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Construction Management Study Abroad Student

My name is Peter and I studied abroad my junior year fall semester in Freiburg, Germany. I am in the Construction Management Program at SUNY ESF.

Bunker Ruins Barcelona, Spain

Travel: In Freiburg, it was very easy to travel around. The public transportation system in Freiburg and Europe are very easy to navigate. For me it was a short 10-minute walk to the city center. The tram system was extensive and went through the outskirts of the city. It was also very cheap to rent a bike and the city is very bike friendly by giving bikers priority over cars and many bike paths. Traveling around Europe was also simple. It was only a short train or bus ride to the airport. I went to Barcelona, Strasbourg (France), Naples (Italy), Munich, and Bern (Switzerland).

Classes/my views: Studying abroad in Germany has been important to how I view sustainability. Firstly, the classes I took were heavily focused on the idea of sustainability. They covered topics from sustainable food production to how to build a green city. All these classes emphasized that a change in people’s thinking is important for the good of the community and the world when addressing environmental problems. Many of my classes incorporated excursions through the city. This program was unique because Freiburg and its inhabitants are very environmentally conscious and is leading Germany and the world in environmental practices. One of my classes, Freiburg Green City, focused on how different districts in Freiburg were developed. We observed not only the infrastructure but the social and economic aspects of each area in our excursions.

Recreation: The program gave me a lot of time to explore the city and make new friends. There were plenty of opportunities to experience the food and culture. My program had around 40 people from America. It was easy for me to connect with them and eventually make friends. In Freiburg, recreational activities ranged from rock climbing and hiking to organized events set by the program and other students, and of course lots of night life.