University of Mannheim

My name is Tanor Johnson, and I am a Junior with a finance concentration in the Foster School. I am currently spending spring semester at the University of Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany. Mannheim is a great city with plenty to do. It is fairly large with the University and the train station being the two main areas of the city. So far my time here in Germany has been a blast. Classes are much different than at UW and many of them only meet once a week. Because my schedule allows me to have Thursdays and Fridays off, I have been able to take weekend trips to many places.

I am living in a student dorm “Am Steingarten” which is about a 10 minute bus ride from campus. There is a good mix of German, Polish, American, Turkish, and other students living in my dorm. It was tough at first to get around the city and ask for directions, but after a short period of time you get the hang of where things are and how to ask the basics in German. The school has a student organization called VISUM that plans parties, dinners, day trips, pub crawls, and weekend activities all throughout the semester. You receive an entire semester schedule of these events and it makes meeting international students extremely easy and fun. Many of the parties are held in the University, which is a big baroque palace.

Some of the recommendations that I would make to future University of Mannheim students is the following:

• Take advantage of Germany’s small size and travel with a Bahn Discount Card (purchase at any Deutsche Bahn central train station)
• Take part in unique national celebrations (i.e. Karneval, Oktoberfest, etc.)
• Take part in unique local celebrations (i.e. Maimarkt (early May), Dance into May (May 1^st), Karneval festivities)
• Participate in all of the VISUM activities and trips (coordinated by the school organization)
• Utilize VISUM’s website for ideas for activities and the “good deals” around town they suggest
• Attend the faculty parties (i.e. in the Katacombs and the Schnekenhof)
• Seek out local food and drink (i.e. regional Flammkuchen, Currywurst mit Pommes, and wide  array of German beers and wines!)

While this list is clearly not inclusive of all that a Uni of Mannheim exchange student should take part in, it is a start to getting really submerged into the culture of the Uni of Mannheim and Germany as a whole!

While talking to friends and family while abroad in Germany, the most common question I am asked is ‘what are the biggest differences from home in the States to Germany?’ My answer is that the biggest, and most blatantly obvious, difference is the language. Further, that the German language did seem to be somewhat overwhelming at first to try and pick up because of its vast distinction from English, and its seemingly robust sound to my English-speaking ears.

Following language differences, I always respond that there are also general ‘European distinctions’ in Germany for the everyday way of life. For example, in my experiences traveling to Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and England, I have found some very consistent ‘European culture’ similarities. Some of these similarities include the pace of life being slower with the grocery stores and retail shops having shorter hours and strictly being closed on Sundays and holidays, and the requirement to request the check while dining at a restaurant rather than having it pushed on you while you are still eating.

Another ‘European distinction’ I came across while living in Germany was the maturity of the public transportation systems in place. In nearly all of the major cities I have visited in Germany and in other European nations, there is always exceptional public transportation! Most of the cities I have visited have an underground subway system, street-level tram system, and buses. This makes it very easy to travel throughout the city, for a very marginal cost.

The final big ‘European distinction’ I encountered during my time abroad… was that Germans, or Europeans in general by in large, are able to party for very long amounts of time!! For example a typical evening out would be to start the night by gathering together for some pre-party activities around 8:00pm, head to the party/event around 10:30pm, go to a club or bar for an after-party-party around 1:30am, and then end the night with grabbing some Döner Kebab around 5:00am. This party itinerary certainly took some getting used to, but it sure was a lot of fun! J

Moving to Germany for my semester abroad was a very smooth transition. Some of the stereotypical elements of Germany ended up holding true. For example, German’s commitment to efficiency (i.e. with timely public transportation arrivals/departures); however, others things such as the ‘coldness’ that supposedly comes along with the efficiency loving Germans has not seemed to be true in my experiences. Rather I have found that Germans, and the culture that they perpetuate, do in fact pride themselves on efficient, well running systems but the people are still able to remain very warm, humble, fun-loving, and friendly. I personally feel that in Germany you are able to get the best of both worlds… one being efficient and reliable infrastructural systems and the other being humble, fun-loving people!

The fact that the German culture is efficient yet warmly welcoming, allowed for me to have a very smooth and virtually stress-free transition. For example, the highly efficient transportation systems in place allowed me to get from the Frankfurt Main Airport by the German Train to Mannheim’s Central Rail Station, then from the station by street cart to my apartment across the river. However the helpful people along my way were able to happily assist me when I had questions regarding how to use the different transportation systems.

This same sort of experience of benefiting from both the efficient system in place, and the friendly people has been consistent throughout my stay here in Germany so far. Another example is in my classes, or even going to organized school parties with several different phases to the party. All in all, I would say that Germany has been a very smooth transition for me, and I have loved every moment of my time here!! I will be so sad to return home!!!