Study Abroad in Germany

At the beginning of my stay in Germany, I had difficulty understanding others and was often tempted to switch to English. Although it was difficult and I made many mistakes, I gradually improved my conversational skills and by the end I felt confident carrying a basic everyday conversation in German.

The exposure to creative processes, critical analysis, and professional versatility this internship provided has helped me achieve my goal of integrating into a different society and gave me skills applicable to both my studies and my career ambitions.

UCEAP gave me the opportunity to broaden my mind in a way that could only be achieved by living abroad. My time in Germany reinforced my intention of attending graduate school in Germany. I have a good understanding of Germany culture, language, and the education system. Additionally, I have gained new perspectives from being amongst locals in Berlin and international students in my program. I will bring these new understandings back to my home university and apply them in my classes.

My internship was really inspiring and made me feel like I could change my community. I wanted it to give me a sense of what it meant to be a citizen of the world and explore the many cultures that Berlin has to offer, and it did. I knew Berlin was a diverse city from my research, but I didn’t know the extent until I arrived. Since everyone at my internship was from a different place, I was able to learn why different people move to Berlin, what they liked about it, and how the startup world has affected the dynamics of living in a city like Berlin. I learned what it's like to be in a culturally and ethnically diverse work environment. I am forever grateful for the experiences I had abroad and will take the memories I made with me for the rest of my life.

Under the German education system and its purpose to train students to become future researchers, I had the opportunity to define my research question, consult secondary literature, and write. Essentially, I completed the experience of starting research from scratch.

I am most grateful for the opportunity to travel a different continent and meet new people, visit amazing historical landmarks, and indulge in the cultures of the countries I visited. It helped me learn about values, traditions, and norms that are different from the ones I am personally familiar with as a Mexican-American. I can gladly say that I managed to learn more than I expected – about the political system of Germany, the environmental accomplishments of the Netherlands, the history of Denmark, the reason for political unrest in Catalonia, and so much more.