Munich will last forever in my heart!

It is time to say goodbye to Munich and LMU, where I spent my sixth semester as an exchange student. Since this is my first time participating in an exchange program and studying overseas, I have obtained a wide variety of experiences and knowledge regarding education as well as living a life, especially living abroad.

I still remember my first day in Munich, which was 4 months ago, when the culture shock attracted me. This was the time that my chaotic life began, and I can honestly tell that Munich did not make a good first impression on me LOL. First, on my first day, I was supposed to move into my dormitory, however! Because of my delayed flight, my friends and I were unable to collect the keyroom from the staff on time. Although we informed the staff that we had just arrived and had nowhere to stay that night, he just responded that it was over his work time. We who come from the country where most stores open 24/7 were stunned, and the only thing that we could do was book a hotel. But the story didn’t end when we picked up our keyroom the following day! After staying at the hotel for 1 night, we arrived at the student residence by 9AM because the staff had told us on our first day that we can come anytime whether morning or afternoon. Therefore, we made the decision to arrive early because we intended to travel to Switzerland the day after. However, when we came to the dorm, we were unable to locate any staff members or a place to collect our keys. Moreover, the weather was so cold that day (approximately 2 celsius), and we couldn’t enter the building since we didn’t have a key.

After facing the difficult days, I simply left it in Munich and set out on the first stop in my Europe journey, which is Switzerland. I can say that Switzerland is one of my favorite nations where I have traveled to due to the breathtaking natural scenery, such as Jungfrau and Matterhorn. This has enhanced my mental wellbeing at that particular period. Nevertheless, Switzerland is a country that has an expensive expense of living, and this made me broke during my first month of the exchange life.

Returning to reality, it was time to begin the semester. I have enrolled in 4 courses, including Dress to Impress, Digital Media Campaign, Munich Media Institution, and Podcast, in this semester. During the semester, I didn’t have any regrets about choosing LMU as my first option of exchange universities. As I indicated in my first blog, I picked LMU based on its high ranking university in the world, which was 33th in 2022. I have no doubt why LMU earned this position because it places a priority on a high quality academic program along with a healthy work-life balance. In addition, this exchange program has provided me the opportunity to make foreign friends in various nations, such as Canada, Spain, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and South Korea. Last but not least, as a European student, I have had chances to travel around Europe, which resulted in understanding the different cultures. During the exchange program, I have visited a number of European countries, including Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria. I also didn’t know whether I would ever get the chance to travel to many European countries again.

I hope that I can come back to Munich and Germany once again  so I may get the opportunity to explore and learn more about this country. Even though my initial impression of Munich was not favorable, it has grown to be both my second home and my safe zone. I will never forget this precious period in my life when I learnt at a top ranked university, made wonderful new friends, enjoyed traveling, and stayed in Munich, which is the most beautiful and secure city in the world.

I shall always hold Munich and LMU dear to my heart <3

HOPE TO MEET EVERYONE ONCE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE!