From Nervous to Fluent | My K-College Study Abroad Experience in Erlangen, Germany
When I came
to K, I wanted to learn a new language, and I decided that I really wanted to
study abroad in Germany, and so Erlangen was the perfect place for that. My purpose for coming here is I want to learn the language, and
I want to be able to speak it fluently. So the decision was easy. If this study abroad, coming to Erlangen, would give me that opportunity
and get to immerse myself in the culture. On the trip over,
I was definitely really nervous. My German is not great. I was really scared with speaking,
getting through conversations with people. My first day ordering a coffee did not go well.
I could not get the words out. But ever since I’ve been here, I’ve gotten so much more comfortable
ordering in German. Getting into conversations is easier. I’ve been understanding
a lot more phrases, the cultural phrases, and just the stuff
we talked about in class. Your German does improve. I won’t say you’re constantly
speaking German, but you’re speaking German a lot. You do pick up new words and phrases. You pick up slang and colloquial things that you wouldn’t
necessarily learn in the classroom. Even in the first couple weeks,
it’s getting better, and I still feel like
I can manage around the city. I think I’ve surprised myself in
how much I can comprehend. Like when you’re buying food, ordering
food. Food is one of the best things about
Germany that I’ve experienced so far. Everything I’ve tried
has been really good. Haven’t had any bad food yet. The food honestly has been amazing for me. I love it, it’s delicious. Usually we all try to go out together
a couple of times a week. My favorite food so far has been döners. I really enjoy that. There are a lot of great restaurants
like döner. Döners are hardcore,
and they’re everywhere, and they’re really, really good. The best thing that I’ve eaten
has been in this little bakery. It’s called the Golden Pretzel. They lay it on in there; they don’t mess
around. The food here is great. You get your own kitchen. I shop for stuff at Kaufland. Kaufland is a supermarket. I buy some things and cook. There’s tons of fresh produce. There are markets every day
where you can buy local produce. There’s fresh bread every day. Organic and healthy
but are really affordable here. So that has been really easy and enjoyable
to find and make delicious food. I live in the college student house. It’s just apartments, simply said. It’s really nice compared to a dorm
because I have a little cooking area, a little kitchen,
so I can prepare meals in there. I have my own bathroom.
I don’t have a roommate. I’m living in a building full of mostly
all international students. It’s been really, really valuable
to have another group of American students
that aren’t just K students to study with. They’re from a different state; they’ve had different life experiences,
but they do understand what it’s like to be an American student
studying abroad in Germany. It’s been awesome. I mean, I get to meet people that I never
otherwise would have met. On top of that,
there are a lot of students from other countries in Europe like Spain, France, and you’ve
got people down in Egypt coming. You get this big melting pot. It’s a really nice way to get to know other people from other cultures
that you don’t know about. So the ICRP is your Intercultural Research
Project. There are so many different options
in music. You can do gardening and do research
and museum research at like a lab. I will be lifeguarding,
just seeing how the swimming community here is different than it is back home,
because my major is not just German. Because I am a Biology major and I’ll be gone for an entire term,
I thought it was really important to be able to engage
with my learning in Biology, and all those things are outside of
just being in a university. I’ve had to be really interesting
to work in a garden, preserving both like the biological science
aspect of what I’m doing, and also like the cultural aspect
of working in a garden in Germany. We already took a trip to Salzburg. I’m trying to see some other German
cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt. I know we’re going to the Alps for a trip
at one point. That’ll be really fun, just being able to see so many different
places, trying new things. I’m looking forward
to just traveling around Europe, to places like Italy, going to Madrid in a few days. Also plan to go to Austria, Vienna. I’m going to Rome this weekend. There’s so much to do and experience
that would have been out of reach. While I’m at home. You know you’re in a new place,
a new culture, a new language. I think it will help me
learn and grow in many ways. Nothing really beats this. It’s quite different than anything you can
experience at K or anywhere in the US. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really get out here and find yourself,
find out who you are as a person. It’s a really, really humbling experience,
I’d say. It’s really nice to feel like
I’m really living here and being here. So, I think you learn a lot of self-confidence
and understanding what you’re capable of. You also get to explore who you want to be
in this new, interesting place. So it’s definitely
surpassed my expectations.
Thinking about studying abroad in Europe? Follow this Kalamazoo College student as they navigate their K-Plan Intercultural Research Project (ICRP) and a term abroad in Erlangen, Germany!
Hear about the real challenges and amazing rewards of immersion, from struggling to order coffee on Day 1 to mastering everyday conversations and understanding German slang.
Inside the K-College Germany CIP:
🇩🇪 Language Growth: How your German truly improves outside the classroom.
✈️ Travel & Culture: Trips to Salzburg, Madrid, Rome, and the German Alps.
🍲 The Food Scene: Why Döners and the famous Golden Pretzel are a must-try! (Spoiler: food is amazing!)
🧑🤝🧑 Making Friends: Living in an international student building with students from Spain, France, Egypt, and other American students.
🔬 ICRP Research: Combining a Biology major with cultural learning by lifeguarding and working in a garden in Germany.
Housing Hack: Enjoying the flexibility of a student apartment with your own kitchen (and shopping at Kaufland for fresh, affordable produce!).
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that builds self-confidence and helps you find yourself. It’s quite different than anything you can experience in the US.
➡️ Ready to start your own Kalamazoo College journey? Learn more about the CIP and study abroad options! https://cip.kzoo.edu/
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