My Erasmus journey to Munich

Hi everyone! My name is Ádám Pongrácz, I am 21 years old, and I am an Erasmus+ Exchange Student. Although officially I don’t have any other first or middle names, somehow, almost everyone who forgets my first name calls me David. I don’t really know why, but it happens always, like literally 99% of the time. So now I just say that David is my unofficial middle name. I also have another one, John, which is my confirmation name. So, if I put everything together, my name would be something like Ádám John David Pongrácz, but this is not official!

I come from Romania, but I’m part of the Hungarian minority living there. Maybe not everyone knows this, but there are several minorities in Romania, and the biggest one is Hungarian. That’s because there is a region called Transylvania, which used to be part of Hungary before the World Wars. After that, it became part of Romania, but many Hungarians still live there, and I’m one of them.

Sometimes people ask me, “When did you move to Romania?” because they think I came from Hungary. But then I usually answer, “I didn’t move… the borders did.” It always makes people laugh, and I think it’s a nice way to explain a long story in one sentence.

So, let me just tell a bit more about my background. I was born and raised in a small mountain town in Transylvania. In Hungarian, it’s called Gyergyószentmiklós, in Romanian Gheorgheni, and in German Niklasmarkt. I always find it funny that it has three names, but none of them is in English!

My hometown is quite small, with maybe 98% of the people speaking Hungarian. So, growing up, I basically learned Romanian only at school. In the shops, in the streets, and even at home, everyone speaks Hungarian. Because of that, my Romanian is not as fluent as it could be, but I’m working on it! 🙂

For my studies, I moved to Cluj-Napoca (HU: Kolozsvár or DE: Klausenburg). It’s the second biggest city in Romania and a very lively student city. I study at Babeș–Bolyai University (UBB), which is one of the most international universities in the country. Even the name itself comes from two people with different nations, so it’s a nice symbol of how cultures can work together.

At home, I’m doing my Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations at the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences (FSPAC) and I am in my second year (third semester).

But let’s just go back a bit in time and have a look on the journey, how I ended up doing an Erasmus exchange semester. After finishing high school, I already had my first international experience. I joined a mission school in Germany, which was actually quite close to Munich (maybe around 80 kilometres from here). That year was very special for me and also it was my first time living abroad.

After that, I started my bachelor studies back home in Romania. But since I had already experienced living in another country, I knew that I definitely wanted to go on Erasmus or take part in another exchange program one day. I really enjoy getting to know new cultures, meeting people from different countries, and learning new languages.

Funny story: even before I knew that Munich was an option, I was already sure that if I could choose anywhere, it would be Munich. When I first checked the list of partner universities at my home university, LMU Munich was not on the list. (That was an old list from last year.) I was a bit disappointed. But when the new list came out the next year, LMU was suddenly there! There was only one place available, and I was honestly worried that I wouldn’t get it. But in the end, I did and I’m so grateful for that.

So now, you might ask, why Munich? First of all, because of the language. During my time at the mission school, the main language was English, so even though I was living in Germany, I didn’t really learn German properly. I wanted to come back and improve it and to finally become fluent.

Second, I really like the German lifestyle and mentality. I admire how people here are precise, punctual, and always try to do their best. It really motivates me. Also, I wanted to live in Bavaria again. I already knew this region from before and I felt that the people here are very friendly and warm.

And of course, LMU Munich itself was a big reason. It’s one of the best universities in Europe, and I wanted to experience studying here, in such an inspiring environment.

Another reason is that I still have many friends in Germany from my mission school time. So coming back here almost felt like coming home. I’m really thankful for that, and I’m very excited about what this new chapter in Munich will bring.

Now let’s talk about my expectations and plans. One of my biggest wishes for this semester is to get fluent in German (hopefully as soon as possible)! I would already be very happy if, by the end of the semester, I could speak German confidently in everyday situations.

At the university, I expect the courses to be interesting and practical, not only theoretical. I really enjoy learning through doing, and until now I have the feeling that this will be the case here. Some of my courses already sound super exciting, like podcast creation and film production. I think they will help me learn a lot of new skills in a creative way.

Another goal I have is to manage my time well. Right now, I have a bit more free time than I’m used to, and I want to make sure I use it wisely. That’s also one of my personal plans for the next three months: to find a good balance between studying, relaxing, and exploring.

Speaking of exploring, I definitely want to travel while I’m here. Germany is quite central in Europe, so it’s easy to reach many other countries. I would like to visit some friends who live abroad, and maybe even discover completely new places.

Of course, what makes an exchange semester truly special are the people. So, I really hope to build strong friendships, not just casual “see-you-around” ones, but real connections. I already have experience with international friendships, and I know how valuable they can be. I really hope the same will happen here in Munich.

And finally, since I’m living in the Olympic Village, I think it would be a shame not to do any sports! So, another plan for the next months is to find a sport that I enjoy and try to keep it as part of my weekly routine.

At the moment, I’m not completely sure yet if I will stay for a second semester in Munich. I would really like to, and my home university is fine with that, but from the LMU side it’s still not fully confirmed. I think it will be possible, (and I really hope so,) but for now, nothing is certain.

Because of that, I try to plan my first semester in a way that I can do everything I really want to do, just in case I can’t stay longer. But at the same time, I don’t want to feel like I’m in a hurry or that I have to do everything at once. That would only make me stressed, and I don’t want that. I want to enjoy every moment and live this experience to the fullest but still keep it relaxed and balanced.

So, that’s a little bit about me and my journey to Munich. I’m really looking forward to everything this semester will bring: new experiences, new friends, hopefully German fluency, and a few adventures along the way.

Whether I stay for one semester or two, I just want to make the most of my time here and enjoy it without rushing. Munich already feels like home, and I can’t wait to see what the next months will bring.

Thanks for reading, and if you ever see me around the LMU campus or in the Olympic Village, feel free to say hi… or “Servus,” if you want to help me practice my German! See you soon! 🙂

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