Four students report here on their experiences during the semester abroad:
Andreas Kopf, 26:
WHAT? Mechanical engineering master at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
WHERE? a semester in Adelaide, Australia
HOW? Baden-Württemberg scholarship
»Australia is the most relaxed country in the world. The Australians are very relaxed, but also very helpful. I didn't get any response to emails to the university for ages, but as soon as I spoke to someone in person they said: 'We'll definitely get it done' and the problem was solved immediately. During my studies I learned to use very complex computer software. For that I would have had to do an internship in Germany. The university is schooled. I studied more intensively than ever before because my performance was constantly monitored. Now I appreciate the German system again.«
Daniel Dornbusch, 26:
WHAT? Master of Biosciences at the University of Münster
WHERE? a semester in Sao Paulo, Brazil
HOW? DAAD
»I came to Brazil to research malaria in a safety laboratory. I wouldn't have had this chance at my home university. I also wanted to get to know the culture and music in Latin America. The Brazilians showed me how to dance samba. Funk is also very big in Latin America right now. I experienced the progressive theater scene in which you shock the audience with scary costumes, bare breasts or real blood.«
Kristina Kampfer, 26:
WHAT? Master Woman Studies, Master in Political Theory at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
WHERE? two semesters or full master's degree (9 months) in Oxford, Great Britain
HOW? Friedrich Naumann Foundation
»I wanted to research women in the financial sector. There was a lecturer in Oxford who fit my topic exactly. The university is small, which makes studying much more personal. I had the feeling that I was being taken seriously - completely different to Germany, with its slavery to academic teaching careers, where you have to be at least a postdoc. My lecturer introduced me to her colleagues, so I wrote to many scientists and met and exchanged ideas with them. I came out of this course much more independent.«
Nadine Lienert, 25:
WHAT? Medicine at the Technical University of Munich
WHERE? a semester in Stockholm, Sweden
HOW? Erasmus
»I wanted to live abroad for real. Having an address there, not just visiting. I saw a lot in Stockholm and tried to experience a lot of typically Swedish things, for example the Lucia festival in December or the hustle and bustle surrounding the Nobel Prize ceremony. I also realized that I couldn't do without my hobbies of making music and climbing. So I played trumpet in a Swedish band and found new climbing friends. I learned that I can build a circle of friends anywhere in the world through my interests and hobbies.«
