Deal or No Deal

Deal or No Deal?

           When I saw my acceptance letter, I was excited and quickly evaluated my offer. Like “Deal or No Deal”, I could choose to remain in my current state or to take a risk. I was on the edge and could not decide whether I want to participate in the program. Are you are having difficulties evaluating your offer? Don’t worry, I have some tips that will help you decide.

Prizes from playing the game- the Pros

Free program- This program is entirely free, although you do have to bring some of your own spending money. You will also have to fly from your home state the meet up location in the United States (most likely Washington D.C.). The good news is, however, the cost of monthly metrocard and your plane ticket to Germany will be covered! The program also handles insurance and fees for you (the program waives you from paying a fee that is incurred if your family has a television). Did I mention that the German language classes are free, too? You might be wondering whether this is a scam since everything is free. CBYX stands for Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. The “Congress” part refers to the U.S. congress and the “Bundestag” refers to the German parliament. This program is funded by the U.S. and Germany to enhance the interactions between two countries.

Resume builder- the program is a great resume builder since it shows diversity. It also makes you stand out from other individuals.

Immersing in the culture- Participating in the program is a great way to be fully immersed in another culture. I explored various German food and festivals, such as the Karnival (a German version of Carnival).

Language- After living there, all of the participants during my year could communicate in German on a day-to-day basis. Living in Germany is the express way of learning the language, since you have to speak it every day. Sometimes you will even catch yourself thinking in German!

Travel- Have you imagined looking down at Paris from the Eiffel tower or getting drinks from Oktoberfest? Travelling is one of the major perks of this program. Even if you decided against travelling because trips are sometimes expensive, you will at least have traveled to Cologne, Bonn, and Berlin, where the trips are paid-for. Sometimes, although not guaranteed, the program will also give the participants 5 or 10 euros for lunch or dinner.

Independent- It is likely that you get to learn how to become independent. You will learn to plan your own trips or budget your own money, if you are not familiar with either already.

Costs from playing the game- the Cons

Academic issues- There are some classes that you took in high school, such as calculus, that are used in college. I could not remember much of my calculus when I went to college. Just be aware that this might happen to you, too.

Credit transfer- this program will not get you college credit, except maybe German. You should talk to your college prior to the trip if you expect credit.

Away from your family- The contracts states that you will have to stay in Germany for a year to complete the program (there are exceptions for special cases, such as family emergency). You will spend most of the time away from your family and your friends, except when they visit you.

Graduating later= losing potential income- Have you ever heard someone mentioning that when one pursues education for one year, one  loses the opportunity to earn money for one year? Going to Germany is a similar situation. One of my neighbors believed that if I travel to Germany, I would earn less money (one year worth of income). The job market could also potentially become more competitive or it could turn out to be a bad year for the economy, which means students will face difficulties when finding jobs.

Graduating later= graduating college later than your high school friends- By the time I came back, most of the people I knew will be in their second year. I did not see my high school friends when I came back to college. Although, some might argue that part of the college experience is to make new friends.
Are you wondering why there are more pros than cons listed? It’s because these reasons are the expanded version of my original pro/con list, which convinced me to participate in the program two springs ago. If you thought of an idea that I have not included, feel free to leave a message and I will add them onto the list!

Like the T.V. show, sometimes you should consult your family before making your decisions. Family, especially parents, can have a great impact. One of the girls from my year backed out at the last minute because her parents did not want her to take part in this.

If you still have a problem deciding whether you want to say “deal” or “no deal”, you should try talking with someone from Nacel Open Door. I will list out one of the contact information below:

Susan (Sue) Franck
1-800-622-3553, x603
1-515-266-0077 FAX
SFranck@nacelopendoor.org

Sparknotes