Irene Wisarta
Exchanged to EBS University, Germany
My exchange has been an amazing journey and a life-changing experience!
When I arrived in EBS Business School for the first time, I was pretty amazed by the view. The campus was surrounded y the vineyard. It was quiet and peaceful. The building is more likely to be old European style houses which I really like. The teaching method is almost the same as Monash. Most of the lecturers tend to encourage students to be involved in in-class activities by having a lot of class discussion rather than having a long dry lecture.
During my five-month stay, I’ve travelled to 11 countries in Europe. I saw the world’s wonders such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Eiffel Tower; and even had a chance to appreciate the great view from Jungfrau Mountain in Switzerland, the sunset in Santorini and the northern lights.
I met a lot of people during my exchange program. Most of my friends were exchange student from countries I have never visited. Each of these friends brought me a new perspective on life. I learned to be more tolerant, open-minded and not to judge people by its cover and I also learned that stereotype is not always true.
Useful tips
The cost of living in Germany is not as high as most people think it is.
I bought my own groceries and cooked with friends almost every day. Cooking has become a favourite activity in our flats. Dairy products, vegetables and meat costs up to 45€ (~180MYR) and was enough for a week’s worth of meals. Eating out would cost twice as much.
As a student, purchase a semester ticket that can be used to travel within one chosen state. I paid 114€ (~460MYR) for access to public transportation throughout my exchange; this was a big help for my finances!