During my time studying abroad, I have had to acclimate myself to a new culture, navigate social interactions in a different language, acquaint myself with a different education system, and adapt to lifestyle changes. However, all of this taught me to be flexible and adaptable, to embrace change, and to approach the unfamiliar with an…

I am studying abroad in Germany as a participant in a total language immersion program. While my German language skills improved both rapidly and vastly at the beginning of my program, I noticed that my progress started to plateau once I had reached a certain advanced level. This is not uncommon when learning languages and…

During my time in Germany, I have had a few opportunities to experience the sport culture. Last week, I attended my second professional basketball game here in Heidelberg (proud to report that the Heidelberg Academics won both times that I was present), and in October I attended a professional soccer (or, football, as you would…

The timing of the academic calendar in Germany is very different than in the US. Here, there is a winter (October to February) and summer (April to July) semester rather than fall and spring. Furthermore, there is a two month pause between the semesters, which is most often utilized by students to conduct research, write…

A great benefit (and one of many) of the AJY in Heidelberg program is that it provides its students with a Deutschland-Ticket: a public transportation pass that provides unlimited access to regional public buses and trains in the whole of Germany (IC and ICE long-distance express trains are excluded). This means that localized travel is…

Before students participating in the AJY Heidelberg program arrive in Germany, we are given five housing options to choose from. While the most commonly-chosen option is a dormitory/apartment-style situation, two other Americans and I opted to live in a large house (called a Wohnheim in German) shared by 27 students. For us, this living situation…

I am familiar with the concept of culture shock and was always expecting to experience it while studying abroad. However, I have been surprised to discover that, in my experience, it often comes in smaller packages than I imagined it would. For the most part, daily life in Germany looks pretty similar to the US…

Though the German winter semester does not actually end until the beginning of February, classes are now on pause for holiday break. The house — typically buzzing with activity and occupied by 27 students — all but emptied out as my housemates returned home to spend time with their families. For me, this is the…

Winter draws closer each day, bringing with it not just cold temperatures but also Germany’s most popular and beloved holiday: Weihnachten! Here, the festive mood and decorations do not wait until December. Rather, they arrive a whole month early! This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a dinner hosted by the AJY (American Junior Year) in…

In my experience so far, the public transportation system in Germany has lived up to its reputation (though it is not always as punctual as it would like to claim). The system is extensive, (mostly) reliable, easy to navigate, and offers many options. A regional bus, tram, and/or train station is never far away and…