There are many pieces of advice that I would give to other students planning to study on this program, especially now that I’ve had time to reflect. The first piece of advice that I would give to others planning to study on this program is to get to know your fellow Pittsburgh students who are participating in this program with you. The people around the Plus3 Germany program are really what make it stand out from the other programs. By getting to know your fellow students, you can really begin to build a family abroad. Also, building relationships with your Plus3 peers will allow you to show others abroad what the Pittsburgh student community looks like back home. I would suggest planning a time to hang out with the other students outside of school before going on your Plus3 experience.
The next piece of advice that I would give to others considering this program is to take some time to study the German language outside of class. You don’t have to be “fluent” in the language, but knowing at least some words and phrases will go a long way. Although most people in Germany speak some English, that isn’t the case for everyone. Also, most signs and maps are written in German, so navigating will require knowing at least a few words. Plus, being able to try and communicate in German will make you feel much more immersed in German culture. One of my fondest memories from the program was being able to order food in nothing but German. In short, having some basic German communication skills will certainly be useful to you, and will make the trip more engaging. I highly recommend using Duolingo to learn German outside of the classroom. The app is free and they’re headquartered in Pittsburgh!
The final piece of advice that I would give to others considering this program may sound trite, but I suggest that once you’re in Germany you try as many different things as you possibly can. The program is only two weeks long, so you should make the most out of the time you have there. Trying new things may mean different things for different people, but I found that trying new foods and looking into new places was the most fun. For example, one afternoon during my time on the program, I decided to go to a local grocery store with one of the German students to buy all of the snacks that they recommended. I ended up buying some of the most delicious food I’ve ever tried! For another example, my group decided to go to Austria during our free day on the program. It was challenging to organize the day trip on our own, but it was rewarding to see our plan work out. In summary, I recommend that you try to push your comfort zone and explore.
