Department of German and Dutch
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Year Abroad Advice from Tiarks Junior Scholars
For the last few years this Department has awarded a number of scholarships to students of German in their final year who are willing to help at departmental meetings informing students in lower years about the course options available to them, including how to spend the Year Abroad. The 2011-12 Tiarks Junior Scholars have agreed to be available to students for consultation by e-mail about aspects of spending the Year Abroad in German-speaking countries. Contact details are to be found below, together with descriptions they have written about how they spent their time abroad.Teaching (British Council Scheme) in Würzburg
SADIE SMITH (ses67)
I spent my year abroad teaching English with the British Council language assistant scheme in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany. Würzburg is a town roughly similar to Cambridge in size, with a large student population. I found the town a good size as everything is in walking distance and the public transport was efficient, if slightly overpriced. The British Council scheme gave me the opportunity to enagage in activities previously unfamiliar to me such as planning and preparing lessons and speaking in front of a large group. I gained confidence and developed new organisational skills. Working with young people was refreshing as well as challenging and for anybody considering entering the teaching profession, I think participating in the assistant program is without a doubt the best way to prepare yourself. Whilst I also experienced challenging situations on my year abroad, I think the positive elements far outweigh the negatives and often overcoming the diversities I experienced was character-building. For anyone considering British Council, I would advise thinking about your lessons before you set off and taking as many interesting cultural ‘artefacts’ with you as you can hold in your suitcase. I found that the best lessons were the ones where the pupils had an activity they could engage with and where they talk more than you do! A nice idea for younger pupils is to take a map of the London Underground and have them plan routes to visit famous tourist attractions. Ensure that your school makes the most of you and make the most of the opportunities you are provided with. Travel lots and take part in as many extra-curricular activities as you can and enjoy the money and free time that this scheme provides.Internship in Munich
EMILIE JOUFFROY (emj34)
I spent my Year Abroad working for the translation department in Allianz's Munich headquarters, translating a variety of texts including but not limited to press releases, insurance policies, marketing presentations, publicity material, contracts, CVs and brochures. The best aspect of this experience was doubtless that I was given a lot of responsibility from day 1, and was immediately made to feel welcome and valued in the office. As far as corporate environments go, Allianz proved to be a very relaxed and enjoyable place, with a numerous events organized for interns, and one of the best canteens in Germany! I was able to combine the financial advantages of having a full-time job with the social advantages of the Erasmus way of life simply by e-mailing the university and asking to be added to the international mailing list. This meant that my evenings and week ends were spent travelling around the beautiful region of Bavaria, going to beer gardens and attending fantastic Erasmus parties - all without essay-related guilt! I can only recommend doing an internship during your year abroad, as it is a great opportunity to gain insight into the working world, enhance your CV and experience something completely different from Cambridge. Equally, if you are thinking of going to Germany but are undecided as to which region or city you prefer, remember that Berlin is not the only option... Munich is a beautiful, lively city, with numerous great restaurants, theatres, nightclubs - and beer fests! If you have any questions about what I did or what living in Munich was like, please feel free to contact me via e-mail or facebook.Erasmus Study Placement in Göttingen
GEOFF WALTERS (ghbw2)
I spent my Year Abroad studying on the Erasmus scheme at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, where I decided to take papers in subjects which bore little or no relation to my degree in Cambridge. I studied Politikwissenschaft and Musikwissenschaft, and in addition picked up some Spanish. My spare time was mainly spent organising Model United Nations (MUN) events in Göttingen and Bremen. I represented the delegations of Russia and Germany and was elected chair of the Economic and Social Council, and the various conferences discussed issues ranging from the role of women in the workplace to the secession crisis in Kosovo. In addition, I used my experience of CUMS to co-ordinate two large concerts for international students, both of which had audiences of well over 1,000 people. I played in three local orchestras, one of which was semi-professional, and worked as a HiWi (volunteer) at the largest Händel festival in Europe. Socially the experience was absolutely phenomenal: I met students from across the world, and parties were typically conducted in (at least) four languages. Since arriving back at Cambridge for my final year, I have been elected social secretary for the Erasmus society here - hopefully that way I can pass on my enthusiasm for internationalism to students here. The whole international experience of Erasmus confirmed in my mind that I want to work for the Foreign Office next year. I am happy to answer any questions about Göttingen itself, studying on the Erasmus scheme, or the Year Abroad experience more generally.Erasmus Study Placement in Vienna
JAYNA MISTRY (jm656)
I spent my Year Abroad studying Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie at the Universität Wien. I chose a series of lectures and seminars that I thought would be relevant to Part II work in Cambridge, for instance I took a paper in the Anthropology of Art, which proved highly useful when it came to my oral exam. I would really recommend taking part in seminars, for not only are you required to discuss your opinions with fellow students, there is often the opportunity to give presentations (in German, of course) or write Hausarbeiten (again, in German). The exams that I took at the end of each semester certainly tested my knowledge of technical vocabulary in the field of study, and so it was a very worthwhile experience. When I was not studying, I taught English once a week and proof-read Masters theses. Whilst most of this casual work was conducted in English, it made me appreciate the complexities of the English language all the more and reinforced some of the skills that I had gained in Tripos translation classes. Not only this, I met some amazing Austrians who introduced me to some of the lesser-known parts of Vienna, perfect for someone like me who likes to stray from the beaten path and travel by recommendation (although the beaten path in Vienna offers some of the most fascinating art, architecture and history that Europe has ever seen). Known as the “Gateway to Eastern Europe” Vienna is also not far from central-European capitals such as Budapest, Prague and Bratislava, all of which are easily reached by train or coach. Indeed Austria itself boasts many fascinating cities, and with a student rail card that offers 50% off rail travel, weekend trips to the Wachau, Linz, Eggenburg, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz formed a large part of my Austrian experience. Despite its capital city status, Vienna is home to some of the most warm and welcoming cosmopolitans that I have ever met! It is large enough to offer a great variety of culture and entertainment that will never leave you bored, but small enough to get out into the countryside within 15 minutes. It is also not as expensive as many believe - tickets to the theatre and the opera are as cheap as 1€ (and in the summer, you can watch opera outside the opera house for free) and rent in the less-central Bezirke can be less than many rents in Cambridge, whilst still being close enough to the city centre (I lived in the 17th Bezirk, which was only 10 minutes from university by tram). I would definitely recommend Vienna as a year abroad destination, all the more so if you are a lover of art, music and history and you’re looking for something a little bit different! Back to previous page
