I spent my semester abroad at Trinity College Dublin. At first, I could not believe that I was going to spent the next few months in a country I did not know at all. But that was exactly what made every day an adventure. There was always something new to experience. Trinity College is located on a beautiful campus right in the heart of the city. Every time I stood in front of the main entrance, I felt so grateful that I got to experience a view like this every day. Academically, Trinity College provided me with new tools and perspectives that I am using right now in my bachelor's thesis and will be using in the future. It was definitely an unforgettable experience!
During my bachelor's degree, I spent a semester abroad in Bangkok. Chulalongkorn University is a very modern university and it was interesting to see how teaching is done there. Bangkok is the perfect starting point for traveling all around Asia and immersing yourself in different cultures. The semester abroad was also an admission requirement for my current master’s program.
During my semester abroad in Montreal, Canada, I experienced many new things, forged many international friendships and gained a new home. Small cafés, endless national parks, modern skyscrapers and the historic old harbor, hikes in the sunshine and in the snow... Both the city and its surroundings are very diverse, as are Montreal’s inhabitants. This diversity is also reflected in the language. As a student in the master’s program in Language and Communication, I found the situations of language contact to be very interesting and enjoyed learning from everyday life and not only from books. Thanks to my stay abroad, I grew both academically and personally. This is my advice: If you have the opportunity to go abroad: Do it!
I spent a semester abroad in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara in Mexico. I had the great opportunity to experience a new culture firsthand and approach my field of study from a new angle. You should be prepared for some paperwork, but the departmental exchange coordinators and the International Office will be there to help you. If you plan ahead, you will be able to enjoy your semester abroad to the fullest. To me, my semester in Mexico was one of the most exciting periods of my time as a student. I hope that I brought some of the sunny Mexican culture back to Germany.
A lot of companies look for applicants with international experience, for example from studying abroad. But my semester abroad at the University of Gothenburg was of personal value to me in particular. In the four months I spent there, I made new friends, gathered new experiences in my spare time, learned Swedish and traveled a lot. I will never forget highlights such as dog-sledding, ice climbing and eating surströmming. Living in a different culture broadened my horizon. Moreover, the program of study at the host university was structured completely different from the one in Germany which made for a nice change academically.