Tschüssticles Is A Real Word: Post-Return

Alpacas in College Station make me feel a little better about not being in Germany anymore.

Hallo! Coming back from Germany, I was hit by the pre-med bug and had to study for an MCAT on May 31^st. That gave me roughly three weeks of cram time. It was absolutely terrible coming back from study abroad to find myself studying for the MCAT in Clear Lake, not to mention leaving for College Station the day after my MCAT for TAMU summer school to start anatomy. I really felt like I never got much of a break considering I’ve just had one academic challenge after another ever since. In addition, anatomy is currently kicking my butt even more than physiology did. Before you say “Wait, but you just had a semester abroad in Germany? Isn’t that a break?” I just want to say that it was really fun and awesome but it was also very busy and a lot of work. I’ll discuss that further down.

Fastest relay ever! That Bonn Marathon done near did us in.

As I remember from the film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, “Our lives are defined by opportunities; even the ones we miss.” Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity that more students should take because not only is it culturally and educationally beneficial but it can really give you another life perspective. Perhaps even make you reevaluate your own life and priorities. I've known it already but this semester really helped me accept that there are more important things to me, as a person, than school and academics. Yes, college and grades are extremely important, but sometimes there are life experiences that aren't graded that are more meaningful in the long run than ones that are graded. Everyone will react differently to the experience but rest assured, you won’t be the exact same person you were when you come back from it. So definitely take this chance if you can. I often feel it’s better to define your life with opportunities taken rather than with opportunities missed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

You will probably have to deal with some ratchet days.

With the Biosciences Program, it really is "study abroad". It’s not a misnomer. Doesn’t matter if you’re BMEN or BIMS, if you want to make good grades, there will be a lot of studying. This isn’t a blow-off program like many other programs I’ve heard about from other people. Be sure to plan your extra activities according to the program calendar and the exam schedules. For our program, most of our exams were not planned at the beginning and it ended up that most of them were in the second half of the program so it was quite unbalanced with most of our grades being determined later in the semester. If you’re going to do this program right, study at least a little bit everyday so you don’t end up cramming, crashing, and burning. Time management is key. Even just 30 minutes a day will make a big difference. There are a lot of fun things to do and see on this program since it’s in a great location in Europe and you’ll be able to enjoy them more if you manage your time well. So what I’m saying is, the more efficiently you handle your time, the more free time you’ll have in Bonn to see what it has to offer during the weekday and evenings and the more time you’ll also have to travel to other countries on more weekends. Don’t go out every night or travel every weekend because you probably won’t be able to handle everything but make an effort to do those things as often as you can. If you manage your time well, you’ll really get the most out of the program without neglecting school.

Ich liebe Bonn mucho! Offers nice city walks.

Bonn is an incredible city. You will see many cities while you’re in this program but nothing quite has the charm and feel of Bonn. Honestly, I think it’s one of the most “perfect” cities I’ve ever been to. Its size is great because it’s not too big and not too small. It’s scenic. The Rhein River divides it. There are so many beautiful buildings here and the people are nice. Not to mention it used to be the capital city of Germany at one point. I remember times after classes at the AIB or travels outside of Germany when I talked about “going home”. I meant going to my host home in Bonn of course, but even though Bonn wasn’t my real home, it really felt like it was. The place just grows on you and I miss it a lot.

Don't miss Bonn's cherry blossoms in the spring.

Not only is the Bonn scenery great but you’re also going to love the German food, beer, public transportation, and Karneval season! I’m a pretty “meat and potatoes” kind of guy and that stuff is everywhere. It’s the best stuff! But my absolute favorite foods were jägerschnitzel and currywurst. If you don’t like them, you don’t have functioning taste buds. Also, I disliked beer before coming to Germany and now I’m tolerable to it and even enjoy certain ones. My favorite beer there was Gaffel Kölsch but a lot of other people on the program for some reason weren’t a big fan of it. Anyway, it was my “go-to” beer there. And public transportation is super useful there. You will use it because you will need to go to class and you will also need it to get home in the evenings on the weekends if you know what I mean. The night buses only come once an hour so make sure you’re with the clock. And Karneval season is great. You need a costume, beer, some friends, and you’re set for the parades. You just have to experience it for yourself and don’t forget to yell “Kamelle!” if you want to be assaulted by barrages of candy. Just make sure you don’t get blinded by a pack of Haribo gummies. That would be unfortunate.

We laughed. We cried. We karneval-ed.

At the same time, everything from eating to daily commodities costs more in Germany coming from a society that utilizes the American dollar. The euro is a stronger currency and you will end up spending more money than you’re used to on mostly everything. If you can, just pretend the euros are dollars and just like magic, everything will seem “normally” priced. Also, always have euro coins on you. Coins, aside from the copper ones, are actually useful here and you will need them to use the restroom on many occasions because it’s not free in a lot of places around Europe. Also, try to learn the German language! It’s a hard language for beginners. I really wanted to learn more Deutsch this time around since I didn’t pick up much on the winter program when I was there but I’m sorry to say that I’m not much better than before. The most important thing is to practice what you learn by actually using it. I’ve gotten pretty good at ordering at restaurants but I think that’s just about it.

"You guys are my best-looking bunch." - Dr. Wasser

You’ll make friendships with the people you spend this semester with. Whether the people you meet become your good friends or simply “time-passes”, it’s worth it to get to know them. Learning to get along with a small group is a good life skill to have. Perhaps you’ll learn something a little more about yourself? That said, living and studying in a whole different country with different people you’re not used too will not only help you expand your cultural and educational horizons but it can also help you find yourself a little more. Sometimes, you need to be put in a different environment with different people to take a step back to see you and your world a little more clearly.

Not many things are "more better" than the Alps.

There are definitely both things I liked and disliked about the semester since nothing’s perfect but overall, it was one of the best semesters ever. I mean, on the program, some weekends, and the longer breaks, I got to visit several German cities (and go to the top of the tallest peak in the German Alps, the Zügspitze), Austria, Amsterdam, various Mediterranean cities (including my 1^st time in Africa with Tunis), and Paris. Europe is pretty small compared to the US and travelling is fast, easy, and you get to see so many different cultures within relatively short distances. Both the program and all the travelling were great experiences and with all of the things I was able to see and do, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Also, you will love the people who work at AIB. You are lucky that Kristin Vosbeck will be your program coordinator! Not only does she look like a real-life Disney Princess (which she is), but she is also extremely helpful and nice. You will love her and all of the other wonderful German people who work at the AIB. You will also love Fenja if you get her for German class and always remember: #WWFD.

Look at that face. Kristin can definitely pull off a bike helmet.

Anyway, I’ve been yapping for too long and there’s no way I can fit my semester-long experience of studying and living abroad in Germany in a single blog post (nor do I have the patience to write a novel) so I’ll close with this: Do it if you can because this is most likely a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience and a semester abroad is probably the longest amount of time you’ll ever spend in a foreign country at one time (unless you end up living abroad later in life) and that semester will be the longest you’ll have to explore the world more and to find yourself a little more in a different and unique environment. Being a small foreign part of Bonn has definitely made me more comfortable in my own skin and I find more new things and situations I encounter now to be more relatable and approachable. Even I know I won’t be able to do something like this again as a student but I’m glad that I had my time and experiences there. After all of this, I think I know myself and another part of the world a little more now. And I don’t want to think I just studied abroad in Bonn, Germany but rather, I want to think found a place I called “home” for the time I was there. Well, tschüssticles for now.

"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting." - Peter Pan