Where do I even begin…. Living and studying in Germany
surpassed my expectations by far. I never expected over 4 months’ time to pass
so quickly. Coming into the program, I had high hopes for the semester, as my
sister participated in the same program 2 years earlier. She graduated in May;
out of all her semesters of college, she views her time abroad as the best.
Before studying abroad, I felt like I was in a rut. I’d
grown tired of my classes, the campus, and seeing a lot of the same people from
high school. I didn’t share many interests with my classmates or sorority
sisters. Life in College Station seemed repetitive, boring, and safe. I was eager
for change. When the opportunity came, I didn’t hesitate to sign up for the
Germany Bioscience semester. I hoped to make friends, maintain my grades,
explore Europe, and learn more about myself. I accomplished all these things
and more.
One of my favorite things about this program was the people.
Everyone had the same lust for adventure and desire to try new things as me. Some
of the students I never would have met if I hadn’t gone to Germany. I looked
forward to going to school and seeing everyone every day. Traveling with my
friends was always fun. Even if a trip was terribly planned, the company made
the trip enjoyable. I have so many happy, exciting, hilarious, wild, and
sometimes reckless memories from all our adventures. Like the time we nearly
missed our bus to the airport in Budapest, or waking up at the crack of dawn to
hike to Buda castle to see what turned out to be a crappy sunrise, or losing our
tour group in the Natural History museum in Vienna, and dancing around Beuel on
the first day of Karneval, and the ping pong tournaments between Enmodes work,
and hiking 7 miles with our duffel bags in Sorrento, and sprinting between
platforms to catch five different trains to Amsterdam, and paddle boating
around Rheinaue park, and running through pouring rain in Zagreb, and every
meal we ate at Gaffel am Dom. The memories go on and on and on. I am so happy I
was able to share all those experiences with some amazing friends.
Of course, I must mention the study aspect of study abroad.
Classes at the AIB were pleasant and engaging. For one thing, the student to
teacher ratio was much smaller, making the classroom a more personal
environment. Our professors and classmates wanted everyone to succeed. We were
all motivated to study to make time for travel. The History of Medicine class
exposed me to a lot of information about the origins and progression of
medicine. It also fostered a sense of appreciation for modern medicine and
fascination with older practices, especially after seeing the Narrenturm and
Josephinum. Working with Enmodes for our design project helped me grow as a
biomedical engineer. It was the first “real world” project I have worked on. I
learned how to approach ideating solutions and that there are many aspects to consider
before developing a solution. The Enmodes project strengthened my leadership
skills and taught me what I could contribute to my team. Before Germany, I
didn’t have a definite idea of where I wanted to go with my career; however,
shadowing doctors at the uniklinik and touring the biomedical engineering
institute revealed to me that I want to study medicine and become a surgeon.
You can learn a lot by living in a different culture. The
language they speak, the foods they eat, the way they dress, the way they
interact with others, the transportation they use, and their political views
can be different. I spent most of my childhood living in Shanghai, China. I
grew up being an outsider in a foreign country and had been exposed to
different cultures from a young age. I learned not to be afraid of differences,
but instead to appreciate and learn from them. Living in foreign countries has
shown me that there is more than one way to do things. Just because we do
something a particular way does not mean it’s the only correct way. A few
things I appreciated about the culture in Bonn were public transportation, bike
lanes, recycling, reusable grocery bags, and bakeries. Unfortunately, I didn’t
pick up much German over my time there, but enough to order beer and sing “Viva
Colonia.” I hope to continue learning German in the future, and maybe one day call
Germany home.
I have loved traveling for as long as I can remember. Germany
is so central, which made traveling to other countries a breeze; it was the
perfect location to call home. I was able to explore a lot of Europe, while
staying on track with school. In total, I visited 10 countries: Germany,
Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Netherlands, Denmark, and Croatia…
(I count it as 12 though, because I had a layover in Portugal, and I spent a
weekend in Mallorca :) I don’t think I will have the opportunity to travel this
much again for a long time. Now that I’m back in the States, I miss being
someplace new and exciting almost every weekend. I find myself reminiscing
about all the new places I saw, great food I ate, catchy songs I heard, and incredible
experiences I had.
Being on my own for four months taught me a lot about
myself. I became more independent from my family. I was always so occupied with
school, travel, friends, and my host family that I never really felt homesick.
There was always something to be looking forward to, whether it was hanging out
with friends, travel plans, or just coming home to chat with my host family. I enjoyed
living with my host family. They were welcoming, generous, and fun to be
around. By the end of the semester, they felt like family, and saying goodbye
was hard. My time in Germany was by far
the happiest semester I’ve had. I felt like there was always judgement from my
peers in College Station, but in Germany I could be myself and feel accepted.
Looking back, I realize how lucky I am to have been able to
participate in a program like this. I made great friends and connected with my
host family. I traveled more than most get to in a lifetime. I made memories
that will last forever. And lastly, I found a home away from home. Thanks to
Dr. Wasser and everyone else who made this trip possible. I am a better person
because of it.
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