Going on Exchange to Germany in my Fourth Year: a Last-Minute Decision That Was Worth It
Ulyana Belobrova, a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics programme, shares her experience of studying abroad at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS). n the article, she shares an honest story about deciding to go at the very last moment, discovering why German universities do not have seminars, travelling around Europe without limits, and the everyday culture shocks to expect.
I had known about the exchange programme for quite a long time, possibly since my first year. In my second year, I found out that some of my coursemates had already gone on exchange. At the beginning of my third year, I still did not dare to apply, but in the third module of that year I realised that this was my last chance — and that I simply could not miss it.
My choice of programmes was limited because of the specific nature of my degree programme, but this did not bother me at all. What I wanted most was to go to Europe, and the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt in Germany was the best fit for my programme. After passing the selection process at the HSE GSB International office, I went to study there for the winter semester of my fourth year, from October to March.
University and Studies
The Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt is based across two campuses, in the cities of Schweinfurt and Würzburg. I studied and lived in Schweinfurt. Although the city is smaller, I would not say that my exchange was any less eventful than that of my friends in Würzburg. My campus consists of three buildings, two of which were used for my lectures. The buildings are spacious and bright, with modern equipment and areas for both studying and relaxing. I would especially like to mention the library: it is very cosy and a pleasant place to work. Incidentally, most students in Germany study in the library even when they are not reading books or articles, but simply revising materials on their laptops. The library becomes particularly crowded during the exam preparation period.
The learning process itself differs in many ways from the format I had become used to over three years at HSE. Firstly, there are no seminars, only lectures. However, these lectures are more interactive than those at the Higher School of Business, so they feel like something between a lecture and a seminar. Secondly, the final grade for a course is not made up of several components, but is equal to the exam grade. This definitely caused more stress during the exam period, but it also meant that during the semester I could relax more, take part in extracurricular activities and travel.
Another interesting point was that students can choose almost any courses they want, as long as those courses do not require prior study of specific subjects. As a result, I had students from different years in some of my classes.
Extracurricular Activities
At the very beginning of the semester, the university organised many events for international students, including guided tours and trips, bowling, ice skating, laser tag and more. Later on, everyone split into smaller groups and there were fewer large events, but plenty of gatherings with new friends.
I would also like to note that an exchange is a great opportunity to travel. In my case, this was quite easy, since a German visa allows you to visit all the other Schengen countries, and there are no real restrictions apart from your budget. I did not visit as many countries as I had hoped, but I did travel around Germany. This was very convenient, as Germany has a well-developed railway system and, with a single travel pass, you can travel around the whole country without limits.
Life in Germany
In my experience, life in Germany is not very different from life in Russia. Speaking and studying in English turned out not to be that difficult. In everyday life, not speaking German did not cause me any problems, as almost all Germans speak good English.
I lived in a student residence located three minutes’ walk from one university building and seven minutes’ walk from the other. There were three types of accommodation in the residence: single, two-person and three-person flats. All of them were apartment-style, meaning that each “flat” had its own bathroom and kitchen. I was lucky and was given a single room on the “zero” floor. A funny detail: in Germany, floor numbering starts from 0 or E, which stands for Erdgeschoss, so at first I often got confused and ended up one floor too high.
The biggest culture shock for me was that absolutely all chain stores close by 8 p.m. at the latest on weekdays and are completely closed on Sundays. Because of this, I had to think about buying groceries and other essentials well in advance.
Advice
The exchange became the most memorable experience of my entire time at HSE, so my main piece of advice is: do not be afraid, do not put it off, and use this opportunity to see the world.
If you have any questions, I would be happy to help. Telegram: @nehochynichegodelat.
