Reflecting on my time abroad in Germany

By Hannah-Louise Sampson, University of FU Berlin, Germany

I am back from my study exchange in Berlin now and I’ve been reflecting on my experiences living and studying abroad. Hopefully I can give some insight to anyone thinking about studying abroad. I surprisingly wasn’t too nervous moving to Berlin and perhaps, that’s because I knew it was only for a semester and I wasn’t far from home which acted as a sort of safety net for me.

That’s not to say it wasn’t scary putting myself out there and making new friends on top of learning how things worked in a whole new country! But what I can say is to enjoy the experience and remind yourself how exciting it is to be able to live in a new country! The first night I arrived, I didn’t know anyone and was so exhausted from traveling (and getting really lost heading to my accommodation…) I collapsed into bed and went to sleep. It wasn’t very eventful and that’s ok! The next night, there was a BBQ party for the new study exchange students and I decided I was going to force myself to go and make some friends, even it that felt a little daunting. I went to the BBQ on my own and ended up meeting some really cool people and having a really fun night! In that moment, I felt that deciding to study aboard was the best decision I had made.

I loved exploring Berlin; the diverse and vast city means there’s always a fun or cultural activity to do, whether that’s heading to one of the many unique museums, eating at a cool restaurant or having a fun night out. Finding a cute café was far from difficult and I was constantly on the hunt to add to my increasingly long list of cafes and restaurants in the city.

Not only did I absolutely love exploring the bustling city, studying in a new country with it’s unique teaching style was a fresh experience that I believe really made it more interesting for me to learn as I had vast options of new courses to choose from. I chose to only have seminars and like in the UK, the teaching style in Germany was very student-centered, with a focus on group projects and discussions, which was something I really enjoyed. It was also very flexible and overall, I had fewer assignments throughout the course, which I personally really enjoyed as it felt less intimidating. I feel like I have made friends for life, and the best part is that they’re from all over the world so free housing wherever I go is a big perk!! 😊

Living in a new country, with its own set of unique rules and way of doing things also taught me a lot of responsibility and problem-solving so, I learnt a lot of practical skills along the way too. I’d have to say going on a study exchange was one of the most fun and exciting experiences I’ve had and I couldn’t recommend it enough to anyone who’s interested!