So German!
May 12, 2018 - Philipp Mannes for SoGerman
A physical example of German-Canadian relations being built: the cooperation agreement between the Departments of Architecture of the German University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen (HAWK) and Vancouver’s British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) enters its fifth year. Within this framework, students from both universities can spend one or two semesters in Germany or Canada, as well as take part in binational competitions and seminars. In the following days, three HAWK students will tell us about their experiences on the far side of the big pond and show us their pictures over at our Instagram page, @germanyincanada.
The cooperation between HAWK (University for Applied Sciences and Art Hildesheim / Holzminden / Göttingen) and Vancouver’s BCIT was established after I started studying there, so this exchange program didn’t influence my choice of university. But it was an argument in favor of getting my master’s degree from there because I could spend a term abroad in Canada.
First of all, in the beginning, it was difficult for me to get my bearings and to understand how people live in this new place. But you get the hang of it pretty quickly. The most difficult aspect for me was mobility. North American cities are for the most part meant for car owners, except for the inner cities. This is not at all comparable to European cities that are home to many students and where getting anywhere is a lot easier. Sometimes it took a lot of effort to get to certain places because the distances are so great. My roommate lent me his bike, but pretty much nobody rides a bicycle here, which means that many drivers don’t have a lot of sympathy for cyclists. The language barrier also played a role, especially in the beginning. But both professors and classmates were very understanding and made time to help me when I had a question. This way, you get used to things pretty quickly.
This is why I’d definitely recommend studying abroad. It’s not only that you get to know different perspectives – you also have to learn how to explain your own experiences and knowledge to other people, most of the time in a foreign language. That makes it necessary to reflect on and understand one’s own studies, and also culture. It was only then, during my stay in Canada, that I understood a lot of things about my studies and my life. It also increased my self-esteem quite a bit. If you decide to study abroad within the framework of a cooperation agreement, there’s the additional benefit that many administrative processes are standardized and compatible. That makes it a lot easier to dedicate yourself to your studies and your experiences abroad instead of dealing with bureaucratic issues. I can only recommend taking advantage of a cooperation agreement. But if there aren’t any suitable cooperation agreements in place, this also opens up an opportunity to get in touch with foreign universities on your own, and who knows – maybe this will be the start of a new cooperation that future generations of students can profit from.
My stay abroad also had some personal benefits: it enabled me to really grasp some connections. That obviously had an influence on my learning process: it made it easier to categorize knowledge and link it to things I’d already learned. I also think I’m more organized now. The constant demand to keep my documents in order for travelling, trips, and simple everyday life in a foreign country, but also the curriculum of my study program, left its mark.
Another benefit is that a stay abroad can also increase employability. I think that I’m a lot more open, confident, and organized than before. Of course, prospective employers notice things like that, too. Apart from that my grasp of the English language got a lot better, obviously. I found employment immediately after graduating, so there’s that.
My time in Canada was a great experience. From a scientific viewpoint, I was certainly able to familiarize myself with different viewpoints. But I think that my time abroad caused the biggest changes in my personality. I started to reflect on many things that I just took for granted and that I never felt the need to question, and I developed new opinions on them (e.g. with regards to taxes and insurance, but also which characteristics cities should have in my opinion). After all, I came across lots of things that were new to me, or seemingly “normal” things that I had to explain to my new friends and classmates. This way I also learned a lot about my own culture and country of origin, and I developed a whole new bond to it. Love of one’s native country and openness toward the world aren’t opposites to me anymore. I learned that you can be a patriot and still approach people from other cultures with respect and curiosity. My time in Canada gave me the chance to get out of my comfort zone and visit unknown places. If you approach new experiences with curiosity you can learn a lot.
