Testimonials from our Alumni
Alexandra Avril (Nordamerikastudies)
Before I came to the FU, I was studying in Canada for a semester. It turned out that this wasn’t the right place for me, and since my mom is German, I decided to apply to the North American Studies program at the FU. What initially drew me to the John-F.-Kennedy Institute is the fact that I can combine six disciplines into the perfect program and, most importantly, can study in English. I’ve just started my second semester, and I am extremely happy with my decision to transfer to the FU. Every new start is difficult, but the FU and Berlin have so much to offer to students, that I got used to everything very quickly and feel very comfortable by now.
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Kalina Drenska (Bulgaria, Journalism and Communication Studies/Political Science)
My friends know me as a person who always tend to criticize and ironies the things in life. That is why it was a huge shock even for me to discover that at the beginning everything seemed to be just perfect in the Free University Berlin. After three months I noticed that even here there are some problems such as overfull seminars or important online platforms that are not working properly. The Free University Berlin is not perfect but exactly its imperfection made it so dear to me. Yes, there are things that need to be improved but the point is that there are opportunities for the students to express their opinion and to involve themselves in the process of improvement. What I like the most about the university are the active young people I meet, who want to make something for the university and are not just passively expecting to become things from it.
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Svenia Busson (France, Political Science)
Studying at the OSI (Institute for Political Sciences) wasn't that easy in the beginning. Sometimes I didn't understand the professor's accent or their pronunciation, and in some lectures this left me lost. The most challenging thing was seeing how the native-speakers were succeeding and understanding everything, and how talented & intelligent they were. But very quickly I made friends who were able to help me, and I soon found other French-speaking students. What I really appreciate about the FU is that you can take your time. If you need more time (which isn't unusual for a foreigner!) you can have up to 10 semesters to complete your degree. You can also chose how many classes, exams and how much coursework you submit per semester.
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Nick (England, Political Science)
I chose the Free University Berlin, since the Otto-Suhr-Institute is one of the largest, perhaps even the largest institute for political science in Germany. Despite its generally conservative profile, the entire political spectrum is met due to the Otto-Suhr-Institute's large variety of academic instructors and lecturers. What is more, the Free University offers many other lectures and seminars which are given by renowned international scientists. The Center for Women and Gender Studies deserves a special mention, since it is also one of the largest of its type in Germany and organises many presentations, workshops etc.
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Hend (Egypt, Political Science)
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Abhinav (India, German Studies)
I wouldn’t hesitate to call the Freie Universität Berlin a paradise for students and academics. The value attributed to education and learning by the German Government is reflected in the facilities available for intellectual development at the FU, which is rightly deemed an institution of “excellence.” I found the wonderful learning atmosphere – with its highly qualified teachers and well-equipped library, its facilities available to all students – to be extremely stimulating.
Image Credit: Freie Universität Berlin
