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Constantly being exposed to different languages made me realize how cool it is to be able to communicate with people unlike yourself...
Maylah Marcus, Duke in Berlin (Summer 2025)
What was your favorite excursion that you went on?
My favorite excursion was definitely our afternoon trip to Treptower Park. I think the park embodied the culture of Berlin as a whole that made me feel drawn to the city– there were people hanging out with friends everywhere we looked, enjoying one another’s company and the live music and art performances.
The park is located alongside a lake, and there were a lot of people hanging out beside the lake and in the big grassy areas near it. Our group walked around to get food in the park (I got a nutella crepe) and explored an incredible nearby Soviet monument before settling in the shade near a boat band. They were literally playing music on a boat!
During this time, I also conducted interviews with strangers for my final German class project, and I was surprised at how receptive people were to being in my interviews and talking to someone who is still learning the language. Treptower Park really encapsulated the spirit of Berlin and its inhabitants to me, and I would highly recommend going there on a warm summer day.
Where were your favorite places to go in Berlin?
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My favorite place to go in Berlin was definitely the Tiergarten. It’s this gigantic park in the city, but park isn’t even the right word to describe it. The Tiergarten felt like an entirely different world from Berlin.
Walking and running alongside the many trails and creeks made me forget I was still in the city, and I went there every two to three days during my time in Berlin to exercise and clear my head. Berlin is a very unique city in that it has so much nature and green spaces which I loved because it reminded me of home (Ohio).
Berlin also has a lot of lakes, so I went with other people in my program to a few of them– Krumme Lanke, Schlachtensee, and Plötzensee. That was definitely a favorite activity, and my favorite of those lakes is Schlachtensee. I also love food, and my favorite restaurant I went to was definitely a local Asian restaurant called Kitsune– I went to three times. I discovered my love for chicken gyoza there!
Field Trip to Potsdam!
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Perfect summer lake day at Schlachtensee
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History brought to life at the old surveillance station
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Beach volleyball on a very un-beach like day
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It's a requirement to try some Brotwurst in Germany!
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How did you grow in your skills in this program?
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Naturally, I learned a lot about German history from this program through both my Berlin art history class and excursions to local monuments and museums. But I also learned a lot about German culture, specifically the culture of Berlin. For example, we discussed how Berliners view human bodies differently than Americans and how this difference in perception translates into their culture regarding public swimming. I thought this was so unique and fascinating to learn about, and it’s not something I would’ve learned had I not been in the city.
I also became an expert (by my standards) at navigating Berlin’s train, subway, and bus systems, and I was comfortable wandering around the city alone, which I never could’ve imagined happening before the program.
Most of all, however, my German skills improved exponentially. I learned so much new vocabulary just through simple interactions with Germans, and I feel like my communication skills have grown because of the program and its focus on learning the German language. People were also very receptive to speaking in German with me, and it made me more confident overall in my speaking abilities.
What was your greatest takeaway from Duke in Berlin?
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My greatest takeaway from Duke in Berlin is that being in a diverse city so completely different from American cities and being exposed to other languages is crucial to your development as a human being.
Berlin is an incredibly diverse city. Everywhere I went, I heard different languages and saw people from all over the world. Constantly being exposed to different languages made me realize how cool it is to be able to communicate with people unlike yourself, and it helps you reach another level of connection with that person you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise. Just speaking German in Berlin made my experience feel so much more authentic, and I really value the emphasis Duke in Berlin places on language-learning, because it truly does make you a more empathetic and multi-dimensional person.
What advice do you have for students considering this program?
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I would tell students considering the program to think about what they want to get out of their study abroad experience. With my experience in Berlin, I found that you get a lot of historical knowledge and cultural discovery out of the program, a lot of practice with the language, and a lot of free time to explore what’s interesting to you in the city. For example, I really wanted to find some good Mediterranean places, so I did a lot of research on local restaurants and spent my free time visiting them. If your interests align with what I think you’ll get out of the program, I’d say it’s a great fit for you! It’s a great balance between education and fun. I would also think about the environment you want to be in for your study abroad. Berlin is a very big city, and it is fairly modern architecturally speaking compared to other European cities. It also has a lot of nature. It’s important to make sure you are interested in the physical space you will be studying in for six weeks.