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Ginger Rekeweg |
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Participants Summer Internships 2003 Main Page
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Initially, I noticed the lack of eye contact of the German people as they passed by on the street and how somber their faces looked. Smiles were not typical of these people. The events that took place in former East Germany are still remembered by the older generation and there is definitely still resentment towards the Nazis. In fact, while I was there, an Anti-Nazi demonstration took place in the park near the church we stayed at. While I was in Germany, I met Daniel, a chemistry major at the University of Rostock. Since we had something in common, I had the opportunity to go into the chemistry building with him and see some of the laboratories. Most of the laboratories that I saw were for doctoral students. I recognized some of the laboratory equipment, including condensers and small distillation columns of about 2 inches in diameter. Most of the labs were being used at the time, so I could only observe from the outside. Another interesting fact about chemistry majors in Germany is that they tend to speak English fluently because most of their books and course materials are written in English. In German universities the government pays all tuition. If you do well, you come back the next year. If you perform poorly, you do not. I also learned that German universities are open to international students as I met students from many different countries. I had a very enjoyable time in Germany and, although I do not speak the language, I would definitely go back again. Upon returning to the United States, I have a deeper appreciation for the German culture and would like to learn the German language. Although my trip to Germany was not specifically a chemical engineering experience, it did offer a glimpse into a different part of the world. If the opportunity would arise, I would definitely consider an offer to move to Germany to work. |
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to
go to Rostock, Germany for two weeks on a mission trip with ten other
people from Michigan. While I was there, I not only did mission work, but
also experienced the German culture. Rostock is a city in former East
Germany along the Baltic Sea. Since I was only in Rostock, the
observations that I made may not be typical of all Germany cities.