1. NEW ZEALAND
Luisa Dornieden studied “Architecture” for five months at CPIT in Christchurch.
For me, New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world - and at the same time has universities, 75 percent of which are among the best in the world. Here, students are trained in a very labor market-oriented and practical way, and the professors aim to push and support each and every student. They are also very, very friendly and relaxed (the address “Du” is completely normal). They personally showed me around the university and introduced me to my fellow students.
I found a connection very quickly. This was certainly also due to the mentality of the New Zealanders: helpful, open and relaxed. So I came back to Germany with many new friendships “in my luggage”. For the first four weeks I lived with a host family, then in a shared apartment with three New Zealanders. This also enabled me to improve my English a lot.
After university and on the weekends, me and my friends went on a discovery tour through the spectacular and fascinating nature. Fantastic beaches, rainforest, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls – you can find all of this very close together here. I took surfing lessons and watched whales, dolphins and penguins - just a few of the many unforgettable experiences during my semester abroad in New Zealand.
During the semester abroad I learned...
... to live very independently, to integrate into new cultures and to enjoy every moment.
If I could spend another semester abroad...
I would choose New Zealand again because it is an indescribably great country where you quickly feel at home.
2. SCOTLAND
Francis Murphy studied “Sustainable Development” for four years at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.
Since I went to an English-speaking school with an English curriculum in Berlin, I wanted to study in an English-speaking area. I visited the University of St Andrews twice before starting my studies and immediately fell in love with the city and the landscape. In addition, the Scottish higher education system has not yet fully converted to the bachelor-master system and is designed to last four years.
In the interdisciplinary subject “Sustainable Development”, we examined, among other things, the question of how the university and the city of St Andrews can become more sustainable. Together with city representatives, we have developed concepts to reduce the ecological footprint of students and dormitories.
The university is very international, around a third of the students come from abroad. You have to apply for the coming academic year through the British study awarding authority UCAS by mid-January. This is pretty straightforward. Four weeks before the start of your studies you can take part in an ELT (English Language Teaching) introductory course. Non-native speakers are taught to write university-level academic essays and design presentations.
Due to the old tradition that first-semester students have academic “parents” from the sixth semester, you automatically become a member of the “family” and quickly make friends.
I have many wonderful memories of studying in Scotland. Over the next few years I will be visiting St Andrews and the Highlands and reminiscing about times gone by with friends.
While studying abroad I learned...
...to appreciate things in your homeland and to understand other cultures.
If I could study abroad again...
... I would do it again and also complete an Erasmus semester.
3. CUBA
Lara Hofner also spent ten months at the Universidad de La Habana in Havana during her double studies in “Philosophy and Spanish” and “Regional Studies Asia/Africa”.
Every year, the Institute for Romance Studies at HU Berlin advertises the BA+ Spanish program, which is endowed with a cost-covering scholarship and, in relation to Cuba, culminates in an additional certificate in Caribbean cultural studies. Through a student exchange in Ecuador, I already knew a Latin American Andean country and wanted to get to know the Caribbean environment with Cuba.
In Havana I took courses in Cuban literature and art as well as cultural politics. As part of the program, we attended various cultural events, such as the renowned Festival de Cine Latinoamericano in Havana.
I lived in an apartment with other fellows in my program. First in Vedado, a former residential area with front gardens and wide streets, later in Centro Habana, a working-class area with narrow streets and many shops.
Cuba and Havana are pretty special. Everyone associates certain things with Cuba, some of which are true and some of which are not. Of course you notice that you live in a socialist state, but I found it very attractive and learned a lot about capitalism there. In Cuba there is hardly any internet access and there is hardly any technical infrastructure at the university (printers, copiers, etc.). Ascending trend! Nevertheless, studying in Cuba is wonderful and of high quality. I would do it again in a heartbeat and am now looking after subsequent years as an assistant.
While studying abroad I learned...
... that a high degree of complexity can lead to extraordinary creativity.
If I could spend another semester abroad...
... I would, as I plan to do, go to Vienna, where the university has a focus on intercultural philosophy.
4. FINLAND
Laura Ammermann studied “International Communication and Translation” at the University of Vaasa for five months.
I have Finnish roots and although I have often been to Finland for short periods of time, I would like to live there longer and improve my Finnish skills. Education is very important in Finland and you can see and feel that at the university I attended. The lecture halls are well equipped and not overcrowded, even the food in the cafeteria is tasty, but my absolute highlight was the library with its huge window front and sea view!
The interaction between professors and students is extremely relaxed. Since the polite form “you” is rarely used in Finland anyway, all lecturers are addressed by their first name and by their first name. I had already applied for various dormitories in Germany and luckily got a place near the university, where I lived in a shared flat with a Belgian woman. There are no tuition fees in Finland, but the cost of living is definitely higher than in Germany. I got an Erasmus scholarship, but it only covered the costs for one month.
The university has organized various weekend trips for the exchange students. I took part in city trips to Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as a trip to Lapland in the Arctic Circle, which included reindeer petting and ice-hole bathing at minus 15 degrees.
While studying abroad I learned…
... that even if you think you already know a lot about a country, you only really know it once you have lived there!
If I could spend another semester abroad...
... I would do it again in a heartbeat!
5. CHINA
Marco Triulzi has been studying a double master's degree in “Communication and Language with a focus on German as a foreign language” at the Technical University of Berlin and “China Studies” at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou since 2013.
Since I knew that I would study DaF-China Studies in China in the second year of the double master's degree, I started learning Chinese and applying for scholarships. In Hangzhou I dealt with various aspects of Chinese politics, economy and culture. The events were aimed almost exclusively at exchange students and usually lasted an exhausting three and a half hours.
At first I was excited about everything. Even the complicated things, like bureaucracy, had something interesting. But after a month I started to feel a little unwell. China was perhaps too exotic for me; life there corresponded very little to the life I led in Berlin. As a foreigner, it is difficult to make contacts with people outside of campus. There are countless little things that you have to pay attention to in order not to offend others.
While studying abroad I learned...
...that problems always have a solution, even in a different culture.
If I could spend another semester abroad...
... I would stay in Europe or initially just spend a semester on another continent.
6. USA
Robert Wasenmüller studied mathematics for ten months at the University of California in Berkeley.
In addition to the prospect of studying at a renowned university and having new experiences, what attracted me to Berkeley was its proximity to Silicon Valley. I am interested in tech start-ups and co-founded a company in San Francisco during my year abroad.
In Berkeley I was able to choose my subject areas more freely than in Germany and also have courses outside of mathematics credited. In the courses for master's students, the work is very project-oriented and the support from the professors is intensive.
There is a lot to organize before starting your studies, especially when it comes to the visa, you shouldn't miss anything. It's best to look for an apartment locally. I sublet with an older woman and lived with another student from Berlin. I traveled a lot with her and other German exchange students through whom I also met Americans, to LA, San Diego, Yosemite National Park, and Lake Tahoe. I attended many great concerts, played in a band and took a windsurfing course.
While studying abroad I learned...
...to cope with uncertain life situations.
If I could spend another semester abroad...
... I would look for more activities outside of university.
7. STUDY ON THE HIGH SEA
Sarah Fasbender sailed around the world for four months with the University of Virginia's Semester at Sea program.
In 115 days I traveled by ship to 17 cities in 15 different countries and collected credits for my studies in Germany. This means studying while the ship is sailing and free time once it docks in Casablanca or Buenos Aires. The prospect of traveling with 600 students from all over the world on a ship with outstanding faculty has fascinated me ever since I first heard about the program.
With a lot of effort, I applied for various scholarships and ultimately received three that covered the entire tuition fee of $20,000.
The sense of community on board was particularly impressive. The teaching was very intensive and always related to the countries we traveled to. For example, we learned something about opposition movements in Argentina, wrote an essay about it and then when we were in Argentina we met opposition figures. I have never studied as motivated as I did on the ship.
It wasn't easy to get back into everyday German study life after the semester. Semester at Sea had a huge impact on me. I am grateful to have had this experience.
While studying abroad I learned...
... that traveling is one of the most valuable sources of education. And that studying on a ship is worth every effort in advance.
If I could participate in the SAS program again...
... I wouldn't bother those around me with stories about it 24/7 in the first few months after the end of the SAS program.
Would you like to find out more about studying abroad for a semester? Click here!
