Something completely different

To study abroad, or not to study abroad? Few from Rose-Hulman do; there are only seven this year. But, in my opinion, you guys have got to get out here - an undergraduate study abroad is one of the best opportunities to live in another country many of us will ever get.

Since early September, I’ve been living and studying in Magdeburg, Germany, a town of 220,000 about 120 km west of Berlin. The differences between our cultures are striking, but often for the better. For example, tonight I attended an ECE open house... and there was free beer (and yes, the beer here in Germany is fantastic... fantastic beyond your wildest dreams).

But why go abroad? I’ve met other Americans here, and when I ask them why they came to Europe, I often hear either “I’ve come to lose myself in Europe” or “I’ve come to find myself in Europe”. As I reflect back on my first month abroad, both of these statements ring true for me.

I’ve come to find myself in Europe.

My family roots are here in Europe - I have great-grandparents from Germany, from Denmark, from France, from England, Scotland, and Ireland. Also, with my friends, family, and country thousands of miles away, I am more alone here than I have ever been in my life - and what an opportunity that is to find out who I really am!

I’ve come to lose myself in Europe.

To live it up while I’m still young and free, to get lost in another culture, another worldview, and another language. And with my friends, family, and country thousands of miles away, I am abandoning my old self - my old mannerisms, my old habits, my old character - as I adjust to my new world.

But most of all, I’ve come to learn in Europe. And I don’t mean I’ve come here to learn about engineering or math - I’m here to learn how to relate to people of other cultures, to make connections with people I seemingly have nothing in common with. I’ve been here only a month, and I’ve already had some of the most interesting experiences of my life - from talking about Islam with friends from Egypt and Oman to drinking vodka and singing rock songs with Russians, every day is an unexpected adventure.

Although I miss my home, I do not regret for a second my decision to leave for a year. I highly recommend thinking about the opportunities you have to study abroad; we have the rest of our lives to be engineers in America, so for just one or two semesters, why not be something completely different?