I enrolled for a year of studying business at the University of Mannheim, and chose an ambitious mixture of finance, international business, business German, intercultural studies, German politics and translation courses. This proved to be a good mixture as it allowed me to not only stay on track with my degree in Glasgow, but also to take some courses which I couldn’t do at my home University of Strathclyde. My German writing skills improved dramatically as a result of all my studies which will definitely stand me in good stead for my final year and dissertation back in the UK.

It was very interesting for me to see what problems and challenges Germany faces politically and economically. The intercultural studies module, where we learnt about good business practice and courtesy in Germany, was also of particular interest to me as I am considering working in Germany on completion of my degree, something which I probably would not have considered had I not taken part in the exchange.

From an academic point of view, the year was a success. At the beginning, it was difficult to cope with so many challenging courses in German but I always felt that it is better to give yourself challenges than to take the easy way out. I believe that I am going to reap the benefits of such an attitude in the coming years.

Living with five Germans in a shared flat for 12 months was another one of the decisions which gave me an extra edge. Not only did I live with them but we also cooked together, went out together and spent many a night just chatting away over a bottle of wine or a few good German beers. Through my flatmates I was able to network and get to know lots of Germans, many of whom became my closest friends.

For me, the year abroad was not only about hard work and improving my language skills but also about getting to know another culture in a fun way. Spending a weekend at “Oktoberfest,” the world’s largest beer festival, going to the Stasi museum in Berlin, to Europe’s biggest wine festival, to the stock exchange and European Central Bank in Frankfurt and to the German government building were all activities that allowed me to really experience the German culture.

I simply can not put a price on what I gained from this year. I have not only developed in a huge way as a person but also had so much fun, made lots of friends, found a very fun and interesting job, improved my communication skills greatly, immersed myself completely into the German culture and had the good feeling of having worked hard at the same time. It really is true that you grow up living on your own in a foreign country

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