My semester abroad was the best experience I have ever had. I studied during the winter semester in a little town in the south of Germany called Tubingen. The closest big city was Stuttgart, about a 40 minute train ride away.
Tubingen is a small stereotypical looking German town, with the majority population being students of the university. Being a university town made the experience so fun, as there were students everywhere you went, and you were always running into familiar faces! The university had so many course offerings, and I decided to take all electives. This allowed me to explore courses that Queen’s does not offer, and take subjects I would never have had the chance to. The majority of the residence buildings are in what's called the “WHO”, and this is situated on top of a hill with 24 residence buildings . This made it easy to meet new people and hang out with friends.
My favourite part about Tubingen is the small streets in the old town, which then connect to the famous ‘Neckar’ river. The streets are like a fairytale, with colorful houses, cobblestone, and Church bells. Along the ‘Neckar’ are ‘Stocherkahns’ which are a type of boating that happens only in Tubingen. In fact, in May they have a famous boat race called the ‘Stocherkahnfahrten’, where everyone in the city comes together to watch!
Germany itself is such a beautiful country, the south is filled with hills and mountains, and old towns with castles. Looking at beautiful landscapes and walking through old cities never got tiring. What is great about Germany is its convenience to travel around. There are trains that connect you to every big city and small town you can think of in the country. This made it easy to go to any airport to travel. There are buses and trains that go to other countries, and this was extremely convenient. One of the best parts of exchange was the ability to travel throughout Europe. I went to 15 countries while on exchange, and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. My favourite places that I visited were Morocco, Paris, and Neuschwanstein Castle.
I met so many amazing people while on exchange, and I have friends from countries all over the world. After my exchange ended, I went to the Netherlands with a friend who I became very close with, to visit her hometown and get a tour of the country. It's always wonderful to know you have friends across the world who you can visit, or who can visit you.
Spending a semester abroad was a surreal experience that I think about every day. I became so much more independent, confident, saw the world, and it was one of the best decisions I've made.
