A great day at an internship

We currently have a student from Illinois College, Meagan Donahue, completing an internship at the FUU Academy in Heidelberg. Yesterday, she had this to say about her day at work:

"I had to do a huge project today! At least 100 kids or so had to take a test today, the DSH Pruefung. Well I had to manage it all, I had to call out their I.D. numbers, line them up, check their passports, everything. Don't forget though that I had to do all of this speaking German. It was quite a task, but boy am I glad that I got assigned it. It helped me so much with my speaking, and leadership skills, and the best thing ever happened because of it.. BOTH of my bosses complimented me on my work ethic, they told me that I am a very good and strict leader and that my speaking skills have really improved, but most of all that they were proud of me!"

Just another example of a life-changing moment that makes the tough times while abroad worthwhile.

Goals and Reflection

One of our students, Eric Scala, wrote the following about his goals for his time at the European Study Center:

"Ever since the beginning of my college career I had the desire to study abroad. I had the desire because I wanted the chance to become a more cultured person. Living in another country for four months is a great way to gain a better global perspective. Studying in Europe also gives me the ability to travel to neighboring countries and gain knowledge about their culture and way of life. After my second year of studying in New Jersey I felt that I needed to explore other options. Studying in another country was something that would provide me with the exciting college experience I’ve always wanted. It also sets me apart from others who may be applying for the same occupations.

My sister studied in Australia for a semester and was always encouraging me to do the same. I also had friends who chose to study abroad and claimed it was the best semester of their life. I chose to study In Germany because I’ve always had an interest in the country. I hadn’t had the chance to visit before so I knew it would be a new learning experience. I am fascinated by the German culture because they love soccer, the have beautiful cities, and I find the language to be intriguing. I had heard the people were very friendly towards Americans, which I have found to be true.

            Before going to Germany I knew there were certain things I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to travel all over Germany and get a better sense of the country as a whole. Not only will I travel in Germany, but all over Europe to see the sights and learn the history. The German language is very difficult but I still want to learn it the best I can, within the period of my stay. If I do gain a grasp for the language I would like to intern sometime in the future. Since I am very interested in cuisine I wanted to learn how to cook traditional German meals. When I return I would like to be able to recite the History of Heidelberg. I want to be able to have a conversation in German and be able to direct someone throughout Germany. I am also very interested in the business sector of Germany which I intend to learn more about during our excursions. I like to run a lot so I also feel it would be a good experience to participate in a half marathon through Heidelberg.

            I know that after this trip I will be more independent, as well as more confident in my ability to travel alone. I also feel that being apart from friends and family will make me a stronger person and open my eyes to working internationally one day. Since I don’t know much about the German government system I would like to learn more about it. I would also like to learn more about the top German corporations as well as other large corporations in the European Union. I think this experience has already made me a more outgoing and personable human being. Since I have been given the opportunity to meet lifelong friends from other countries, I’m giving my best effort.

            During my study abroad experience I want to have as much fun as possible without sacrificing grades or participation in my classes. I began the semester with two extra classes for no credit and intend to continue them simply for the extra knowledge. My grades aren’t the only measure of my success, because I would feel unsuccessful if I left without meeting friends from other countries. I hope I don’t get homesick even though I know it is very possible. This experience will probably be the most memorable of my life so I plan on taking full advantage of it."

Mercedes-Benz

 One of our students, Christine Sandoval, wrote the following about her experiences in the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart:

"On Friday, January 18, 2013, we took an awesome excursion to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.  We learned how the company started, the story behind the name, the innovations, and technology that this company uses. 

            When you walk through the door of the Mercedes Benz Museum the first thing that draws your attention is this brand new beautiful candy apple red sports car Mercedes.  That’s what gets you excited about the rest of the tour to come.  Once we met our tour guide he handed us our equipment and then we proceeded to the highest floor of the building which is where the journey begins.  Once you’re on the top that is the beginning of the over 125 years of history.  It is there that we learn about the two inventors who used two different approaches to create the first automobile, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz.  Gottlieb Daimler was not only responsible for inventing the automobile but also for the inventiveness of travel by air, sea, and rail.  His work can be seen on that top floor of the museum.  Carl Benz was also responsible for inventing the first automobile; his approach was more inspired by the fact that the automobile could run more like a locomotive.  Then in 1886 when he completed his work he applied for a patent of this individual design, The Benz Patent Motor Car. 

            Once you spiral down to the next couple of floors you are able to chronologically see the collection of vehicles that have been created since the beginning.  Those vehicles include: passenger cars, racing vehicles, and commercial vehicles.  We viewed the safety concepts and innovations that were then used on the vehicles, as well as the upgrades to the engines of the automobiles.  After that portion it was then that our tour guide told us the story of how they came up with the name of Mercedes.  In April of 1900 a man by the name of Emil Jellinek, had the largest dealer of Daimler or DMG vehicles.  Jellinek raced cars and his pseudonym name was Mercedes, it was also the name of his daughter.  Once Daimler reached an agreement with Emil Jellinek, Mercedes is now known as the brand name of all of the Daimler passenger cars.

            As you continue to spiral down you see all of the rare and first commercial vehicles they have created.  One that stood out the most was the vehicle that was used to drive the pope around, there was a car that belonged to a royal family and where it would normally have the Mercedes-Benz logo, is was a logo of their family crest.  One of the last stops on the tour is where you can view the “Silver Arrows – Races and Records” that’s where they have all of the racing vehicles as well as uniforms that were created for the drivers and then there is the big display of trophies that have been won over the years. 

            My favorite part once the tour was over was the visit to the gift shop!  It was there that I bought a couple of things to take back home to the family.  The store had an abundant supply of books that all had to do with Mercedes-Benz, there were plenty of replica scale cars as well as toy cars, apparel for both men, women, and children, and there was also your typical gift shop items like pens, postcards, and posters."

Money, Money, Money!

Going abroad means going to another country, where a lot of new and different places, people
and customs will expect you. This, of course, includes different money, as well.

Money in Germany

Throughout much of Europe, including Germany, the currency is the Euro (€ or EUR).
1 Euro is divided into 100 cents and coins and paper bills come in many different denominations.
You can find further information on the European Central Bank's website

Exchange Rates

Exchange rates are constantly changing, so please make sure, you check the current rates frequently if you want to exchange larger amounts of cash or charge items to your credit card.
www.xe.com is a commonly used website where you can check exchange rates.

How to Change Your Money from Home to €

Most students find it easiest to use a Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card from home to get cash
from an ATM which can be found in most banks and big shopping malls. You will want to make sure you let your bank know that you will be traveling internationally so that they don’t put holds on your account(s) while they verify that your card has not been stolen. If you plan to use a debit card and a credit card, you will likely need to talk to both your bank and the credit card company. You will also want to check and see what fees will be charged each time you use your card while abroad, find out what exchange rates they use and make sure your PIN codes are valid for withdrawing cash from overseas ATMs.
It is important to be aware of what your maximum withdrawal amount per day is, as well.
Because of the time difference, if you take out the maximum amount allowed in the evening, you will not be
able to take anything out of your account the next morning because it is still the previous day in the U.S.

Travelers’ checks are another way to obtain local currency. However, these can only be cashed in a bank with your passport and you will be charged a fee for doing so.

If you would like to exchange cash, the best place for you to exchange your money is at a bank or at the airport, because they use official exchange rates. Here you should again expect to pay a fee. You should never exchange money with someone on the street. This method of getting Euros is ok for, but we do not recommend traveling with large amounts of cash in any currency.

German Bank Accounts for Study Abroad Students

In general, it is not necessary to open a German Bank account. For students staying over a period of several months (generally more than one semester) or completing an internship, it may be necessary to open a non-resident account at a local bank. Information about such accounts is best obtained directly at the bank.

Can I Pay by Card?

As a traveler in Germany, you should also be aware that although more and more places are accepting debit and credit cards, there are still many places that only accept cash or that require a minimum purchase before accepting cards. It is thus wise to get used to carrying a bit of cash with you at all times. You will find that this can be a good way to stay within budget. If you only buy as much as you have cash on hand to pay for, there is no way for you to exceed your account limits.

Schnitzel!

Schnitzel is the German equivalent of a burger. It's easy to find in several different price ranges, it's a standard on most menus (certainly any kiddie menu) and it can be dressed up or down by changing side dishes (often fries are standard) and sauces. That being said, here's a recipe to help you make it at home:


Ingredients
• meat of your choice (butterfly cut pork chops or chicken breasts work best)
• flour
• eggs (beaten) (at least one for every two pieces of meat with a few extras on hand just in case)
• plain breadcrumbs (not Italian ones)
• vegetable oil
• salt
• pepper
• lemons
• ketchup (optional)
• for spicy Schnitzel add garlic powder, red pepper, and bouillon (replace salt with bouillon; use chicken bouillon with poultry, etc.).

Schnitzel can be made with any kind of meat. Actual Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal, but that’s pretty expensive, and I like it best with chicken or turkey anyways. Pork is pretty popular in Germany, too. You’ll want to get the meat of your choice cut “butterfly style” by the butcher at the grocery store (unless you’re
really ambitious and want to do it yourself). That means that it’s cut in half to make the meat half as thick, but the two halves are still connected in the middle.

Cover the meat with a piece of plastic wrap and beat it for about 30 seconds on each side. A meat tenderizer is best for this, but a wooden spoon or rolling pin will do the job, too. The meat should be fairly thin when you're done (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).

After beating the meat, cover it completely in flour, then in egg that has been beaten, and then in breadcrumbs that have no seasoning except for a bit of salt and pepper (red pepper and/or garlic powder can be added if you want spicy schnitzel). Make sure the meat is completely covered in each of the 3
ingredients.

Add about ¼-½ inch of vegetable oil to a frying pan. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the meat. You know it’s hot when you throw a drop of water in and it sizzles. If you don’t make sure the oil is hot first, the breading will soak it up and you’ll wonder where your oil has disappeared to. Once it gets hot, reduce the heat to medium because otherwise the meat will be burned on the outside and raw on the inside.

The Schnitzel is done when it has a nice golden-brown color and is firm (raw meat is sorta squishy, cooked meat isn’t).
Serve with slices of lemon. The lemon juice is squeezed onto the Schnitzel. A lot of people eat ketchup with their Schnitzel, too.

Guten Appetit!

Will my cell phone work in Germany?

Most of us, whether young or old, have trouble separating ourselves from our cell phones. We use them as alarms, clocks, entertainment, and ways of staying connected through texting, e-mail, facebook, chat programs and as telephones. For safety reasons, students studying abroad at the European Study Center receive a cell phone upon arrival. They come with a SIM card to which money can be uploaded for inexpensive, pre-paid phone calls.

But what if students want to continue to use their beloved cell phones from home while here? They need to be sure to discuss the possibilities with their cell phone provider. There are too many variables to list them all here, but students who do not take the time to inform themselves well generally end up unexpectedly unhappy about their phone not working in Germany at all (which is fairly standard), or paying extravagant roaming fees. Charging their cell phones may also be an issue if they don't take the time to look into electrical converters as discussed in this earlier post.


No matter what, all students receive a cell phone as part of the program so that they'll have their own German phone number. It will be much less expensive for new friends to reach them on a local number than an international one. The good news is that incoming phone calls are always paid by the caller, not the receiver, so, unlike in the U.S., it's free for students to receive calls on their cell phones.

Dress code

At the European Study Center, one of our goals is to integrate German culture into the atmosphere there. It is because of this goal that we expect that students present themselves in an appropriate manner for all occasions, whether at the European Study Center or on official excursions. Europeans generally consider it very important to always dress appropriately when in public areas and they often dress much nicer than North Americans. Does this mean our students can't wear jeans to class? No. It does, however mean, that they shouldn't wear sweat pants, pajamas, or "jogging" clothes outside of the student living areas (unless they are actually currently jogging in the case of the last example). Those planning on coming to the European Study Center should plan on bringing a mixture of clothes – business casual, dress up, and casual wear. Our staff is always happy to give advice if you're not sure what to wear.