48
Eating Establishments ............................................................................................................................. 48
Libraries ................................................................................................................................................... 49
Bookstores ................................................................................................................................................ 49
Movie Theaters ........................................................................................................................................ 49
Department Stores................................................................................................................................... 49
Markets and Supermarkets .................................................................................................................... 49
Berlin ............................................................................................................................................................ 49
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Emergency Services................................................................................................................................. 49
Embassy of the United States Berlin....................................................................................................... 50
Temporary Accommodations ................................................................................................................. 50
Public Transportation ............................................................................................................................. 50
Eating Establishments ............................................................................................................................. 51
Libraries ................................................................................................................................................... 51
Bookstores ................................................................................................................................................ 51
Movie Theaters ........................................................................................................................................ 51
Department Stores................................................................................................................................... 51
GRADE CONVERSION SCALE ............................................................................................................................ 51
ACADEMIC CALENDAR .............................................................................................................................. 52
Academic Calendar ..................................................................................................................................... 52
Arrival Periods ......................................................................................................................................... 52
Weekends and Holidays ......................................................................................................................... 52
Departure from Germany ...................................................................................................................... 52
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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/sa/germany
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 Schools Abroad General
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 for future reference.
Welcome to Mainz and Berlin - I look forward to meeting you!
Heike Fahrenberg, Ph.D.
Director and Associate Professor
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Germany
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PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION
Approximate Program Costs
The following is an estimate of program costs for full and half-year students as of February 2014. Please
remember that Middlebury College only bills you for the tuition portion and housing (if pre-arranged
through Middlebury) and the $1,400 per semester study abroad fee (for Middlebury College students
only); the remaining expenses will be out-of-pocket. Amounts that you will pay in the U.S. are given in
dollars; expenses you will incur while in Germany are given in Euro. 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, program-sponsored 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 2014). This reservation fee minus 50€ will be applied to the rent once
students sign their rental contract in Berlin. Year-long students may be required to pay this 50€ fee
twice. 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 pay for rent on the first of each
month via a bank transfer.
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/sa/germany/fees
*Tuition includes orientation, academic fees, 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 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.
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Please note that German authorities will require you to leave and return to your home country for
proper documentation before readmission.
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 website 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 website closer to your date
of departure: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information.
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
Arrival: Please consult the School in Germany calendar on the School’s webpage before purchasing any
tickets and plan to arrive during the Arrival 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 holiday. 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 “Arrival Period” on each site's calendar. 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 be in their offices on Friday afternoons either. University
housing offices are only open on weekday mornings. 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.
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.
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.
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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.
List of Things to Pack:
General Handbook for the Middlebury Schools Abroad:
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany/handbooks
School in Germany Handbook:
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany/handbooks
CD-Rom College-Level Dictionary German-English-German
CD-Rom College-Level Dictionary German-German (DaF)
Airline ticket/electronic ticket information [+ 1 copy]
Proof of Insurance from HTH Worldwide [insurance card + letter]
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.isic.org/
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 Germany; there are reasonable discount stores in both cities. You may want to consider
bringing a towel 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.
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Prescriptions
If you are taking any prescription medications, you should bring a full supply for the semester/year
with you in your carry-on luggage and bring copies of all the appropriate prescriptions with you.
Mailing medicines across borders is extremely difficult, time consuming and expensive, due to
international drug trafficking laws, and we do NOT recommend it. Prescription medicines should be
left in the original containers. You should 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, Starbucks
and Eiscafé Florenz in Mainz.
In Berlin, you’ll have internet access once you’ve enrolled with FU, while countless cafès likewise offer
free wireless connections.
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), if it does you will need an adapter but
not a transformer.
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 tutorial 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%2
Findex.php
You need to register with your Middlebury-Email Account which you will receive 2-3 months before
departure. 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 Tutorial 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 (creditbearing 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 Arrival 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 baggage claim area (Gepäckausgabe) (downstairs in
all the Mainz terminals); get your bags and go through the customs exit with the green “Nothing-toDeclare” 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 (appr. 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.
Middlebury School in Germany
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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 airport as soon as you know which train
you are taking to Mainz. 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 €10-15, 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 two airports. Flights from the U.S. fly into Tegel. To figure out the easiest
route 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
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"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 SBahn.
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. 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 €2.40, and an all day pass costs €6,50.
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. See our suggestions in the local resources section at the end of the handbook. 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.
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.
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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 tutorials 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.
Berlin, Wellesley Students:
The Intensive Language and Culture Course includes Orientation Activities. For dates, check calendar at
the end of this handbook and the School’s Website online.
ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Program Sites
Berlin
Students in Berlin enroll in courses at Freie Universität in a variety of subjects. Students typically enroll
in three university courses and Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the
School in Germany.
Mainz
Students in Mainz enroll at Johannes Gutenberg Universität. Students typically enroll in three university
courses and Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in Germany.
Credit
All Undergraduates
Every student’s academic program must be approved by the director of the School in Germany. Four
courses per term are required.
One of the courses is the mandatory Culture Portfolio, a course called ‘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:
help students turn their experience abroad into experiential learning
provide a deeper understanding of both their own and the host culture
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.
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For two of the remaining courses, you must write papers of a minimum of 12 pages. You may choose to
take a written exam for the 4th course. Students are not permitted to take lighter loads, nor will they
receive additional credit for heavier loads.
Middlebury Undergraduates
Middlebury College students receive five units of credit for the Wintersemester (fall), four units of
credit for the Sommersemester (spring), and nine units of credit for the academic year. Where J-term
equivalency credit is awarded, reduced course loads result in the loss of this credit.
Students from Other Colleges and Universities
Middlebury College considers a semester/academic year abroad equivalent to a semester/academic
year in the U.S. Students who transfer their credits to other institutions typically receive 15-16 credit
hours per semester or 20-25 quarter units per semester for 4 courses. Because your home institution
determines the number of credits awarded for work abroad, you are urged to consult with your
advisers well ahead of time.
Transcripts
All students can check their grades using their Middlebury ID and password on
http://go.middlebury.edu/bannerweb a couple of days after they have been reported. Once a student’s
transcript is complete, Middlebury forwards it automatically to the student’s home institution.
For official copies for personal use, you can contact the Office of the Registrar. If you need to prove
your academic standing before all grades have been reported, you can print unofficial copies directly
from Bannerweb.
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.
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 C.V. Starr-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
As one of Middlebury's C.V. Starr-Schools Abroad designed to connect Middlebury to other places,
countries and cultures, the Middlebury School in Germany offers opportunities for both undergraduate
and graduate students that enhance students' capacity for rigorous analysis and independent thought
across the entire academic curriculum offered at either Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz or Freie
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Universität Berlin. The School's mission is to support students in developing the intellectual, creative,
physical, ethical and social qualities essential for leadership in a rapidly changing global community.
By providing students with the opportunity to not only improve their language skills and to obtain a
deeper understanding of German culture by effectively immersing themselves in that culture, the
School strives to help students acquire the Intercultural Communicative Competence that will enable
them to truly engage the world.
Learning Goal No1: Improvement of Language Skills
General Goal and Method
1. By
o participating in writing
tutorials
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.
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.
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Students' academic writing
demonstrates that they have both
the academic honesty and skill to
master the mechanics of correctly
citing the sources they used.
2. Speaking
Speaking (oral reports or
presentations in class.
Optional: In dependence
on indvidual interest, the
student can engage in
supported, self-directed
projects for pronunciation,
oral presentation
techniques , or interview
projects that are
documented in the
By keeping the language pledge,
students perceptibly improve their
ability to engage in German
conversations inside and outside of
the classroom.
portfolio
Optional:
Students may opt to join a
language-tandem in order
to improve their speaking
skills).
3. Reading
4. Listening
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.
Listening Comprehension
(lectures, in-class
activities, listening to
radio, TV, German
audiobooks . . .)
Optional: self-directed
exercises are possible and
can be documented in the
Students experience progress with
regard to their ability to follow
speech produced by native speakers
inside and outside the classroom.
Students improve their familiarity
with the specialist terminology they
choose to acquire.
portfolio
Learning Goal No 2: Intercultural Communicative Competence
Method
Learning Outcome
Students participate in regular,
mainstream university-courses
Students increase their factual knowledge of various dimensions of
'culture' in general and the multiple layers and complexities of the
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and engage in self-directed
exploration of various elements
of the host culture.
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 improve their ability to communicate effectively in the target
students proactively seek the
language with native speakers or people from a different cultural
opportunity to interact with
background from their own.
native speakers and to regularly
engage with their new
surroundings.
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
Students improve their ability to practice Close Observation and Thick
analytical notebook and to
Description.
prepare monthly reviews of that
notebook, while they receive
weekly feedback from their
culture-resource-person, who
also does the monthly review
with them.
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 Students increasingly replace superficial observation and judgment
the feedback they receive. This with self-reflection and analysis that, ideally, should accompany each
feedback focuses on
piece of observation.
encouraging students to
become aware of everybody's
need to categorize the world
and everybody's habit of
attaching value judgments to
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the categories they created.
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
Middlebury School in Germany
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.
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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 know.
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 current/future host culture.
Students are encouraged to
increasingly apply their
knowledge and skill to new
circumstances and intercultural
situations in theory (tasks) and
practice, as reflected in their
analytical notebook.
Students develop the kind of intercultural communicative competence
that enables them to initiate and maintain 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
Please note that the requirements for Middlebury 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
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, inclass 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
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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 inclass 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 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
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.
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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.
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 General Handbook for the Middlebury Schools Abroad at
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany/handbooks
Attendance
Students are expected to attend each class session, tutorial, 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, tutorials, 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 submitted 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.
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Middlebury undergraduates who receive two Fs during a semester abroad will be put on academic
probation.
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.
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 exam-questions 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
Students are expected to write a minimum of two German research papers per term. (Exceptions may
apply to students of natural sciences.) General rules concerning papers will be outlined during the onsite 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 Tutorial Platform
Once you have registered for Moodle and have joined the Writing Tutorial 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/sa/germany/handbooks.
Navigating the German Academic World
Unspoken Expectations and Practical Suggestions
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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.
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.
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The seminars, whether at the graduate or undergraduate level, are designed to provide an opportunity
for in-class 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.
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 highschool 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
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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 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.
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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. 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.”
Dance, Music, and Studio Art Courses
Students wishing to take dance, music, or studio art courses for academic credit in their major or minor
should confirm through a letter from their major department chair that they have reached a level of
performance sufficient to make semi-independent work in the foreign context both feasible and
profitable and indicating how many contact hours would be sufficient to obtain one unit of credit
(three semester hours). Fees incurred will normally be covered up to the number of contact hours
required for one unit of credit. Every effort will be made to find facilities and on-site supervision to
facilitate the student’s project. All such projects must be approved prior to students’ arrival on site. The
Schools Abroad will not cover the costs of applied music instruction [lessons], since they will not receive
academic credit, though some funds may be available from Middlebury’s Music Department (for
Middlebury music majors only) to offset the actual costs. However, you should be made aware that the
cost of such lessons abroad can be considerably more expensive than in the U.S.
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 German Anthropology (Volkskunde), Political Science,
Comparative Literature, History, Music, Religion, Jewish Studies, Art History, Economics. All courses
have to deal with an aspect related to German language, culture, or history to obtain German credit.
http://www.fu-berlin.de/vv/fb (FU, Berlin)
https://jogustine.unimainz.de/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=CampusNet&PRGNAME=EXTERNALPAGES&ARGUMENTS=N000000000000001,-N000000,-Awelcome (JoGu, Mainz).
In order to make sure you can take a course for credit, 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.
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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
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
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
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 3 Proseminare 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. Students will normally take one Vorlesung per semester and the remaining course load
will be comprised of Proseminar and Übungen.
Do I have to write three research papers per
semester?
No. The minimum requirement is two papers per
term, i.e. if you take three mainstream courses
total, you may complete up to one of those with a
written exam and the other two with research
papers. You can also choose to write three papers
instead. Please note that exams you take with the
rest of the course carry the highest risk for nonnative speakers.
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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 third to 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 third 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. After you’ve handed in the final
course list , you cannot add or drop classes.
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 at 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.
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.
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.)
TUTORIALS
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 1hour each week, while the rest of the time they exchange drafts via the Writing Tutorial 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.
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Please note that tutors will point out mistakes and problems but they won't proofread papers or fix
mistakes. In order to get an idea of how the tutorials work, please note the guidelines below.
Guidelines
Purpose
The tutorials administered at the School in Germany are meant to help students, who want to achieve
grades in the A to B+ range for the papers they have to write for their mainstream courses, and who are
therefore willing to practice and refine their writing skills by writing and rewriting texts in German
and/or doing language exercises with their tutors every week of the term. Please note that the tutorials
work as individualized writing centers, helping you to write better every week. Tutors do not work as
proofreaders of your papers. Please further note that neither your writing skills nor the grades assigned
to your papers, will profit from the tutorials if you don’t start writing texts from orientation on and start
working on your papers no later than the 4th week of class.
To write well means to write and to rewrite. 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.
Structure

Tutor-Student contact starts in the first week of Orientation and ends in the last week of class
when papers are due. If you were granted an extension for one or more of your papers, your
tutorial will be extended for two weeks after the end of classes. Regular sessions may start any
time after Orientation, depending on how your class schedule works out. Once you are ready
for the first regular session, plan to spend the full 3 hours with your tutor that time around.

Your tutor will use the first three sessions to get to know your writing level and personal
interests. S/he will introduce you to the local library system at your site. In order to teach you
how to navigate this system, and in order to check whether her/his explanations have been
successful, s/he might assign a mock search on a topic that you're interested in. Do not simply
take an official library tour. That's a waste of time.

Note that it might be a bit of a challenge to schedule sessions in the first three weeks of class
because everybody's class schedules might still be in flux. Otherwise, agree on a fixed day and
meeting time as soon as possible. Your tutor may not keep rescheduling meetings once the third
week of class is over.
1. Session
Your tutor will go over the Hausarbeiten ABC with you, especially over the sections explaining how to
create focus in a paper dealing with a certain topic (Fragestellung) by phrasing a thesis (short answer)
and by constructing paragraphs that are logically linked and that support your thesis statement. You'll
both be dealing with the importance of logical order, and with the fact that every paper requires an
introduction, main body, and a conclusion. Make sure you understand the functions of all three parts
and how they should relate to each other. Furthermore, your tutor will explain how you should use the
Academic Writing Scale in order to assess the quality of your own writing. You should use that scale in
order to get an idea of the criteria good academic writing has to meet.
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Organization of content is of equal importance as the content itself. Your tutor will explain that each
part of the essay should consist of a couple of paragraphs, each of which contains a topic sentence
stating the idea, and examples or arguments that explicate that idea. In addition, the first and the last
sentence of each paragraph should contain an element that links the paragraph to the preceding
and/or following one. Ask your tutor to provide examples that demonstrate this principle. Also make
sure you don't miss the lists of connectors as well as the collection of useful phrases we provided in
your Hausarbeiten ABC.
Your tutor will do a paragraph exercise with you, in order to give you the chance to practice how to
organize paragraphs. (Each one should deal with one main idea and should be logically linked to the
preceding and the following paragraph.)
Now you're both ready to discuss the diagnostic you wrote during orientation. Your tutor will explain
how the marking key works and you can work with this document and apply your tutor’s feedback to
the next draft of your essay. You’ll also learn how to read the statistics, i.e. how to note your own
progress and how to speed up this progress by focusing on your ‘favorite’ mistake in order to get rid of
it for good. Make sure to ask your tutor as many questions as necessary. At home, rewrite the essay and
implement your tutor’s feedback as well as you can. Post this document for your tutor two days before
you two will meet again. When you will meet, you’ll see how rewriting your essay leads to a drop in the
number of mistakes – and you and your tutor will find out which comments worked for you and which
didn’t, so that you’ll become a team German grammar cannot beat!
2. Continuing Sessions
Once the third week of class is over, everybody's schedule is in place. Agree on a regular meeting time
with your tutor. Remember that your tutor isn't allowed to shift times from week to week. Do not move
sessions from one week to the other. The only reason why a session can be postponed is confirmed
sickness or an emergency.
Once you moved on to a second writing sample and have finished working on the diagnostic essay,
your tutor will only mark half the text you wrote and will ask you to correct the second half yourself.
Carefully note the type of mistakes you made and check whether you might have made the same type of
mistake in the second half of the text. If you find you did, try to fix them. Exercising this skill might be
difficult at the beginning, but only if you develop it will you be able to move from self-correction to
avoiding a certain kind of mistake altogether. For now, every mistake you eliminate before your
professor will read your paper is a step into the right direction.
To complete the writing circle, add another two pages to your essay and consciously focus on not
repeating the mistakes you've already recognized. Make sure you post it early enough for your tutor to
mark before your next meeting. Keep in mind the schedule for posting drafts and receiving feedback on
the Writing Tutorial Platform.
Don't hesitate to ask your tutor more than once to explain the marking key, the First-Aid grammar
(online) to identify typical mistakes, and how to use the scale to assess your own writing progress with
regard to quality. If necessary, ask how to use the Grammar Book or the right kind of dictionary to
improve your writing faster and fix your 'favorite' mistakes.

In the fourth week at the latest, work should start focusing on your academic assignments - this
does not mean that regular writing practice has to be discontinued, however. If there is nothing
else to work on, repeat the exercise you did in the first session on a different topic. Do not
hesitate to ask your tutor to support you with your research. Likewise, you’re welcome to
suggest topics you’d like to write on as long as they lend themselves to argumentative writing.
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
Your tutor can spend a maximum total of three hours with you/your texts each week. (If you
should run into trouble with this time frame, please let me know.)

After the 4th week, try to keep meeting time to one hour a week - and use it to discuss whatever
you couldn't correct yourself. The rest of the time should be given to commenting and posting
texts. The sooner you post what you have written, the sooner your tutor can comment on your
draft. The more feedback you get, the better the final draft will be. No need to hand in only
close-to-perfect pieces -- no need to hesitate: post something even if you know it is not going to
be perfect -- your tutor might be able to help you figure out why it isn't and fix the problem.
Please note that if you do not implement the feedback of your tutor at the point you receive it,
you miss all chances of improving your writing and of becoming independent from your tutor
in the long run. Writing well means to write and to rewrite, not to produce one ‘first draft’ after
the other!

There is no set location for tutorial meetings. If you meet on campus, make sure the atmosphere
is relaxed and surroundings aren’t too noisy so that you won't have problems concentrating or
focusing on your session. If that should be the case, let your tutor know, so s/he can look for a
different meeting place.
The Final Draft
The final draft of your paper is the only draft that your tutor will mark completely. In order to take
advantage of this possibility, please keep in mind that papers are due at the end of classes. If you want
your tutor to mark the final draft completely, so that you can revise it one last time before you send it to
the director, you should post your final draft no later than 8 a.m. on Wednesday before the last day of
classes.
Attendance
 If you have to miss an appointment, please notify the tutor at least a day in advance.

Remember 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
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.
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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 again 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 webpages 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!
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.
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Culture, Competence and Composition: The Culture Portfolio of the School in
Germany
Analytical Notebook and Creative Storage Space
The School’s Culture Portfolio is a tool in which we will encourage you to reflect upon your experiences
and support you by providing feedback. One part of your Culture Portfolio is the Analytical Notebook,
which is the place where you collect all of your impressions, the results of the cultural explorations you
conduct, and your thoughts on the knowledge you think you acquired during your term abroad.
Another part consists of certain tasks you have to perform in order to familiarize yourself with
specialized terminology used for the observation and analysis of culture. The third part consists of
writing assignments that ask you to use your intercultural experience in creative ways. You will find a
detailed syllabus online once you will have joined the Portfolio’s Online Course Platform.
Your Culture Portfolio will document your cultural learning progress, which in turn mirrors the
process you will go through in order to feel at home from your beginning as a stranger. Given your
active involvement with the cultural learning process, and given the support provided by the School,
you’ll observe yourself becoming more and more interculturally competent as the weeks go by – and
you’ll realize that creating meaningful and stabilizing relationships with people from your host culture
becomes easier as you acquire new skills and competence.
Personalized Support on Site
Once you arrive on site, detailed support materials and training modules will ease your way into the
new culture, while the director and staff of the School in Germany will act as your reliable allies and a
resource you can always turn to with your observations and questions throughout the semester. While
you’ll enjoy regular ‘Kaffeestündchen’ with either the director or the student-life coordinator (or both),
a number of these meetings (one per month) will be devoted explicitly to your personal experience
within the host culture, so that, in addition to the dialogue that you’ll engage in via your analytical
notebook, you’ll have ample opportunities to share your observations, ask questions, and receive all the
support we can offer in a person-to-person conversation. We’re looking forward to greeting and
meeting you in person soon!!!
Internships
In your second semester abroad, you have the opportunity to undertake an internship designed to
enable you to achieve greater exposure to the host culture through participating in a 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 career or graduate school opportunities in the future.
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.
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Internships for Credit
Undergraduates have the opportunity to undertake a graded and credit-bearing internship.
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:




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 3 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.
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
To support you throughout your internship to insure the best experience possible for you and
the provider
Your Responsibilities:
 To search for providers and internhip opportunities and pass this information on to your
internship coordinator
 To give us a list of of at least two to three areas that are of genuine interest to you
 To review our list of internships and think about whether you might want to apply for one of
them.
 To draft application materials in a timely fasion and submit them so the final versions can be
sent to future providers before the end of November
 To keep track of your appointments with internship-providers 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 are 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
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Cultural Activities
Other options that facilitate your immersion include a Middlebury-sponsored 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. Please ask the
Director in Germany for details.
LIVING IN GERMANY
Housing
Most School in Germany students are placed in dormitories run by Studentenwerk Mainz and are billed
prior to departure by Middlebury College (who in turn pays the rent) in 6-month increments, or in
dormitories run by Studentenwerk Berlin. You should understand that dorms are not operated by the
university. 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.
Rent is set by the Studentenwerk. 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 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 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.
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If you live in a dormitory run by the Studentenwerk Berlin, you can purchase a reasonable
‘Einsteigerpaket’ in every dorm-center:
"Gut schlafen": 49,40 € (Bettdecke, Kopfkissen, Bettlaken, Bettbezüge)
"Gut essen": 20,00 € (Teller, Schale, Trinkpott, Edelstahl-Besteck)
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.
Please note that the School in Germany is not in a position to arrange for individual housing outside of
the dorms prior to your arrival. If you wish to arrange alternative housing prior to your arrival, 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/sa/germany/berlin/housing
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany/mainz/housing
Please keep the director advised of your current address, no matter how temporary. She also must have
your permanent address as soon as you are settled.
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 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
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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/sa/germany/mainz/student_life
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/sa/germany/berlin/student_life
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 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 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 (Opening Hours may vary.)
In Berlin, dorms are located in walking distance/short bus ride of
supermarkets which close either at 8 10 p.m., or 12 a.m. The
mensas of FU provide subsidized cafeteria-style meals at lunch
time for students at the university. Meals range from €2-4. Each
dorm has cooking facilities either in the students’ apartments or
in a shared hall kitchen. 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 low-budget 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.
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Please enter your travel information here:
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/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.
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 tutorials 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. Please note that internships coordinated by
the School in Germany are unpaid, while the hours you spend there count towards the total number of
hours you’re allowed to work.
While your legal status as a student in Germany may allow you to work up to 20 hours a week while
classes are in session, it is not advisable to ever work more than 18 hours a week if you don’t want to
compromise your academic success.
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
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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.
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.
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Use of recreational drugs while attending the School in Germany is strictly prohibited.
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 nearest 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 JoGu 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, a supply of traveler’s checks, or debit/credit
cards in order to cover your initial costs (phone card, train ticket, etc). All banks will change U.S.
dollars or travelers’ checks 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 or travelers checks 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.
Travelers Checks
If you or your parents/guardian belong to the American Automobile Association (AAA) you can obtain
VISA travelers checks or a rechargeable VISA TravelMoney card. AAA offers varying demoninations and
plans. Please contact your local office for the most up to date information or visit: http://www.aaa.com
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 many 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, 6:30am-9pm). 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 you, go to:
http://standorte.deutschepost.de/Standortsuche?standorttyp=filialen_verkaufspunkte&lang=de
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Internet and E-mail
Bring your laptop to Germany if you use it regularly. Be aware of how much time you spend on the
computer and in your room. It’s a good idea to set a weekly computer time limit and then stick to it.
Most of your free time should be spent exploring life outside of the virtual world. If you do plan on
bringing a laptop, please make sure you have an antivirus software installed.
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 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.
Past students have reported that, unsurprisingly, the less time they spend online while in Germany, the
more they learn about the German language and Germany in general. Accordingly, it would be wise to
minimize your time on chat, Skype, Facebook, etc. Try to keep your online experiences in German: read
German newspapers and blogs, set your Facebook and Twitter to German and friend/follow German
people. The on-site staff can suggest things for you in regard to this.
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.
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.
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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.
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 (free of charge)
112 Fire Department (free of charge)
19222 Medical Emergency (Ambulance) (free of charge)
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/
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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.
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.
http://www.apotheken-mainz.de/ApothekenNotdienst/2013_01/28.php4
Public Transportation
Most students will live on or near the campus of the
Johannes Gutenberg–Universität. As long as you live
within the bounds of the city of Mainz or in one of its
suburbs, your Studentenausweis , the “STUDITICKET”
(which you will receive upon enrollment) allows you
to use public transportation for free in all of Mainz
including travel to and from campus. In addition, you
may go to Wiesbaden, Frankfurt, and an extended
area in Hesse. (Changes happen every year, so you
should inquire at the local office how far your
Studiticket will take you.) 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. Please note that you’ll have to carry your student ID and a picture ID at
all times. If you’re caught without the ID, you’ll face a situation of embarrassment and a fee.
If it’s rather late at night, it might be smart to take a cab, especially because cabs are relatively
inexpensive. (7 – 8 € from the train station to campus). 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: 06131 910910.
Information on long distance Bundesbahn trains is available online at www.db.de.
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.
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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 or Berlin will tell you, every city is what you make of it. Getting
out of your room is paramount – only then will you be able to enjoy the sights and diversions, meet
people, and explore all that’s at your fingertips!
Libraries
Johannes Gutenberg–Universitätsbibliothek
Seminarbibliotheken
Anna Seghers
Landesbibliothek
Bookstores
Gutenburg-Buchhandlung on campus and on Große Bleiche (Neubrunnenplatz); Hugendubel at the
‘Brand’ and in the Römerpassage, the Jokers for discounted books, audiobooks and DVDs
Movie Theaters
The major theater is located on Holzhofstraße close to the Südbahnhof. Another movie theater is the
Ciné Mayence at Schillerplatz. 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. They are expected
to carry those cards with them all the time.
110 Police (free of charge)
112 Fire Department (free of charge)
112 Medical Emergency (free of chanrge)





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
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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
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 (Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten or
Alexanderplatz). With those tickets, you are able to ride the 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.
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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
Movie Theaters
A number of theaters are located near the Potsdamer Platz, the Kurfürstendamm and the train station
Zoologischer Garten
Department Stores
Kaufhaus des Westens
Karstadt
H&M
TK Maxx
And many more
GRADE 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 is an approximate conversion table for undergraduate students.
This may be modified according to the course taken and the work required. The conversion takes into
account the difficulties inherent in studying within a different university system. Due to the late
reporting of grades by the individual universities, you should understand that you will not receive your
grades until a few months after the end of the semester.
German Grades
Middlebury Grades
as they may appear on your Schein
as they may appear on your transcript:
1,0
sehr gut
1
A
1,3
noch sehr gut
1A
1,7
voll gut
2+
A2,0
gut
2
A2,3
noch gut
2B+
2,7
voll befriedigend
3+
B
3,0
befriedigend
3
B
3,3
noch befriedigend
3B3,7
voll ausreichend
4+
C+
4,0
ausreichend
4
C
4,3
noch ausreichend
4Clower: ungenügend
no credit
F
no schein
no credit
F
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ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Academic Calendar
You should consult the calendar of the School in Germany on our website:
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/germany/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 program’s deadlines. If you choose to leave early, you may forfeit credit for the
entire semester.
If you are a fall-only Middlebury student, you may not leave earlier than the Thursday before
Middlebury courses start in February. No exceptions for deadlines apply.
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 on the calendar.
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.
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