This summer, I completed a research internship through the UAS7 Program at the Münster University of Applied Sciences in Germany. I worked on various projects in an Energy Engineering lab, including using a Laser Doppler Anemometer to measure the velocity profile of a wind tunnel, designing and 3D printing a model wind turbine for experiments in the wind tunnel, and learning Python to connect various sensors to the IoT through microcontrollers such as ESP 32 and Raspberry Pi. This was not only an incredible professional experience for me in my engineering career but also an incredible cultural learning experience, as I met students from all around the world and learned to integrate myself into German culture. My German language proficiency also greatly excelled during this time, and I was able to complete almost the entirety of my work in German.
I was born in Germany and grew up in a German-speaking household. Since I moved to the United States in 2004, I have traveled back multiple times to visit my family. Even with my German background, moving there by myself, figuring out all the administrative details, working in a German university, and adjusting to a different lifestyle were difficult and character-building. I was the first student to complete this program at Ohio State; therefore, I had to figure out almost everything on my own. I learned to navigate German websites to find housing, register with the city, make payments, and create new contacts with people at my host University. This took a lot of patience and allowed me to develop better professional communication skills. Moving to a different country by yourself is also terrifying when you don’t know anybody there. I had to step outside of my comfort zone to meet new people and learn how to be comfortable traveling by myself. Living in Germany also allowed me to balance the pros and cons of a future of living in Europe; I gained new connections in the field of energy engineering through my internship and found that many American/German engineering companies exist. This option became a lot more realistic for me after this summer. My view of the German population also changed; I realized that the immigrant population has greatly increased over the past few years, and came face-to-face with the disparities that still exist for non-Germans living in Germany. I also learned many things about myself: I can be assertive in making friends when I need to be, I love exploring new cities, I can learn technical engineering German if I set my mind to it, and I can bring people from different nationalities together through empathy and outdoor activities such as volleyball.
After applying to many different housing options in the city of Münster, I got a spot in one of the student dorms for the University of Münster, where I met students of all ages from all around the world: Iran, India, Pakistan, Chile, France, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and more. It was incredible to learn about their backgrounds and compare cultures through stories, cooking together, and traveling together. The dorm complex I lived in had a beach volleyball court in the center where students gathered to play volleyball. I became part of the group that spent every evening on this volleyball court: a group that started with 4 people and ended up with over 30. It was amazing to see an activity as simple as beach volleyball bring together so many people and so many nationalities. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from, anyone was welcome in this volleyball group.
Most students that I met left their home country to complete their studies in Germany; therefore, many could not speak much German yet. They told stories about how difficult it was to communicate with employers, professors, grocery store employees, etc. Some also told stories about rude nationalistic Germans who believed that everyone who lives in Germany should be able to speak German. Hearing these stories was sad and eye-opening to me because even though there have been large-scale improvements toward welcoming immigrants, there are also still many residual problems in this aspect. Seeing these students work hard to earn respect in German culture and the university exemplified the privilege it is to attend a well-known university in a country where you understand the language and the culture. I have become a lot more grateful to be bilingual.
I also found it interesting to compare the workings of German Universities with American Universities. For example, since tuition costs are much lower in Germany, many students take a gap year between high school and university to travel or work. Many students also take part in programs such as Erasmus for a semester or year abroad. Since they pay so little for tuition, a delay in their graduation time is not nearly as detrimental as it can be in the United States. I found that the push to excel and the greed to earn as much as possible is not quite as prevalent in Germany. While the drive to excel is great for individual goals in the United States, I also think that it can have many side effects such as poor mental health and feelings of dissatisfaction, no matter how successful one is. It was evident that Germany had a much larger middle class with lower wealth inequality. These were just observations I was able to make during my time abroad, and they allowed me to look into myself and my true goals in life. It also enhanced the possibility of living in Germany for me.
Even though I grew up in a German household, this was my first time living in Germany, which was an eye-opening experience. I have realized that I fit into the German lifestyle very well. The public transportation systems were incredible to use. My path to work consisted of cycling, train rides, and walking, which I tremendously enjoyed as an active person. I also used buses and trams to get around various cities while traveling. I enjoyed using public transportation instead of driving a car everywhere. I enjoyed the quality of food ingredients and going to small supermarkets and farmers’ markets instead of giant superstores such as Walmart. I enjoyed the architecture in cities and the building infrastructure that is designed so well that an AC is not required in every building. I enjoyed being able to speak the language I grew up speaking at home on a daily basis and celebrating the same holidays/traditions that I grew up celebrating when I was little. I enjoyed living in a city that is designed to be walkable and bikable, for people to spend more time outside. Most of all, I enjoyed living on my own, being able to make many new international connections, and being in close proximity to many other cities and countries. My experience in Germany was indispensable, and I would never change anything about it. Through these experiences, I can now add more unique input in both engineering group projects/jobs and with my friends and family in everyday life.
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