New streets, new stories: my semester in Munich

Halli hallo an alle!

My name is Tania, I’m 20 years old, and since last month, I’ve started my life as an exchange student in München, Germany. I am currently studying at the Department of Communication, and I come from a city called Cluj-Napoca (or, in German, Klausenburg), which is located in the heart of Transylvania—in none other than Romania.

Being born and raised here in Romania, I, of course, grew up hearing the famous stories about “Dracula,” but I have to tell you—this shouldn’t be the only thing that comes to mind when you hear the name of my country. One fun fact about Romania is that in some regions, you’ll find people who speak only Hungarian or German. This goes back to a period in our history when we were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ever since then, Hungarians and Germans remained in Romania and passed down their languages and traditions to future generations.

Speaking of which, my great grandma was a German and since her I am the one that got to continue her German speaking legacy, as none of my parents know how to speak it. I’ve been learning it since kindergarten, so this Erasmus experience feels like a full-circle moment and a personal test to see if I can really communicate in the language I’ve been studying all my life.

But now, let me tell you why I chose München specifically. First of all, I wanted to come to Germany because of my long-standing connection with the language, but also because Munich is home to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität—one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. It’s also highly research-oriented, and I believe I’m going to gain a lot of valuable knowledge during my time here.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t come with many expectations, other than improving my German. What I do hope is that the knowledge I’ll gain here will stick with me, and perhaps guide me toward a topic that might eventually become the focus of my bachelor’s thesis. I also hope to make many new friends—friendships that, hopefully, will last a lifetime.

As for my plans over the next three months, I don’t have anything particularly special in mind. My main goal is to “just go with the flow.” For instance, next week I’m planning to go to the opera and see Eugene Onegin at the Nationaltheater, which I’m very excited about.

That’s exactly why I love sayings like “just go with the flow” or “go with the wind”—because you never know what new opportunities will arise.

Onward with curiosity and an open heart – see you next chapter!

— T