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Welcome to Maya's web journal for students considering going to Goettingen,
Germany with EAP.
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Monday, June 2nd, 2003
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- Preparing for your stay in Germany
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The following (in no particular order) is a list of things that you might do to prepare for your stay in Germany:
1. Study and/or review German grammar
2. Read German texts, especially high quality newspapers and/or news magazines
3. Watch German news
4. Find out how the German political system works
5. Learn the German equivalent of the jargon in your field(s) of study
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- Packing Tips
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As a rule of thumb, whatever is available in the U.S. is available here. If you simply can't do without a specific brand of something, I recommend bringing it along, since the specific brand might not be available in Germany. Otherwise, you can just buy what you need after you arrive in Germany.
Despite their availability in Germany, I do recommend bringing along prescription medication and contact lenses or an extra pair of glasses, when applicable. Most students are not comfortable speaking in German upon arrival, especially when it comes to matters that require a lot of explanation, and having the proper medication and contact lenses / eyeglasses on hand will be comforting, to say the least.
Partly because the cafeterias here have limited hours of operation, you will probably find yourself cooking more. However, the dorms come with shared kitchens and shared utensils, so there is no need to bring cooking and eating utensils.
Even though it snows here in winter, it's not as if you will be up to your knees in snow, so you don't have to worry about getting a special kind of shoe. Tennis shoes should suffice.
I took with me one large suitcase (about 28 inches), a large backpack (the kind people use for hiking or backpacking), and my laptop. I found that together, the suitcase and the backpack provided enough packing space. I did not have to have anything sent from home.
There were two things I left at home that I could have brought with me. One was a bike and the other was a printer. However, I am glad I left both of them at home and bought them in Göttingen instead. By doing so, I saved myself the hassle of transporting bulky items (including, but not limited to, packaging and shipping costs).
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| Sunday, June 1st, 2003
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- Money Issues
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I recommend opening a Citibank account before heading off to Germany. Since there is a Citibank branch conveniently located in the middle of Göttingen, a Citibank account will allow you to easily withdraw money deposited back home.
I also recommend keeping an eye on the exchange rate. Doing so will allow you to make informed decisions when it comes to exchanging money.
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- Thinking ahead to your return home
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If you will be returning to your home campus following your stay in Germany and you are or might be eligible for financial aid, remember to file your FAFSA on time while you are abroad. Also, remember to take care of your housing issues (perhaps even before departure) so that you will have a place to stay when you go back.
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- A word of warning about classes
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Sometimes, in the third or fourth week of instruction, a class will get cancelled or otherwise change in a way that will pretty much make it impossible for you to continue attending the class. In order to be prepared for such eventualities, attend at least one back-up class for the first three to four weeks of classes so that you will not have to face the problem of joining a class far into the semester (or worse, dropping below units).
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- Thank You!
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A big thank-you to those of you who have sent in questions! You've given me neat ideas for my journal entries!
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| Monday, April 14th, 2003
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- Note
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Today's entry was supposed to be posted on Thursday, March 20, 2003, but it was not posted until today due to a malfunctioning Internet connection and a heavy cold that I caught.
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- The Weather
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The temperature in Göttingen has slowly been creeping up. The water in the man-made half-pond/half-mini-waterfall next to the SUB (Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek i.e. the main library) has remained in the liquid state for several weeks now, and during the last several days, the weather was for the most part sunny and warm (by Göttingen standards). Thinking that spring was here to stay, I went ahead early yesterday morning and packed up most of my winter clothes. But a visit later in the day to the Study Center to turn in my benotete Scheine (i.e. grades) for two of the four classes that I had taken for a letter grade literally blew away my hopes of warmer temperatures. The sweatshirt I had on was practically useless in keeping the cold wind at bay, and the cold in my fingers spread up my lower arms and made my lower right arm in particular feel curiously stiff and heavy. It looks like I will need to reacquaint myself with my winter clothes. What a bummer!
Having lived in southern California for most of my life, I never really understood the fascination that southern Californian weather held for people not from the Sunbelt. Whenever such people told me, “Winter in southern California is not really winter,” I would become mildly indignant. “Of course winter in southern California is winter. Compared to the summer months, the winter months are considerably colder, cloudier, and rainier. It's hard to miss such contrasts.” However, after having experienced a winter in Göttingen, I have a much better understanding of the feelings of non-Sunbelt-residents that prompt them to say that winter in southern California is not really winter. One night during the first week in March, I was watching the news, and I saw a weather report detailing the weather of major cities around the world. The daytime temperature of San Francisco was reported to be 13 degrees Celsius, and that of Los Angeles (Venice Beach) 19 degrees Celsius. I had a hard time believing that in Los Angeles, some people were walking around in nothing more than shirts and shorts, while I was in Göttingen wearing layers to ward off the cold (I think the high that day in Göttingen was around 7 degrees Celsius). I used to think 19 degrees Celsius was pretty cold, but now I consider anything above 10 degrees Celsius to be warm! Of course, part of the reason for that is that my body has adapted to the cold. I can only hope that the adaptation will help to make southern California winters more bearable upon my return.
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- Vacation Plans
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At the time I wrote my previous entry, I had intended to be finished with everything by the last day of February at the latest, but some time-sensitive matters demanding my attention came up, with the result that I handed in my last assignment for the semester on Friday, March 14. It was wonderful to be finally and completely done. Following the rather momentous occasion, I looked upon the next five weeks of real vacation with relish.
One week into my real vacation, I am brushing up on German grammar. You might be thinking, German grammar and vacation don't mix! But now is a pretty good time to review grammar, as you will soon see. I had originally intended to brush up on German grammar last summer before coming to Göttingen. However, there were things that I simply had to attend to before I left for Germany, with the result that I didn't do any reviewing. Upon arriving in Göttingen, I decided to review during the two-and-a-half months before the start of the winter semester, but ILP (Intensive Language Program) and planning out my winter semester schedule (along with settling in) turned out to be quite a bit more work than I expected, with the result that I once again did not do any reviewing. Then I decided to review during the winter semester, but that didn't work out either. I spent the first half of the semester getting acclimatized and the second half completing major assignments. Now that I finally have about a month of vacation on my hands with nothing pressing for me to do, I feel that it is high time for me to dust off my German grammar books. The way I see it, reviewing grammar before the start of the summer semester has the added bonus of allowing me to make active, frequent use of my newly (re)acquired knowledge during the summer semester and cement the knowledge in my memory. Of course, I don't plan to spend all of my vacation reviewing German grammar. There are many interesting places in the vicinity of Göttingen, and I plan to visit several of them before the start of the summer semester.
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- Helpful German Grammar Books
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I am by no means an expert on German language study materials. However, for those of you searching for ways to improve your German, I believe you will find the following books to be very helpful:
1. A Practice Grammar of German: New Edition by Hilke Dreyer and Richard Schmitt (translated and adapted by Liz Nicholson-Goldmann and John Stevens; ISBN 3-88532-722-8), and
2. Der treffende Ausdruck: Texte, Themen, Übungen (Second Edition) by Brigitte M. Turneaure (ISBN 0-393-96823-5).
The good thing about A Practice Grammar of German is that it is possible for students to obtain the answer key (Key to the Exercises, ISBN 3-88532-718-X). Unfortunately, that is not the case with Der treffende Ausdruck. To obtain the answer key for this book, one must be a teacher. However, I have gotten around this problem by having native German speakers correct my work. I have found both of these books, particularly Der treffende Ausdruck, to be extremely helpful in increasing my German language proficiency, and I hope you will find them to be as helpful as I have.
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- Call for Feedback
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If you have any tips on how to improve (German) language proficiency, e-mail me, and I will post them on my page for the benefit of all visitors!
Also, if you know of any good German language study materials, regardless of the level of German of the intended audience, e-mail me, and I will also post them up!
Last but not least, I would really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback. Do you find my entries so far to be helpful? What topics would you like me to touch upon in the future? I'd be thrilled with just one word.
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| Monday, February 10th, 2003
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- Modification
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The correct date of the first entry is 2002-11-15, NOT 2002-10-15, as previously indicated.
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- Choosing Classes...
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…For students with approx. two years of college-level German instruction under their belt
If you feel that you are not ready to attend university courses taught in German without any help, you have two options.
The first option is to take classes offered by the Deutsch als Fremdsprache (German as a foreign language) department. I know that a number of UC students have opted to do so, and from what I hear, they find the courses to be helpful in furthering their German language skills.
The second option is to take those classes for which the Study Center offers tutorials. Usually, two German literature classes per semester come with these tutorials. For the winter semester, I am taking both of the classes with the tutorials.
It is very possible to plan your schedule so that it is composed only of Deutsch als Fremdsprache classes and classes with tutorials. In this way, you can reduce any anxieties you may have about classes and grades!
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- Some recommendations for enhancing your quality of life in Germany:
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1. Bring long underwear. In late fall, winter, and apparently early spring, temperatures hover around 0 degrees Celsius and frequently fall below that, and long underwear is quite a bit more expensive here than in CA.
2. Buy a winter jacket here. I think it's easier to find better jackets for better prices here than in CA (or SoCal at least).
3. Buy a bike here. Used bikes can be bought for $25-$70, and they help to significantly shorten the distance you have to go.
4. Request a host family. A host family can help you feel more at home and learn more about non-student life in Germany.
5. If you already have one, or money is not a big concern, bring a laptop. School assignments as well as Internet connections in the dorm rooms make laptops a worthwhile investment. (However, if money is a concern, you can use the computers on campus.)
6. If you bring a laptop, buy a printer here. Printers here can be pretty cheap---you can get a new one for $40-$50---and buying one here will save you a lot of hassle (non-portable printers are too bulky to transport easily, and from what I hear, portable printers are ink guzzlers).
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- Safety Issues
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Those of you considering studying in Germany, particularly those of you who have already been accepted and are debating whether to come here, are no doubt wondering if, given the current political climate, including strained U.S.-German relations, it would be safe to do so.
As far as I can tell, I have not been rudely treated simply because I am from the U.S. I do not feel that my personal safety is endangered. In fact, I feel safer here than in Berkeley, and I would be more likely to go out at night on my own than back home.
One thing I can think of that might pose an increased risk to personal safety is the flight to/from Germany in the event that war breaks out.
If there is a particular issue that you would like me to address, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.
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- Final Stretch of Winter Semester
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A week into February and a week to go until the last day of instruction, I am done with about 60% of my major assignments. Having completed two Referate (oral reports) and a Hausarbeit (research paper) in January, I am now turning my attention to the remaining two Aufsätze (essays). Though I had hoped to finish them by the last day of instruction so that I could fully enjoy my semester break, it looks like I will need to work on them during the first week or two of break (in Germany, it is not uncommon for teachers to allow students to use part or all of the semester break---roughly mid-February ~ mid-April---to write up their papers).
My end-of-the-semester experience in Göttingen has been quite different from my usual end-of-the-semester experience in Berkeley. In Berkeley, there is a period of final examinations lasting a little over a week following the end of instruction, during which I would frantically study for 3-4 exams. However, in Göttingen, I have not taken and I will not take a single exam! The reason for this is NOT the fact that I am an exchange student. [I know of other UC students and Erasmus students---exchange students from European universities---who have taken or will be taking Klausuren (tests).] The reason for this is because the classes I am taking are either humanities or social science classes. In such classes, as opposed to natural science classes for example, it is common for students to write Hausarbeite instead of taking Klausuren.
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| Monday, January 20th, 2003
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- Modification
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I just added a paragraph to the first entry. Check out the very last paragraph!
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- Life after the holidays
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Instruction resumed on Tuesday, January 7, 2003, after just over two weeks of vacation. Two days after that, I gave a Referat (speech), my first ever in a German university course! I was uncomfortable at the thought of speaking 20 minutes in German, so I spent a considerable amount of time in preparation. Thanks to all the reading and rehearsing, I survived the experience without any life-threatening injuries (though I acquired several scars in the process!) The Referat marked the beginning of a rather long list of major assignments. On the Tuesday following my first Referat, I gave my second Referat. Currently I am focusing on completing a Hausarbeit (research paper), which is due on the last day of January. Afterwards, I will have to write up two Aufsätze (essays). Though I am allowed several weeks after the last day of instruction to turn them in, I hope to finish by the last day of instruction so that I can enjoy my semester break to the utmost! (In Germany, it is not uncommon for teachers to allow students to use part or all of the semester break---roughly mid-February ~ mid-April---to write up their papers.)
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- Holidays, Part II
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The festivities continued with the arrival of Silvester (New Year's Eve). Early in the evening, I went over to my unofficial host family's house, where for the first time in my life, I heard about and saw the short movie Dinner for One/Der 90. Geburtstag. Ever since its production in the early sixties, this movie has been a staple of Silvester in Germany. On Silvester, and only on Silvester, TV stations take turns showing this beloved movie. Later in the evening, we had a lovely dinner, after which we sat around talking. When it was nearly midnight, we went outside and welcomed the New Year with fireworks and Sekt (sparkling wine). (In Germany, Silvester is the only time of the year during which fireworks are legal.) Then, going inside to escape the cold (several inches of snow lay on the ground), we took turns doing Bleigießen. Literally translated, Bleigießen means “Lead Pouring.” Taking a piece of lead, I placed it in a spoon that I held over a lighted candle. When the lead had completely melted, I threw the contents of the spoon into a bowl of cold water. After waiting a bit for the lead to solidify and cool down, I fished it out of the water and tried to determine the form that the lead had taken in order to find out what the future held in store for me. The first time I tried my hand at Bleigießen, I ended up with a lot of little pieces of lead (someone said they looked like teeth), which wasn't supposed to happen, so I tried again. The second time around went well, and I held in my hand a piece of lead that resembled, in my eyes and in the eyes of others, a cocoon. Though a cocoon was not listed in the pamphlet detailing possible forms and their meanings, we decided that the cocoon represented my current stage in life, which I thought was much better than going with the teeth!
On New Year's Day, some of us watched the annual Neujahrskonzert (New Year's Concert) of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on TV. Classical music, particularly that composed by Brahms, carried the show. The concert was a real treat. I enjoyed being able to see the members of the orchestra playing away on their instruments up close---it was a nice change from listening to CDs. At the very end, when the orchestra played one of my favorite marches, Strauss' Radetzky Marsch, I was thrilled!
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| Sunday, January 19th, 2003
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- Holidays, Part I
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Friday, December 20, 2002 was the last day of instruction for the year, and I was very much looking forward to the holidays. A cousin of mine, whom I hadn't seen in over 5 years, was to come for a visit. Following her departure, I was to celebrate Christmas with my host family. After that, I was to welcome the New Year with another German family that I'd gotten to know back in October.
When my cousin arrived in Göttingen, the very first thing we did was to go to the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market). The 117th Weihnachtsmarkt, set up in the town square right in front of the Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall) and running from the last week in November to the last week in December, was a wonder to behold. Lights strung up above the streets and booths offering Christmas, German, and other exotic wares, together with vendors selling mouth-watering fare---1/2 Meter Bratwurst, gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds), and Glühwein (mulled claret), to name a few---all served to draw Göttingen residents out of their homes in spite of freezing (literally!) temperatures. The local public library's contribution to the festive atmosphere was a very pretty, very large Adventskalendar (Advent calendar)---each day was represented by a decorated library window---displayed on the side of the library facing the Weihnachtsmarkt.
Almost before I knew it, it was time to celebrate Christmas with my host family. In Germany, Heiligabend (Christmas Eve) is celebrated more than Christmas Day, partly because it is on Christmas Eve that children receive their gifts. My host family is religious, and so late in the afternoon on the 24th, the six of us (the father, the mother, 3 young children, and me) attended a Christmas church service. During the service, intended especially for young children, the story behind Christmas was told, and many Christmas carols were sung. Even though I didn't know most of them, I was glad that there was a lot of singing. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without Christmas carols! Back home, we opened our gifts, which had been placed under the Christmas tree. The rest of the evening was spent in eating, talking, and playing with our presents. The cozy, familial atmosphere warmed my heart.
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