My study abroad experience in Germany has been incredibly informative culturally, socially, and academically. Munich is aesthetically very similar to Pittsburgh and the United States – I feel comfortable on the campus of the University of Applied Sciences like I do back home at Pitt. The students are all very kind and welcoming, as are our German buddies who stay with us and show us around during the trip. A typical day in my life in Germany includes waking up and then hopping on public transport to get to the University of Applied Sciences. Once there, I listen to a few hours of lecture before breaking for lunch at an on-campus restaurant near the school. After lunch, we usually participate in a learning activity or site tour, and then hang out with the German buddies, go sightseeing, or spend the night out after class is done! I love the community here in Germany and feel as though integrating into Bavarian culture has been easier than I thought it would be.
One of my favorite outside-of-the-classroom experiences so far on this trip has been the BMW site/facility tour that we went on earlier this week. During this tour, I was able to look at BMW cars, learn about how the company maintains and manufactures its vehicles, and gain a greater understanding of the company’s selling process. I learned a lot about the customization of vehicles and how this practice is a lot more widespread in Europe than in the United States.
After looking at the cars, we got to tour BMW World, which is essentially a large museum dedicated to showing off some of BMW’s coolest automobiles. I was able to look at a few vintage cars and my favorite part was getting to try out a BMW motorcycle. Apart from the site tours, we have also visited some amazing European cities. On my 21st birthday, we ventured to Salzburg, Austria. I was able to learn about the city’s sights and history on a guided walking tour and do some shopping around Salzburg. The fountain in the middle of the city was my favorite spot, and I enjoyed being able to do a day trip outside of Munich to see another part of Europe.
When looking at some differences between the United States and Germany, I noticed the large dedication to sustainability. In Munich, there are not as many trash cans available to throw out garbage and if there are, they have multiple different compartments for different kinds of trash. Recycling and refusing is very popular; plastic water bottles are collected and people get money in exchange for returning them to be reused. I like the environmentally conscious focus of Munich because it feels like a natural part of the everyday lives of people here; I think it’s something that can be implemented back at Pitt.
The public transportation infrastructure is also incredible in Germany. A majority of our trip consisted of us using public transportation systems and I was glad that they worked really well and were very easy to navigate. Biking, trains, subways, and buses are the most common, easy, and safe way to travel around Munich. Walking has also been a large part of my travel time. I walk more than five miles every day as this is the easiest mode of transportation and the city infrastructure greatly supports extensive walking to get around. I would love to see greater implementation of public transportation and walking/biking in Pittsburgh because I feel that it works really well in Munich.
