The Question!

Is it worthwhile to study abroad?

Whether Lima Seoul or Athens - with more than 220 partner universities of the TU Ilmenau, the world is open to the students of the university. Four students have taken the opportunity to study abroad for one or more semesters or to do an internship there. In UNIonline, they share their experiences on site - from everyday study life to leisure opportunities - and reveal whether their stay was worthwhile.
Would you also like to spend a semester abroad? Then contact the Outgoing Coordination of the International Office of the TU Ilmenau. Here you will be advised on stays abroad (studies, internships worldwide, summer/winter schools, specialized courses, language courses), receive information on financing your studies and be supported in your plans abroad.  Currently, office hours for students of the TU Ilmenau take place online, by phone as well as by e-mail on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11 am and 13-15 pm. Individual appointments are also possible by appointment.

Eleonora Hamburg

Laura Wehner, 22, Athens, Greece

Applied Media and Communication Studies, 8th semester

I did an EU internship in Athens in my 5th semester - first with an organization, then with a German-language newspaper. The EU internship is also funded by Erasmus+, but requires less pre-planning than an Erasmus semester. For this reason, I deliberately chose the internship, because in the pandemic situation at the time, I couldn't be sure that a semester abroad would work out.
Reporting on Greece was great fun, I was able to interview local people and got out and about a lot. I take away a lot of great memories from my stay and would recommend everyone to go abroad during their studies! The internship was an enriching experience! I met incredibly nice people, my former roommate became my best friend. Every weekend we went on trips together and explored the whole country. Even today, I always have a reason to travel to great countries like Greece, Austria, France or Italy to visit my friends from my internship.

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Thoralf Schmitz, 21, Seoul, South Korea

Applied Media and Communication Studies, 8th semester

I have been in my semester abroad in Seoul since the end of February and it is already an incredible experience that I will never forget. It is a unique experience to learn about a completely new culture and explore the city. The people in Seoul are very friendly and helpful, which makes it easy for me to find my way around the city.
As for the teaching at the host university, I am impressed by the high quality of the teaching and the variety of courses offered. The professors are very dedicated and willing to help students get the most out of their courses.
In my daily life in Seoul, there is always something to do, be it at the university, in the city or with other international students. The city is full of life and there are countless opportunities to experience Korean culture. Whether it's trying Korean food or immersing yourself in Korean nightlife, there is always something to do and discover. This is made possible for me, among other things, by the support of the partial scholarship from the TU Ilmenau.
Overall, I can only say that my semester abroad in Seoul is an incredible experience and I would recommend everyone to take the chance to go abroad and get to know a new culture. I am very much looking forward to the months still to come here in Seoul!

Eleonora Hamburg

Sophia Guzmán Artmann, 21, Gold Coast, Australien

Computer Engineering, 2nd semester

I spent a semester abroad in Australia last year. Gold Coast is not only an international university city with several universities, but also a popular surfing and tourist destination. Since I love surfing and here in Ilmenau I missed the sun, the sea and the beach very much, I really wanted some change from my everyday study life and organized the semester abroad as a free mover. The TU Ilmenau supported me financially with a PROMOS grant, GO Australia with the paperwork.

At Griffith University, I took the courses Games Development, Home Automation and Robotics and Secure Development Operations - and I found them so exciting that I changed back to Ilmenau to my new major, Engineering Informatics. During the week I went surfing at the ocean, and on the weekends I went hiking in the outback together with friends.

I came back with new motivation, energy and friends from all over the world. In addition, my English skills have improved a lot and now I speak this language almost at native level. The semester abroad was an unforgettable experience and helped me a lot in my self-discovery!

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Julius Paul Rußmann, 23 years old, Lima, Peru

Technical Cybernetics and Systems Theory, 4th semester, master

I am currently spending my year abroad at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) as part of the double master's program in Technical Cybernetics and Systems Theory. After much anticipation and preparation, I have been in Peru since August 2022. The motivation for this stay abroad was multifaceted - the prospect of spending everyday life in Spanish for a year, the Peruvian cuisine, the diversity of the country, the racing comme of the local university as well as the deepening and broadening of study skills and last but not least the large Latino community at the TU Ilmenau, which allowed me to immerse myself deeply in Peruvian culture even before the trip.
The courses at the PUCP mainly take place in the afternoon as well as in the evening and are longer (up to 4 hours) and more application-oriented compared to the TU Ilmenau, so that they offer a good supplement and deepening of the courses at the TU Ilmenau. Furthermore, there are perfect working conditions for my master's thesis, in which I am working on leakage detection and localization in pipeline systems and may also work on a pilot plant at the PUCP. Away from the daily university routine, Lima, also called "Lima la gris" (Lima the gray) by its inhabitants due to the haze in winter, offers much more than its reputation. Whether beach excursions, hikes in the foothills of the Andes, culinary delights between ceviche and pisco sour, or Lima's nightlife - the leisure program almost arranges itself here. Away from the capital, the Andean country offers an impressive variety with its long Pacific coast, imposing mountains in the Andes or the dense jungle of the Amazon and so I am looking forward to successfully completing my master's degree here in "el país más rico del mundo" within the remaining six months and to further develop both professionally and individually.