Nick's Experience in Germany

Year long exchange in Heidelberg, Germany with Baden-Württemberg University

Nick shares his experience learning and living in Germany during a year-long exchange.

By: Nick Luviano

Editor: Ingrid Neagu

My academic exchange in Germany was the best year of my life. One of the most memorable experiences that I can remember is going to the official Oktoberfest in Munich. I’ve always heard about this festival before going abroad.

It is the biggest folk festival in the world and all the attendees wear folkloric Bavarian clothing. I even got to wear a Lederhosen, which is an outfit for men and see a “Maß”, a 1 litre tall glass used for drinking. 

Seeing how people from this cultural context gather and celebrate was an amazing learning experience for me.

For this, I thank the LIR program for giving me the necessary skills to integrate into German culture.

Having spent 1 year in Germany, my studies taught me to be respectful and to understand the people better, as well as learn their language. I comprehended a good amount of German, which helped me hold conversations with others and appreciate the cultural differences. 

In Germany, people had different habits, everything being closed on Sunday, and no greetings when walking past each other. The LIR program taught me to dive into those differences and appreciate them instead of being afraid of them. 

That’s why I would recommend this program to anyone that is looking for international exposure and experiences, wanting to learn a new language and seeking a degree with broad door-opening opportunities. 

LIR gave me the opportunity to go to another part of the world, practice my language skills and now gives me a chance to dive into any realm such as the business world, translation, diplomacy and the list goes on.

 In a world where intercultural relations is becoming more and more important, the LIR program gave me the opportunity to leverage my skills, and apply them in the real world, helping me become a contributing member of the world.

If you're interested in learning more about an exchange in Germany, use the link below. 

https://www.yorku.ca/ouinternational/obw-ontario-students/