New Semester, New possibilities

By Ollie Standen

(Photo by Ollie Standen)

My name is Ollie, I am from a little village in the South East of England called Hildenborough. No one really knows where Hildenborough is so I always say I am South of London. I have been in Munich for two semesters now on an exchange programme thanks to the University of Leicester.

What to say about Munich. If offers the best of both worlds in my opinion. You have the alps on your doorstep as well as a multitude of pubs, Keller’s, different cuisines, raves, anything you can think off Munich can offer. For me, the best hikes I have done are:

• Lenggries to Benediktbeuern
• Jochberg
• Kochel to Walchensee
• Rotwand
• Schlisee to Spitzingsee

This is one side of Bavaria that you should not miss. Especially on clear days the views that you encounter are out of this world.

The only hard thing about Munich is speaking German. For an absolute beginner myself, the first few months my vocabulary was limited to Hallo, Servus, Ein Mass bitte, Dankeshon. However, the more you talk to people and the more you involve yourself in German culture, the more you understand and pick up the language. If you are worried about looking like a fool don’t be. When I try to speak to others in Deutsch, they are very patient and understanding and try to help you if you are struggling.

Overall, I can not recommend Munich enough due to the variety of activities you can do. The different events that are going on in and out of the city centre, whether it is rain or sun. It literally is the city that does not sleep.