The ESN City Tour
Author: Alexandria Lim | Majors: Computer Engineering and German
I chose this program because I wanted to study abroad during my time at university, and I had learned German starting from 8th grade. (This year would make it my 9th year of studying the language.) It was something that I had always looked forward to, due to the goals of the program aligning with my future plans. I want to be a professional that can work anywhere in the world that I would like to go – whether that be in the Americas, Europe, or Asia. To do this, I need international experience. But I did not expect to get it while also dealing with a pandemic.
I wanted to experience what studying abroad at a different university in a different country was like, which is unique because that does not often happen. During the school semester since September, I had a mix of German classes and computer science classes. My favorite classes were all German ones, because I got to talk with the professor and the other students (even if it was through a camera and microphone) and I could feel my German skills increasing. I even qualify for a European B2 Level certificate for German since I passed their summer intensive class and three more German classes.
My computer science classes were largely disappointing and difficult to succeed at. I had two of these classes. The hardest thing about these classes was that the final exam is worth 100% of your grade with no other ways to boost your grade. Due to the pandemic, one class was completely pre-recorded and offered office hours once every two or three weeks for two hours for a class of close to 250 students. The other class had pre-recorded lectures and live online sessions, and there were no office hours. The lack of effective interaction between the professor and students was very disappointing and exacerbated the difficulty of doing well in these classes. Perhaps I would have had an easier time if my computer science classes were in person, but unfortunately, I will never get to find out what these classes might have been like if in person.
I heard that next semester, Darmstadt will be back to in-person classes. I feel jealous that I could not have had the full student experience in Germany, but I still did get to experience some things despite the pandemic. All students studying at the technical university of Darmstadt must purchase a semester long ticket that allows them to use all public transport in the German state of Hessen for free. With this lovely ticket, I went to the city of Heidelberg, a city with the most stunning views of a classic old German town.
The view from the top of the Heidelberg Castle
I also met many friends through the Erasmus Student Network of Darmstadt, an association of people who studied abroad and help out the study abroad students who come to their home country. The ESN association held many events for the international students to get to know each other and spend time together. I met students from the UK, France, Germany, India, and more.
The closest friend I made studied computer science in Grenoble, France, a lovely city nestled in the Alps. I visited there and they showed me around the city and the campus. There were plenty of places just outside the city to ski and hike due to the mountainous region.
The mountainous city of Grenoble
For this upcoming semester, I want to see what working at an international company is like. As I write this, I am currently going through my onboarding tasks with a financial technology company in Frankfurt that employs people from many countries. I start this internship in March and will work until August, when I will fly back to the US to complete my fifth and final year of university.
All in all, I had a good time expanding my German skills and preparing for my international work experience here, but there were a few things that were not all sunshine and rainbows.
I wish I had known how stressful living abroad would be. I at least had the advantage of being a native English speaker and being in Germany, where in my experience the majority of people are excellent English speakers, but I cannot imagine how stressful it is to work and live abroad in a country that there is no such safety net. My time abroad was at times fun and overall very productive, but at the same time very draining. The first thing I would like to do when I return home is to recharge, take a break, and prepare for the next fall 2022 semester ahead.