Summer University – Sacrifice or Gain?
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Author: Katarina Karcolova
For many students, summer is the time when they can finally enjoy some weeks out of university campuses, without student duties, piles of books, reading materials, studying and writing papers. For many students, this is finally the time when they can wake up whenever they want, enjoy hot summer parties till the sunrise, travel all around and meet new people. However, there are people who devote some of these precious summer weeks to take part in summer university. Yes, university, which means again seminars, final papers and presentations. Many of you might ask what it is good for. How can somebody sacrifice some of the desired summer weeks to university again? Believe me, whoever has experienced it once, he wants to do it again. Why? Here is my experience.
I participated in summer university for the first time three years ago. It was not only the first summer university but the first studying experience abroad I had always dreamed about. After receiving DAAD scholarship I went to Berlin for four weeks I will never forget. I still remember how I felt when I got off the train at the “Hauptbahnof” in Berlin, the biggest train station in Europe. Alone, with large suitcase, trying to get to the metro (I had never used before), firmly holding the address of the student dorm in my hand. I did not feel confident speaking German to native speakers and my travelling experiences were very little at the time.
However, the four weeks in Berlin was an unforgettable experience. For the first time, I was able to experience being a student at a foreign university and being part of a diverse group of students coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds. It was the first time I had the chance to discuss various issues with people with completely different attitudes and experiences. I loved the diversity. Free University Berlin, where the summer university took place, belongs to one of the best ones in Germany. The professor was excellent and the participants were really interested in the issue, which made it perfect for critical discussions. Of course, it was very challenging and difficult for me in comparison with native speakers and students from better universities, but I gained a great knowledge, had a brand new experience and opened my mind.
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