Connecting with Family and Why Go Abroad: Emilia Esseln after two Semesters in Berlin!

This month, we had the pleasure of catching up with Emilia Esseln; a business major who is now going back to the US after nearly two full semesters of studying abroad with us here at CIEE Berlin. She was really excited to share her experiences and motivation to study abroad, so we did a little interview together. Below is the questions we asked her, as well as her very genuine responses that might encourage you to think of Berlin or another CIEE destination for your studies abroad!

What inspired you to study abroad in the first place?

• “I go to Elon University, and 90% of the kids there study abroad, it was one of the reasons I went there was because of the many options to study abroad...”
• “Its nice to challenge your status quo. I grew up in California, said I couldn’t do this anymore so I went across the country to North Carolina. Soon I felt I needed to switch this up to so I came to Germany. I think its important for personal growth.”

If you're thinking of studying abroad, it absolutely doesn't hurt to consider universities that have a culture of studying abroad! And Emilia brings up a great point; challenging your status quo is an excellent means to continue grow and evolve as a person, as well as challenge your beliefs and understanding of the wider world.

What was the biggest challenge for you studying abroad?

• “I struggled with academics more here than I did in the US; I am a business major and did a lot of classes focusing on data and analytics. Here I took courses to fulfill my German minor. However a majority of courses here are humanities and social science with a focus on interpretation and my understanding; I had never written assignments in that style before… it was a different style of learning, but really good to branch out!”

Different styles of learning and education can happen anywhere; across academic departments, cultures, or purely the personal preferences of a teacher. But Emilia makes an excellent point; new styles of academic learning can be challenging, but absolutely worthwhile to understand how other people learn outside the focus of your major!

Why would you recommend others to study abroad in Berlin?

• “I knew I wanted to study abroad in Germany but there were lots of different programs… but I was swayed because I grew up in a huge city and felt like I fit in to a city context. I feel like there are more opportunities here in Berlin to experience both German culture and an international community... if I had ended up in a smaller town this would be a different conversation, being in a new country and a completely different environment would have been too much!"

Emilia makes an excellent point here; everyone has a limit to how different an experience they are looking for studying abroad. Some people want the exact opposite, go from the countryside to a city, moderate to tropical climate, and others need to make a different journey. The best approach to studying abroad is the one that you feel you can thrive and grow in, and we have programs across such different locations for that very reason.

How do you feel now compared to when you first came to Berlin?

• “I feel more independent, which is a direct result of my experience of moving here. I’d never lived alone, so that was a big part of my journey here... I struggled to connect with people at first, but I’ve been proud of my ability to adjust to this new living situation.”

That's exactly how we hope everyone feels after being abroad! It's all about growth, independence, and learning how to be the best version of you no matter where you are!

And of course, no interview about studying abroad would be complete without asking...

What was your favorite experience while studying abroad?

• “I have family here in Berlin near Dahlem. I met them before when they came to California when I was a kid. Now I have cousins here my age that I was able to go out with a few times during my time here. We did classic German traditions like Kaffee und Kuchen, which is a really special memory I’ll have of my time here".

I think we can let that last one speak for itself!

That's all from Berlin this time! If you're thinking about studying abroad in Berlin, you can always reach out to our Student Life team at mwelsh@ciee.org. We are always happy to hear from prospective students, alumni, or anyone that`s interested in the work we do.

Until next time!
Your Berlin team