Impressionen

In this text I am supposed to express how my experience in Mannheim has been for the last semester, as an exchange student in the University. I am not sure of how to start since it has been the best of all. When I first knew that I would come to Mannheim in an exchange program, I was really scared because I could not know how the experience would be. Five months later, I am pretty sure that it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Lucky for me, I got the opportunity to come with my best friend in Ecuador. We did not share the same apartment in Mannheim; nevertheless, we learned everything together.

At the beginning it was really challenging since I did not speak the language, I didnot know how to use the transportation, and I did not know where to buy things for my house. With time, I got usedto my new lifestyle, which did not just change because of the country; it made me grow as a person too. Now, I feel like can do almost everything on my own. I took the German course and even it was difficult for me, I loved it. In one month I am coming back to Ecuador and I am willing to keep on studying the language. I will feel really proud to say that I started the course in Germany.

The semester has been amazing, I took the last classes of my career, Business Administration, and I am happy that I took them in the University of Mannheim. I made new friends, I tried new food, and I visited new places. It is the first time I come to Europe and on every weekend, I traveled around Germany and out of the country. I love Europe and everything about it. People were nice to me in every place I visited. I was fascinated with everything because it is so different to the countries I have visited in America. I loved that almost every country has its own language and I had the chance to practice my English, French, and once in a while, speak my mother language, Spanish.

I am so grateful for the opportunity that Universidad Del Pacífico, University of Mannheim and Ekkehard Foundation gave me. Not only to study abroad, but to stay in the University´s Guesthouse. I learned so much living on my own but that was only possible because I had great roommates. I hope that I come back to Europe and study again here. Thank you very much for everything, I am so happy that I made the right choice in Mannheim.

Angie Villegas Barrezueta

E-Mail: angitabelen_vi179(at)hotmail.com