Broadening Horizons – My Erasmus Experience

Broadening Horizons – My Erasmus Experience
“You will cry twice in Mannheim; once when you get here and again when you leave.” Erasmus
students arriving in Mannheim are often welcomed by locals in this manner; a phrase which, for me,
sums up the city, its inhabitants and the whole Year Abroad experience quite succinctly. It
acknowledges that, whilst Mannheim really isn’t the prettiest place on the planet, nor indeed is the
small corner of Baden Württemburg in which it is situated, the atmosphere is so wonderfully vibrant
yet laidback and full of opportunities that leaving does become somewhat traumatic, albeit with a
smile. That’s not to mention the great number of friends one will have made during the Erasmus
year, who really make the experience a memorable one.
Erasmus is certainly something I shall treasure for many years to come and its impact on me has
been wide-ranging, socially, academically and linguistically. It has taught me the true meaning of
independence and self-sufficiency; the prospect of spending ten months in a foreign country was
somewhat daunting to begin with but it soon became apparent that it would encourage me to
develop these invaluable skills, which will assist in my later life and career.
The whole ten months, which seemed to pass before you could say Oktoberfest, were packed with
various adventures and unique experiences. Notable examples in the first semester included hiking
in nearby Heidelberg, Mercedes in Stuttgart, Ebbelwoi 1 in Frankfurt, Da Vinci in Milan and two visits
to Munich, for the 200 th edition of the aforementioned famous beer festival. The Christmas break
was no let up either with a trip to Barcelona and various Eastern European capitals. Highlights of the
second semester were a visit to Köln Karneval (complete with costumes!), a Champions League
football match, a weekend in Hamburg and an organised beer race!
My many trips to Mannheim’s Nationaltheater were also thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening in
equal measure, including modern German classics Die Dreigroschenoper and Der Besuch Der Alten
Dame. To actually see these pieces as the playwrights intended, in their native language, was
particularly exciting and was an experience that went far beyond what could be learnt in a lecture
hall. At one of the number of smaller theatres in the city, I even got to see an interesting German
language interpretation of one of my favourite British pieces; Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, a
native of my university town.
One aspect of my Erasmus experience that I particularly enjoyed was getting to grips with German
culture and all the subtleties that can only be appreciated by residing in a German-speaking country
for a period of time. Many was the occasion on which I found myself the only non-native speaker in
a group of Germans, be it a birthday party, barbeque or a rehearsal for the choir I joined, who were
extremely welcoming and seemingly excited to have an “Englander” singing with them! These
situations, quite beneficially, forced me to use and develop my grasp of German and allowed me to
experience modern German life ‘in action’; far removed from the traditional stereotypes that
Germany seems to evoke in the minds of many. My intercultural awareness was developed even
more by mixing with the plethora of international students from as far afield as Jordan, Peru and
1 a German cider

Thailand and I returned home with several invitations to go and visit my new friends from around
the world.
Also of great benefit to me was the programme of study I undertook whilst in Germany. I was lucky
to have relative freedom in the subjects I chose and I used this opportunity to deviate slightly from
my usual selection. Along with courses to develop my understanding of German and Law, my other
subject, I was able to take modules in History, Theatre and even Creative Writing. The History
course, in particular, was a pleasant surprise when I was able to understand everything the lecturer
was saying (in German) and emerge with a very respectable mark. It was not all plain sailing,
however, after I unwittingly signed up for a course on the technicalities of German Grammar
designed for native speakers! It certainly wasn’t easy but I stuck with it and managed to scrape a
pass, something both the professor and I were reasonably pleased with. I learnt some pretty
advanced things along the way too!
Living abroad has definitely given me things to think about. I would certainly now more readily
consider moving to live in Germany for a while and my already strong urge to get out and see the
world has been enhanced still further. I would thoroughly recommend an Erasmus year to anyone
who is considering it; the opportunity to do something amazing is there, so why not take it?