Tips for German Study Abroad Students

What do you believe students should know or consider before studying abroad in Germany?

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Mannheim is a very international city. If you want to meet Germans specifically, you’re going to have to work for it. You will, however, meet tons of lovely international students. It’s also important to start looking at housing early. A lot of students had trouble finding housing in the Studentenwohnheime, or student dorms, because they have limited space on the online portal. I’d advise trying to get a spot, but if that doesn’t work searching through wg-gesucht.de is a great alternative!

Doing an exchange program is very different from faculty-led or third-party planned out programs. It’s important to know that you will basically be on your own once you get there. It’s a lovely experience, but it also requires more anxiety, responsibility, and a willingness to be both flexible and flustered simultaneously. I would wholeheartedly recommend it, despite the difficulties. You will come out of it with loads more confidence in your ability to navigate different situations!

I Felt the Most American (Outside of America)

Did studying abroad in Germany influence your perceptions of the United States at all? Also, did it change how you look at your identity in anyway?

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Going to Germany gave me a much better sense of what it means to be African-American, as well as what it means to be American.  There I felt the most American I ever have.  When news about Trump being bigoted came out there were questions I had to answer about America as an American without the known context here of the majority of African Americans favoring the Democratic party. There was no real differentiation and it seemed almost like my skin color did not exist. In all honesty, in some instances there was both favoritism and some dislike not because of my skin color, but based on nationality. I really became aware of how big of a role race plays in daily life back home by the absence of it there. It was no longer a constant worry about how I was being perceived by others. Instead of being a minority, I was a part of the collective whole of America. My country was actually seen as mine.  I’m not sure if that’s a change in perception of my country per say, but more in my relation to it. Since study abroad I have felt more connected to my country and its future. I want us as a whole to do better and I want what other countries see and know about America to reflect the diverse experiences, histories, and people here that often go ignored.

However, it could also be very isolating. There were some experiences or news, such as continued police brutality back home, which I couldn’t really share with my white American peers. For me, finding a few other black people to vibe with made all the difference. Not all of us were American, but hanging out, connecting and sharing our lived experiences and thoughts on blackness, racism, and progress felt like home. I think that connection and continuing the idea of blackness/African diaspora as connection is one of the more important things I took back with me about my identity.  My blackness and experiences with it don’t exist in a vacuum, rather they are shared in different ways and shades in other places.

Taking Care of My Hair...

What concerns did you have prior to or during your study abroad experience?

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I had a few concerns about hair. I have sisterlocks, which are very small dreadlocks, and they require a certain level of maintenance. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to find a place able to do my hair. I did manage to find a salon that specializes in African hair and said they did locs, but it was far away and ultimately I never went. Instead I let my hair grow out the entire time I was there and just washed/cared for it a bit more carefully.