Report November - Lucero Chávez Espinoza

1. How was your first month at FHWS?

My first semester at FHWS was interesting. Everything was very new to me. From knowing where the classroom for each class was, to the class schedule and free time. But I got used to everything within two weeks and I always tried to be on time, but sometimes I had classes on Campus 1 and only had 15 minutes to go to Campus 2 for the next class.

2. What are the differences between the education system in Germany and in your home country?

The organisation, the quality and the time period, in which a student can finish their study programme are totally different in Peru. In Peru, study programmes are usually designed for 5 up to 10 years, depending on the study programme. Because the city is quite small compared to other cities in the state of Bavaria, you can get to the university in no time. The organisation is also very different, because the weekly schedule is uploaded onto the university website. So, if a class has to be cancelled, they always tell us in advance, which helps me to organize my own time.

3. Have you made German or international friends?

Fortunately, the other students in my class were very friendly since day one. They help me with everything. For example, every time I don’t quite understand what the professor is saying, they take the time to explain it to me. I’m the only person from Latin America in my class, but I always feel like part of the group.

4. How well do you understand the professors and university staff?

German is not my mother tongue, but I understand about 80% of the professors. I have to say though, that every professor has their own manner of speaking. There are some, where I have to focus more in order to understand the class. With the university staff I can speak in English or German, which I think is great, because if you don’t know a specific word in one language you can say it in the other and in the end you both understand each other. Do you have any difficulties with German or English at university or in your free time? In my free time I usually hang out with other students. Most of them are foreigners, so I speak in English most of the time. However, in class I always speak German and sometimes I teach my class mates a little bit of Spanish. What is your level of German right now? Well, like I said before I speak more English than German, but I practice German a lot at home and in class. Most of the Germans tell me my level of German is very good, but I would like to practice more. I know that in time it will improve and I will learn more new vocabulary.

5. Is there still any organizational problem that still needs to be solved? If yes, what is it?

In my first week in Germany my sister helped me with the organisational things and with the application for all the pending papers and documents. Right now, I’m only still waiting for my employment permit, so that I can earn money and pay for my things. There are a lot of employment opportunities in Schweinfurt for students, so it’s not difficult to find jobs.

6. Did you take part in the i-Campus Day? How did you like the event?

I didn’t take part in this event.

7. What was your first impression of life in Germany?

There are definitely a couple of cultural things that are very different compared to Peru. Here they really respect the rules and the authorities, which is how it’s supposed to be in a country. Something that was new to me was that the first week before classes started, they told us to keep a certain distance. In terms of, for example, greeting someone. In Latin America you usually greet someone with a kiss and/or a hug. In Germany it’s not like that. It’s a different culture and one has to respect that.

8. What was you first impression of the city?

I really like that it’s a small city, there is no traffic and the transport network is incredible compared to my country. The city is not very noisy at all and I love that. Everything is just a couple of minutes away and you can go everywhere by bus.