Report January - Ramiyro Porras Vigil

1. How did you celebrate New Year’s?

I celebrated New Year’s with a couple of friends that I visited in Spain. I was in Barcelona and had time to get to know the city a little bit, to spend time with my friends and celebrate with their families as well. It was a really great experience and I hope to return soon.

2. Do you have a part-time student job? What was your experience like?

Not at the moment, no. In the first semester I wanted to see how the classes would go and adjust a little to this type of study programme. I also wanted to improve my German. But it’s definitely something that I want to do very soon, maybe I can start looking for jobs after I finish my exams.

3. Do you think it’s possible to combine work and studying or do you believe that your studies will be affected by it?

I think it depends on the person. I have a lot of friends who work and study at the same time, but you need to be good at organizing and try to arrange your working hours around your classes.

4. Did you develop a new passion or interest since living in Germany? What do you do in your free time?

At the beginning of the semester, I started to play football after not having played for a couple of years, but as the exams were approaching, I stopped going. Squash is one of my favourite sports and I’ve played a couple of times, but I only discovered where to play it at the end of the year, so I didn’t go much. In my free time I like to stay active or go out with friends, go to the movies or to a club, cook together, etc.

5. Do you take part in all of the classes or were there some you didn’t go to? Is there a group project or another project this semester? Is the way of teaching at the FHWS different to former institutions you’ve visited?

Yes. I’m participating in all of the classes. All of them are lectures and at the end you just have to take a final exam that makes up 100% of your final mark. This semester I don’t have any classes that require group projects or presentations.

6. How much do you spend per month? How much money do you need to comfortably live in your city?

I would say the average rent in Schweinfurt is about 300€ - 400€. For food it’s about 150€ - 250€, depending on if you prefer to cook at home or go out to eat. I generally prefer to cook at home to save a bit of money. You usually also eat healthier at home and I like to cook.

7. So far, what has been the most difficult thing in Germany?

Nothing really. Nothing really seems difficult. I knew where I was going, so I came with an open mind. Yes, of course there are things that require some getting used to, and also learning a language: it doesn’t happen overnight. But you will get better little by little.

8. What is your favourite class in your study programme?

This semester my favourite class is Economic Sciences. It’s divided into two parts and I have two different professors. They are both great, but with one professor you can really see that he enjoys what he is talking about. He has a vast knowledge of the topics, but you can also see in the way he talks and interacts with the students that he truly enjoys his job. It was a really great class.