Afi's Exchange to Hamburg University of Applied Sciences | Germany
My name is Afi and in Semester 1, 2019 I studied abroad at HAW Hamburg in Germany. At Murdoch University I am studying a Bachelor of Arts, Journalism & Photography.
My key factors for choosing HAW Hamburg were . . .
If you're familiar with Germany, you will know that the education system is vastly different in comparison to Australia. Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) is of no exception. Unlike a typical university the hochschule emphasises greatly on the importance of practice-orientated learning. That absolutely reeled me into choosing this specific university.
Especially given that both photography & journalism are crafts that require relentless practice and that after all, this semester marks the final journey to my university experience, I believed it was fundamental to conclude it with classes that mastered curation, assembly and revision above all.
A little bit about HAW Hamburg, classes and the teaching system . . .
As you would've guessed, I attended classes that involved exactly what I was looking for: less theoretical studies but more practical classes that involved round-table discussions and group work.
My photography class called 'Das Leben Der Anderen' (The lives of others) was immensely helpful. The idea behind this class was to create a photo series under the theme 'Das Leben Der Anderen'. While many students challenged themselves by starting a whole new series, the rest of us (mainly final year students) were encouraged to curate, assemble and amend current on-going projects. I was ecstatic upon hearing this news as I knew that I would be able to continue working on a series that I held so dear to my heart but was only able to work on for a mere semester in Murdoch.
We were guided by Professor Kohlbecher, a freelance photographer for national and international magazines and member of photo agency laif. we dedicated a decent amount of time assembling our series, revising each individual image, and curating the images in an effort to perfect the series. It was, as expected, a very hands-on approach which I appreciated.
In a different class called 'Memory Culture', I was able to tap on my otherwise unrefined skills for Graphic Design and seized the opportunity to create my very own zine with the guidance of other students who were more knowledgeable in the field. The zine encompassed a medley of interview, listicles, illustrations, testimonials, and quotes that uncovered diverse thoughts and opinions on climate change (which meant my journalistic hand also got to work!).
The class 'Social Media & Innovation', on the other hand, required us to work in a group (of both International and German students) to present a vlog style presentation on a topic of choice, which was, again, an interesting approach to tackling the subject at hand.
A little about living in Hamburg, my favourite places and transport . . .
Hamburg is full of contradictions, which is exactly why it's so exciting. I would describe Hamburg as a vibrant, energetic city. Yet, there exists still a stillness that cannot simply be replicated. the city possesses characteristics quite like water. After all, Hamburg is surrounded by water. To illustrate: the placid waters of the Alstersee and many other small lakes pretty much define Hamburg. They follow, and more often than not, guide you, wherever you may roam.
It flows past peaceful Hauptfriedhof Ohlsdorf, the world's biggest park cemetery that houses burials of renowned figures such as Helmut Schmidt, Domenica Niehoff, Heinrich Hertz, and Philipp Otto Runge among many others. Guide your canoe south (no, literally, you could easily rent one with your friends) and it'll bring you to Stadtpark,where you'll easily detect flocks of locals and tourists alike having a picnic or barbecue among the greeneries, swimming in the Naturbad Stadtparksee or bopping their heads to some music at Stadtpark Open Air Konzerte. But . . . only on a sunny day. And if you are a Hamburgian - you would know - that's hard to come by. Expect frequent showers, and cloudy days for the most part (yes, even in the summer). But no worries, you'll learn to love the weather (or at least act like you do), and most importantly, to worship the sun when it peers beneath the clouds to say "Moin!". I also kindly ask of you to thank the weather gods after, and to pray for another one of those. We desperately need them, and unfortunately, there is no other way around this.
And if you fancy something a little less practical than a canoe, catching a train at the U or S Bahn is as easy. if you get off the train at the Rathaus, easily you're able to tackle the town hall and other amazing spots by foot. My personal favs: Deictorhallen, Kunsthalle, Haus der Fotographie, the best trio you could possibly ask for as an art student or enthusiast. You also get a free pass if you show your student card as an arts student! You'll also find that the ultra-modern Hafencity and the quaint, old Speicherstadt aren't that far away from the arts district and each other, which makes the ares very aesthetically interesting.
This also might seem unessential to the average person, but if you're like me and love a decent flat white (you'll find that many cafes have adopted this term), I would highly recommend dropping by Nord Coast Coffee Roastery in Stadthausbruckem Public Coffee Roasters in Winterhude, and Hermetic or Elbgold in Sternschanze. They also just happen to be my go-to districts to visit. the beautifully crafted flat whites definitely played no role in the decision-making process. Absolutely not.
The best parts of my Exchange experience . . .
The equivalent of Murdoch's 'Student Services and Amenities Fee' for HAW included a semester ticker that actually covers transport fees for the entirety of Hamburg! Definitely useful, especially when coming across the rarely spotted, but most definitely existent, train/bus patrol officers. Settling down in Hamburg was also made much easier due to the buddy programme that HAW organised. My buddy was in contact with me before I even stepped foot in Hamburg which was comforting to say the least. HAW also organised a 3-day exhibition at the Finkenau campus at the end of the semester which wrapped everything up so beautifully.
Besides that, the obvious cliche; you get to meet people from all over the world... that will most definitely come in handy when you decide to visit their hometowns in the future! Free accommodation, tours and such. The friendship aspect of it all was also pretty cool too, I guess.. (.. never mind the tears shed when we parted ways.)
Some things that I struggled with while on Exchange . . .
The culture shock (that I initially faced upon arriving in Perth) hardly surfaced. After all, as an international student, I've spent a good amount of time away from Singapore (my home country) having been in Perth for 2 years and so already experienced a culture shock at the very beginning/ Despite that, there were a few instances where I was reminded of my status as a mere foreigner in Germany, but also of my temporary being in Perth.
People here (or at least the ones I’ve encountered) are generally more reserved. Small talk – which I learnt to truly enjoy in Perth and have found comfort in – isn’t all that common here. I also missed the frequent “Thank you!” and “Cheers!” you’d hear when you get off the bus. I missed the simple things most take for granted. I still do. But you deal with them, and for the most part, by doing them anyway. I continued doing the usual: starting conversations with baristas as I wait for my order of flat white and expressing gratitude to the bus drivers as I departed.
And slowly, despite the occasional confusion, most people started appreciating it anyway. (Not my horrific German language skills obviously but) the cultural differences gave it away eventually – that I was indeed an outsider traversing the city. But you slowly start to realise that being an outsider sometimes isn’t always so bad, and so, I started embracing and celebrating the very traits that made me “different”. (And more often than not, it made me look a lot more interesting than I actually am so that was a bonus.)
Also, Stella Donnelly happened to be on tour during my exchange, and I got to see her live in Hamburg. Introducing a Freo-based to my non-Australian friends made me miss home though, it felt oddly comforting.
I
was a little unlucky in the housing department and was not given a place in one
of the student housing that many of my friends had the pleasure to experience.
And because it is a well-known fact that looking for a place in Hamburg (or any
big city in Germany) is difficult, I relied on every source I could find.
Whether it be through the site wggesucht, or via word of mouth, I made
it known to everyone and anyone that I was indeed looking for a temporary
space. Luckily, another exchange student introduced me to my now landlord and
shortly after, I secured a place in this new and oddly high-tech shared flat.
I
was awarded a scholarship from Murdoch University which helped a fair bit, but
for the most part, I’m privileged to have gotten help from my parents, along
with my personal savings to get by.
Travelling while on Exchange? Tell us more!!
Absolutely
I did. The envy of many non-EU citizens is real. It is so easy (and affordable)
to travel within Europe! I had the pleasure of visiting Milan (Italy), Porto
(Portugal), Faro (Portugal), Rome (Italy), Aarhus (Denmark) and Zürich
(Switzerland). Naturally, I was also able to go to a few German cities such as
Stuttgart, Bremen and Berlin. I have yet to officially end my semester here in
Hamburg so I’m hoping to visit a few neighbouring cities in the next few weeks
or so.
My advice for someone considering going on Exchange . . .
I
say, don’t hesitate. It’s about to be one of the best decisions you’ve ever
made in your university life. And like many decisions, some are bound to be
difficult and uncomfortable, but at the end of it, you’ll find that help and
support are provided every step of the way. The thought of moving to a complete
new city is enticing for a good reason! You’ve just gotta take that leap and
find out why for yourself.
I feel
indebted towards everyone from Murdoch (and especially outbound officer
Jeannette), HAW Hamburg, and everyone I had the pleasure to meet, who has made
this a truly unforgettable experience. Vielen
dank, und bis zum nächsten Mal.
- Afi studied abroad at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany
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