3 Students Share Their Exchange Stories!

This week three students on exchange in Germany share their experiences on what it’s like to study in another country! We present to you… Life as an exchange student in Ingolstadt, Germany!

 

 

 

My name is Tom King and I have travelled from the other side of the world (Newcastle, Australia) to come study here in Ingolstadt!

 

Firstly many locals have asked me, “Why Germany?” to which I normally respond with, “Why not!” Coming from Australia, Europe is often the dream destination for young people. There is so much history and culture that we simply don’t have being such a young country. I also have a passion for football, enjoy a good beer and am studying engineering, so I believe I am definitely in the right place.

 

Language was also a big motivation for me to come to Germany. Through an Australian friend and an exchange student from Germany I became interested in learning German and do not know a better place to learn

German then Germany itself!

 

So once I had narrowed my selection down Germany I then chose Ingolstadt. It made it a little easier that our universities have a partnership, so for any student aspiring to study overseas choose the University of Newcastle!

 

Life in Ingolstadt has been great. There are a lot of other international students which means there is always a party or something happening. Some of the internationals have a soft spot for the club Glock’n and can been seen there any night of the week. Also feel free to come join us for “International Stammtisch” on most Tuesdays evenings at Golden!

 

Ingolstadt has been a great base for travelling so far. I personally have travelled to Cologne for carnival, Göttingen, Fulda, Frankfurt, Augsburg, Munich for Oktoberfest and spent a weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. There will be much more travelling to come as I endeavour to travel every second weekend or so.

 

Some of the most enjoyable experiences so far have been with German friends as I get to experience REAL German culture! I am a big fan of the typical German breakfast with “Brötchen”, meat, cheese, salad etc!

 

So I am here till March and waiting for it to get cold! I am sure all my friends back home will be telling me how warm it is and how nice the beach is. Meanwhile I will be drinking “Glühwein”, eating “Wurst” and enjoying my first white Christmas!

 

 

 

 

This being my first time in Europe I had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry as I rode the bus from the Munich airport to Ingolstadt. I have had no experience with the German language and the bus driver was not familiar with English so I rode the bus hoping I would end up where I was supposed to be. Thankfully I found my buddy and my Ingolstadt adventure began.

 

Ingolstadt is a beautiful city with lots of history and lots to keep me busy this semester. I’ve been going to parties, movies, fitness classes, shopping and of course, lots of travelling on the weekends. I think my first German word was “Hauptbahnhof ”. I’m very grateful to be busy though because all of this keeps me from gaining weight from all of the food! Pretzels, sausage, buns, ice-cream, chocolate… Every day I can get fresh bread and baked goods from Back-Werk… It’s just too hard to resist!

 

The best part though has been the connections I have made. Not only have I been able to meet German students but I’ve had the privilege of meeting students from all over the world. For example, my neighbours are from Brazil and Mexico.

I’ve met students from Columbia, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia and Turkey, just to name a few. I’ve been able to learn so much about the rest of the world just from being in one place. To make things even better I still have three months left here and I know that more adventures are on the way!

 

 

 

 

Ahoy Germany!

 

Coming here initially was all part of my plan to pursue studies in the automotive field. But there is so much more than studies that I enjoy here. The people are so respectful and friendly and always willing to help out, such daily interactions can’t help but put a smile on your face. There is a variety of activities that I love to indulge myself in: Weißwurst breakfasts, summer BBQs near the Bagger see, sunbathing and swimming at the Freibad, playing football in the Klenzepark and cycling to Westpark and Kaufland to check out the latest goodies and accessories.

 

Aside from that is the pleasure of visiting numerous pubs which have a great variety to offer. Ofcourse who could forget the weekends spent at nightclubs like Suxul and Amadeus! For newcomers I would recommend a guided tour of the local city museum. You can get a great insight into the history of the Bavarian culture and there is a vast display of historical artifacts. If the weather is too bad to go outside, the movie theatre in the historic district offers a good way to spend the time.

 

Some movies are also screened in English, which is of course a great incentive for international students like me.

 

 

Students! Comment below with something interesting you experienced on exchange!