"After two and a half years at the HSE Graduate School of Business with its grading formulas, it was unusual for the final grade to fully depend on the exam result," - Ekaterina Terekhova describes what it's like to live and study in the small German city of Schweinfurt, a place where she found herself as an exchange student.

Ekaterina Terekhova, "Logistics and Supply Chain Management in Business" student, spent a semester at one of the best applied sciences universities in Germany — Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS). GSB mobility programme was an opportunity for Ekaterina to experience university life in the small Bavarian city of Schweinfurt. 

Getting prepared for the mobility

It was relatively quick and easy to prepare all the documents required to apply for the mobility programme. The key was to follow the instructions provided by the GSB International Office. The main challenges were faced after receiving the coveted nomination letter. 

The current political situation made it rather complicated to transfer money abroad . However students still need to find a way to open a foreign account and pay for dorm and other expenses. For example, I managed to transfer money through the Russian bank to the blocking account in Germany that is required for student visa application, but for other smaller expenses I had to ask my relatives with foreign bank accounts for help. At that time I couldn’t open an account abroad and it was impossible to transfer less than a certain amount to foreign banks. It is important to note that these conditions were valid as of January-February 2023, so be sure to check the regulations at the time of your visa application – the situation may become better.

It is crucial to apply for a student visa on time! I received the acceptance letter from the host university at the end of December 2022 and applied for a visa at the beginning of January 2023, right after the New Year holidays. It was a mistake buying the tickets in advance: I was sure that I would get my visa before the beginning of March. I had to change the departure day twice, as the visa was not issued until 14 March.

 

Studying at THWS

Preparing an individual study plan (ISP) for the mobility programme was not an easy task —  just a few GSB partner universities offer courses that fit my major. Fortunately for me, Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt has its own logistics program with a similar curriculum. One of the main differences between studying at THWS and GSB was the teaching approach. The majority of classes at THWS were lectures and the final grade fully depended on the exam result. It felt really different after two and a half years at the HSE Graduate School of Business with its grading formulas. Nevertheless, the professors’ great interest in their subjects and their openness to students both in and out of the classroom appealed to me. 

 

People and activities

I had some concerns about living in a city with a population of 50,000 people and expected it to be boring, but it turned out not to be the case. The city offered everything needed for a fulfilling life and entertainment. No doubts, the surrounding people contributed a lot to my experience. The university organised various events both in Schweinfurt and in other German cities. We had the opportunity to visit such cities as Würzburg, Munich, Stuttgart, and the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. The university even refunded some of the money spent on those trips.

In addition to the activities organised by the university, I had an opportunity to travel around Germany and Europe together with other students. The nicest thing was to be able to do that with a single 49 eur/month ticket called Deutschland.  

 

Conclusion

An exchange semester is an amazing opportunity to plunge into life and studies in another country, experience all the pros and cons of a new lifestyle, expand the horizons and to network. Overall, the mobility programme is about unforgettable experiences and exceptional emotions.