28.06.2005
Study-Story: Leslie from the USA reports on why she returned to Baden-Württemberg

My majors in college were International Studies with a concentration on the EU region and German language and literature. Therefore the decision to come to Germany was just a logical step so I came over for an exchange year during my undergraduate studies. I really enjoyed Stuttgart and studying in Germany and so I returned as a full-time student after com-pleting my Bachelors.

The entire state of North Carolina has an exchange program with Baden-Württemberg, so I knew a lot of German students from universities in this region before I came to Stuttgart. Having a direct exchange program and several universities to choose from made Baden Württemberg quite appealing to me. Of course, on top of all that, the location is also ideal for travel-ing to other regions and countries in and around Europe. A dream come true for an American!

Although I have benefited a lot from my course studies, I really think I have learned the most from the people here. I know many German students but I am very interested in getting to know students from all around the world – an added benefit and one I had not thought of before I started living here.
The curriculum here is different to that in the US and I really appreciate having a little more free-time during my studies. Even in the semesters when I have a heavy course load in Germany, I am always able to take an afternoon off and take some time to do some extra reading or travel around.

Long-term, I would be interested in gathering some work experience both here and in the US during my studies. It is a little early to tell, but I would certainly consider possible career paths and work options both in Germany and internationally and I have already had some contact to potential employers due to internships. I must say that this is one of the reasons I wanted to return to Stuttgart to study. I think the German university system, with its flexibility and practice semesters, allows for more internships during your studies. Bulletin boards all over campus advertise potential jobs and internships. Of course, there is competition for the different positions, but I see this as a benefit of studying here in Baden-Württemberg with so many global players in the region.

My leisure time activities are also important to me. My first im-pression was that the facilities were smaller and less accessible than at my university in the US but by the start of the second semester, I had discovered all sorts of sport programs offered by the university. I started kayaking and went on some trips with a group including a rock climbing/kayaking trip. I also got involved in the university choir, which has proved to be a great stress relief and a great way to meet other students and people from the community, who are working in the area. These are wonderful ways to meet and get to know German students.
Finally I would like to say that I would certainly recommend an exchange or an experience abroad. I have mentioned a couple of experiences and students from abroad may be a little daunted as everything is so different here but there is a lot of support, for example, this website provides many links that are very useful and that I often refer to. There is a lot of information relevant to students and student life in Germany, especially internships and more formal, practical information like healthcare and finances.

Coming abroad is certainly worth all the effort!