My year ‘abroad’

Halli Hallo,

My name is Emily, and I am British, although I haven’t actually spent a lot of time there and friends will often call me out on this. I was born and raised in north-west Germany, in a small town near Hannover, before moving to south-west England almost three years ago as I stared university in Exeter. My parents are both British and I was mostly educated in the British system, so unfortunately my German isn’t as good as I would like it to be (or as good as it should be given how much time I have spent in Germany). Which brings me to why I am in Munich: I already spoke some colloquial German when I moved here, but hoped to improve my grammar and professional grasp of the language through studying in a German institution and not being able to rely on someone else (my parents) to make up for my linguistic shortcomings.

There are a number of reasons why I specifically chose Munich for my exchange, primarily because it was so different to northern Germany, in everything from cultural values to food to landscape. I liked the idea of trying somewhere slightly new, but still not too far out of my comfort zone. I had visited southern Germany before, but only really for short skiing holidays. I never visited Munich, but I did gain a small glimpse into rural Bavaria, and I noticed straight away how different it is to any other part of Germany. We would often stop off on the way to see famous places such as Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg ob der Tauber; I really like that there is so much to see around Munich, and so many fun day trips available. I especially remember always noticing the distinctive architecture, specifically when you go into small Bavarian towns, where buildings often have murals and lots of wooden beams.

I also always found the Bavarian accent very different from the Hochdeutsch I was (albeit only slightly) accustomed to, so I quite liked the idea of becoming more accustomed to this. However, I have found that not so many people in Munich have such strong Bavarian accents, maybe because it is a bit of a melting pot with so many people coming here for university, jobs or the beautiful landscape, or maybe (and hopefully) because my German has improved so I can just understand it a little better…

I have already been in Munich for one semester, so I am hoping this semester won’t pose any nasty surprises! Having said that, I can already sense that this term is going to be quite different to the winter semester. I love that Munich now feels like my city; I feel like I know my way around, I know where I can find various things I am looking for and I have lots of amazing friends to spend these next few months with. Last semester, despite being long in terms of months, absolutely flew by, so I know this one will too so I’m trying to pack as much in as I possibly can!

I have also loved the Erasmus bubble; not only have I met Germans, but I have also met people from all around the world, who have then introduced me to aspects of their culture. I hope I’ve been able to return the favour through introducing them to some of my favourite British things too – top tips including marmite, scones and the joys of a walk in the rain (I live in the English countryside).