Oliwia Swiatkowska

The summer course in Aachen was one of the best experiences of my life and was made possible by the Ilse Müller-Scholarship from the DAAD-Stiftung. It was of special significance for me as I am a German-Polish studies student. My study programme is offered at the university in Łódź as well as in Regensburg. Students from both countries have the opportunity to spend a year at the partner university and obtain two degrees. This allows them, for example, to study in both countries at a later stage. For me, the scholarship was great preparation for the year in Regensburg, Bavaria.

In Aachen, I was able to see and experience for myself what I had learned during my degree. It gave me the opportunity to consider my perceptions of Germany and of the Germans. I was continually amazed by the classes I attended each day from Monday to Friday. I was always learning something new. The varied teaching methods used made the course fascinating and very helpful.

Privat

International cuisine in Germany: In a Lebanese restaurant

Travelling is a huge passion of mine, which is why I chose Aachen. The town is located at the point where the borders of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet, providing plenty of opportunities for travel. That was another benefit and a really great experience. I travelled a great deal together with other scholarship holders and, as we chatted, we also improved our German language skills.

For me, it was all about getting to know other cultures, in particular German culture.       I had the chance to attend a local festival (Aachen September Special) and this helped a bit with my integration into the Aachen community. Living in a shared flat also meant that I could get to know people better and additionally improve my understanding of other cultures. I lived together with scholarship holders from Egypt and found it amazing that we (coming from such different countries) shared German as a common language.

For me – coming from Poland – everyday life in Germany was not so different. There were obviously a few strange situations I wasn't used to. These included having to carefully separate waste, frequent train delays and the deposit system for glass bottles. I think the last one is a really great idea and could also be introduced in Poland. We do have methods like these for protecting the environment in Poland but there aren't enough and they're not so popular.

When I was out and about or shopping, I only ever met kind and friendly people who were happy to respond if I asked them something. One example of this was when we (course participants) were getting to know Aachen a bit better by completing a city game. My partner and I decided to complete the task without mobile phones, which meant we spoke to people on the street and asked them questions. Everybody was happy to help.

The scholarship was a very valuable time for me and gave me an understanding of the German way of life. In Poland, Sundays are often spent with the family and it is a day of relaxation, similar to Germany. One Sunday, I went on a trip to the Eifel National Park together with other participants on the course. It was a beautiful day and we met lots of walkers. In a small village on our route we also sampled the atmosphere of the Oktoberfest as it was already the time the Oktoberfest was beginning. For me, this was an experience of another German cultural phenomenon.

Besides all the different experiences, one of the biggest advantages of the summer course was being able to make lots of new acquaintances. The really close interaction with students from different countries allowed me to make many new friendships which will probably last long beyond my time in Germany.

The time spent together on the course, but also time away from the classes, made it possible for us to have more in-depth discussions and to make important personal connections. These connections are enabling me to stay closely in touch with people from different cultures and backgrounds beyond the duration of the course and will help me to further develop my intercultural skills.

In summary, the summer course in Aachen was an enriching time which enhanced both my academic and my intercultural skills. It was a valuable experience for my future career which I am sure will be closely involved with the German language. This means that any opportunity to improve my German in the authentic way among native speakers is very precious for me.