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Die Zeit läuft unglaublich schnell. We’ve just entered the second half of the school year, which means changing schedules, a long weekend, and more daylight hours. I’m so grateful that the days of riding my bike to work at 7:30 am in pitch darkness are over and that the sun is poking out regularly. Running around the old city wall is much more appealing in the sunshine, not to mention grabbing groceries or walking to a friend’s house in the city center. I’m so looking forward to biking to the lake or eating lunch in my garden once the weather really perks up.

The last couple of weeks at work have been particularly nice and I’d like to share a couple of favourite stories from my classes.

As the year progresses, I have increasingly frequent opportunities to plan my own lessons and activities for my students, rather than simply work with whatever materials the teachers provide. I was initially uncomfortable making my own lesson plans, but I’m starting to relish the freedom of tailoring lessons any way I like. I also adore most of the students that I work with. I’ve heard some horror stories from other assistants here about their schools and students; thankfully, the stars have aligned for me and I work in a school that is filled to the brim with friendly kids and colleagues. The other day at the beginning of classes with one of my 7th grade groups, I made a point of telling them how much I appreciate it when they wave to me or say hello in the halls. I told them, “You are the friendliest class! I love it when you say hi to me. It’s so nice.” Then they all applauded.

Sometimes, you can’t help but laugh. Once, I was playing a game of 20 Questions with a group of 9th graders, and one bright and bubbly girl wanted to make a guess. “Spongebob Schwammkopf!” she yelled, and began singing the theme song to Spongebob Squarepants. (Schwammkopf means “sponge head.”)
I interrupted gently. “Actually, it’s ‘Squarepants,’ because his pants are square.” She burst into a new rendition. “Squarepants Schwammkopf, Squarepants Schwammkopf…”

Even on days when something I had prepared doesn’t quite go as planned, a student inevitably stays behind after class to talk to me and their interest and enthusiasm restores my self-confidence. Whether I’m working with 12-year-olds and showing them how to make a “th” sound, prodding 16-year-olds to consider the power of the media, staging debates on “skateboards vs. bikes” with 14-year-olds, discussing the characterization of Daisy in The Great Gatsby with 18-year-olds, playing Taboo or Apple to Apples, teaching entire classes of kids about Canadian culture, or sitting with one teenage student and talking about their trials, triumphs, and future plans, I get my energy from the appreciation that I feel from the kids and teachers with whom I work every day. Of course every day isn’t perfect, but focusing on the many positive moments is a good way to remind myself how much I enjoy being here.
Speaking of energy, if I don’t go to bed soon, I won’t have any for class tomorrow! Mach’s gut!

My time at Phillips Universität Marburg has been an incredible learning experience. After only four months, this trip is nearing its end, and so I thought that it would be a good time to give some tips to any students considering the International Undergraduate Study Program.

Internet

Although the IUSP website says that almost all dorms have Internet (but that you must be prepared for the possibility of not having it), less than half of our students actually had access to wireless or Ethernet. As a group, we quickly adjusted to this, but it was a challenge for the first few weeks. In order to get online, you have three options:

1. Get an Internet stick. These sticks are USB devices which will connect your computer to the Internet, for a limited amount of data, usually on a per-month basis. I have found Internet sticks to be extremely helpful in the past, especially as they can be brought on weekend trips to give you Internet on-the-go. However, the plans in Germany are very expensive, and some members of our group had sticks that didn’t work. For this reason, I don’t recommend this option.

2. Buy WiFi from a neighbour.As IUSP students are in Marburg for a year or less, buying a Wireless contract is not feasible. Other students have these contracts, though, and will likely let you use their wireless for a small monthly cost. You can leave a note on your fridge if you are looking.

3. Use the wireless elsewhere.In my building, there was no Internet, but a nearby student building had wireless in the entrance area. This is what I used to get online most of the time, as it was both convenient and free. All academic buildings also have wireless Internet, so you can spend the day at the cafeteria or outside a classroom if you prefer. Depending on where you live, this should be relatively straightforward.

Practicing German

During the first 6 weeks in Germany, you will have German classes every day, and these will be hugely beneficial. Afterwards, though, you only have conversation practice twice a week. For this reason, it is necessary to make efforts to practice on your own time.

Get a tandem partner. The university will set you up with a native German-speaker who wants to learn English, and you can practice your German (usually for about an hour a week) with them. I was not aware of this program for a long time, but you can request a tandem partner at any time during your semester abroad. One of the challenges with this system is that many of the German students are already very advanced in English, so it is easy to forget to practice your German. Make sure you set aside some time in which you will speak only English, and some in which you will speak only German.

Note: This doesn’t only work with German! Some of my friends have used tandem partners to practice or learn other languages, too. And you can help a student learn any language in which you have native fluency!

Eating in Marburg

I have talked about this before, but I think that it is very important to know where to get food in Marburg. Our group quickly discovered that there are döner and falafel stands all over town – these provide quick and easy meals, and are open most of the night. However, the best street for finding more varied restaurants is probably Elisabethstraße, the street leading up to the language and international centres. Here, you can find a sushi buffet, Italian food, Indian food, and more. There is also a small Asian Market where you can pick up snacks, curries and other food that you won’t find elsewhere. It looks like a gift shop from the outside, but check it out anyway – you won’t be disappointed.

For basic supplies, any of the local grocery stores will do. Many IUSP students like Edeka, as it is cheaper than the larger REWE, but you will find that REWE has greater variety. In any case, there are stores near the student buildings and all major academic buildings – this is helpful, as you will likely find yourself buying the basics every few days rather than shopping in bulk. The most important piece of advice on this front : plan for Sunday. Absolutely every grocery store will be closed, and while certain restaurants remain open for those of us who forgot to shop on Saturday, you will want to have food at your place. This means planning ahead before you leave for weekend trips.

I definitely recommend the IUSP program to anyone looking to study abroad and learn German at the same time. The atmosphere is great, and the organizers will help you out with anything you need. I will certainly miss my time in Marburg.

Hallo Leute!

I’m going to plead the same excuse as Alex – it’s a good sign that I’m late in posting another blog, because that must mean I’m having too good a time to write home. I thought this time around, I’d talk about what I’ll be doing here in Göttingen this week, to paint a picture of a typical week. Los geht’s!

Montag

– I get to sleep in! I have just one class in the late morning. My mentor teacher intentionally gave me a light schedule on Mondays so that I can ease back into the week.
– Tomorrow, I’ll be starting a German class at the uni that focuses on writing. I was lucky enough to be able to register as a student even though I’m not enrolled in a program, which means I can take language classes, and also (more importantly?) ride the train across all of Niedersachsen for free with the student Semester-Ticket.
– Every week on Monday, I meet with one of my language tandem partners. I put up a poster at the uni when I first came to Göttingen and had a tremendous response. The girl on Mondays is absolutely lovely: close to my age and with similar interests, so we have loads to talk about. We speak half the time in German and the other half in English, so that we can each practice speaking.

Dienstag

– Tuesdays are my day off from my job. Super luxurious.
– I already take one German class at the uni called “Landeskunde Interkulturelle.” It’s a combined speaking/vocabulary/culture class, and tomorrow we’ll be talking about communication, eg. jokes, slang, professionalism.
– In the afternoon I’ll be meeting with one of my students from the 7th grade to tutor him in English. He’s such a sweet boy, but his English level is very low and his parents are paying me for regular tutoring. It’s great to have some extra income.
– Every Tuesday evening I have rehearsal with my choir, the Göttinger Stadtkantorei. Joining this group was definitely the best decision that I’ve made towards helping myself get settled here. Over the past two months, this group has provided me with opportunities such as: a weekend rehearsal retreat in the Harz Mountains; a concert tour to England; singing in the gorgeous Jacobikirche with a full orchestra; and frequent parties and gatherings. I feel very much like I belong to a community and it’s such a nice way to meet people.

Mittwoch

– I have work from 9:30 am-1:00 pm, which is quite nice. I like that it’s more than just one class, but I don’t need to get up early.
– Another installment of my new writing class takes place on Wednesday.
– This week is an exception, but usually I have another commitment once or twice a week. One of my greatest concerns about being in Germany for a year was the lack of a piano – as a music graduate and piano major, it has been such a vital part of my life for the past five years and I was dreading being without it. Thankfully, I met a woman in my choir who invites me regularly to her home to practice on her grand piano. Her husband died last year and no one plays it anymore, so I think we both benefit. We chat and have tea together, and then I play for a couple of hours.

Donnerstag

– This is my longest day. I have classes from 7:50 am-11:30 am, then a break, and then in the afternoon I run an English club, alongside my mentor teacher. We have about 15 students, so we’ve split the group to make it more manageable.
– I usually meet with my second language tandem partner on Thursday. He has a Japanese girlfriend with whom he only speaks English, so he’s highly motivated to improve his speaking.
– This week, however, I have to miss all of these activities in order to travel to Braunschweig for a meeting with the PAD and other language assistants from this area. There are 10 assistants in the Göttingen area, and some of them have become my close friends. We see each other several times a week, generally, so I’m excited for us all to travel to Braunschweig together and have a day out.

Freitag

– I spend Fridays with my mentor teacher at school. We’re there from 7:50 am-1:00 pm, and then I’m free for the weekend. Feierabend!

Wochenende

– Every weekend I get up to something new. Last weekend I was in Hannover for a night and hung out with a group of language assistants who live there, before coming back to Göttingen for my choir concert. Yesterday I went hiking in the Harz Mountains with two American assistants and our German friend Stefan, and today I’m going to a football match with some friends. Other highlights have included trips to Bremen, Stuttgart, and Hamburg; visiting the Marienburg Castle near Hannover; the aforementioned choir trips to the Harz and to England; and many other things closer to home, like the symphony, going dancing, potlucks with friends, bicycling around Göttingen, cooking with my German roommate, walking in the forest at the edge of town or around the old town ramparts, and many, many coffees in cafes.

I get a bit homesick every so often, but I have a really good support network here and I feel comfortable and content in Germany. I’m thrilled about the beginning of the Advent season here and I’m thoroughly enjoying the Christmas preparations – although I could do without the groups of lads bellowing drinking songs as they walk past my house coming back from the Christmas market. Until next time, mach’s gut!

As a member of the International Undergraduate Study Program (IUSP) in Marburg, Germany, I am taking part, for eight weeks, in two classes open to all students at the university. The courses I chose to participate in are called “Little Boxes in American Suburbia” and “The Age of Illusion: Visiting the Harry Potter Universe”.

IUSP Students in Marburg

As an IUSP student, we are in Germany only until December, so are unable to finish the courses we are taking, which all run until March. As a result, we are provided with weekly tutorials where we meet with grad students (in groups of one to six undergraduates) to discuss the themes covered in class, as well as to cover the topics that we will be missing later in the year. This is especially useful for students who are taking classes held in German, as these can be very difficult to follow, especially for relative beginners. There are both English and German course options to make study easier for those of us with no previous German background. Courses available to IUSP students include a small selection from each of the following subject areas: American Studies, Business Administration and Economics, Education, English Studies, German Studies, History, Linguistics and Language Technologies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and Sociology.

Class Organization in Germany

The German education system is divided into various modules which students must complete to finish their degrees. These modules transfer as credit points, and can be fulfilled by any of a variety of different course offerings. Because of this system, different people in the same class are often taking different modules, and actually require different numbers of credit points from the same class. As a result, requirements for completion of each class vary by student, and in my course “Little Boxes in American Suburbia”, each student is given a different type of project to complete for their grade. This might be a presentation, an oral report, a research paper, or a written response. Such a complex system has resulted in significant confusion in class, and we spent the first hour and a half of class time attempting to account for everyone’s credit points. It didn’t help that because caps in class sizes aren’t required, almost half the class was sitting on windowsills around the too-small classroom.

Visiting the Harry Potter Universe

In my course on Harry Potter, we were required to pass a test just to remain in the class. Since Harry Potter is such a popular series, the professor wanted to ensure that the entire cohort had a strong understanding of the books, and hadn’t only seen the movies, thus allowing for assumptions about the base level of knowledge in the group. The test was something similar to a Facebook quiz on Harry Potter minutiae, except that it wasn’t multiple choice and so was very difficult to complete. Our professor even had to lower the pass threshold to 15/35 questions in order to have enough students left in the class! And class discussion is definitely very interesting. We’re currently covering how the series fits within the fantasy genre, and will move on to discuss narrative techniques, the role of magic, and the series’ cultural legacy. In our tutorials, we cover such additional topics as animal symbolism in the series and the differences between Harry Potter and the fan-made parody A Very Potter Musical.

As part of the International Undergraduate Studies Program at Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany, we were given the opportunity to spend a long weekend in Berlin. Leaving on Thursday, October 2 and returning on Sunday, October 5, we had two group tours and plenty of time to explore the city and enjoy the Berlin atmosphere.

Day of German Unity

The reason that we were able to leave class early and spend three days in Berlin was the public holiday, the Day of German Unity, on October 3. This holiday celebrates the reunification of Germany in 1990, at the end of the Cold War. As our tour guide told us, the day most people actually remember is November 9^th, 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down, but this unfortunately occurred on the anniversary of a much more sinister German historical event: Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938. Because of this, they chose instead to celebrate the day reunification was officially completed. This did not prevent us from spending hours that day touring memorial sites of the Berlin Wall, of course.

The German Bundestag

Perhaps our biggest discovery in Berlin was our visit to the Bundestag. Having been to Berlin twice before, including spending a week there this summer studying the memorialization of the Holocaust, this is one of the few major landmarks I hadn’t been inside. The entrance security feels a bit like a US airport, but the atmosphere once inside is actually very relaxed. I was especially interested in decades-old graffiti left on the walls in Russian – while some of the more aggressive language was removed, the government decided to keep what they could of the graffiti for art’s and history’s sake. I can’t imagine such a thing happening at the Parliament in Victoria! We also got to sit inside the main debate room of the Lower House, complete with giant eagle model. The experience was a bit surreal.

Touring Berlin on bicycle

Something I never thought I’d do in Berlin was rent a bicycle and ride around aimlessly for seven hours, but that’s how many of us spent the afternoon after our city tour. I was shocked that helmets weren’t even available, but the woman renting us our bikes said we “wouldn’t need one” because of the holiday. I failed to see the connection between the two things, but luckily, there were no injuries in our group. By bike, it’s possible to see everything you could want to see in Berlin in one afternoon, and we rode by the Cathedral of Berlin, the main university buildings, the Spree River, the Bebelplatz book-burning memorial, the East Side Gallery, the Brandenburg Gate, and much more. We also stopped for incredible Vietnamese food along the way. If you’re looking for a variety of ethnic foods that more or less compares with Vancouver in Germany, Berlin is the place to be.