Second Semester Update

My second semester in Tübingen is in full swing and I have been very busy with classes. The courses I am enrolled in this semester have been slightly different when compared with my courses last semester. Something to note about the German schedule, is that unlike the schedule at UMass where courses meet two or three times a week, most courses in Germany only meet once a week for an hour and a half. In both semesters this has been an adjustment for me to make as I am someone who really thrives off of student-professor interactions in order for my academic success. This requires that one needs to be more studious and more self-motivated in order to succeed.

This semester I am not taking an Aufbaukurs as I did last semester, which has altered my schedule considerably. I really enjoyed the Aufbaukurs last semester and it was one of highlights of the first semester. The Aufbaukurs met for three hour blocks, three times a week, for a total of nine hours weekly. During these three hours, we would spent a lot of time learning and reviewing very specific aspects of German grammar, learning how to express ourselves better through writing, and then having plenty of time to practice speaking. This course really helped my German improve immensely throughout the first semester. Being forced to communicate solely in German for many hours a week allowed me to truly feel as though I was immersed in the German language. This course also allowed me to feel as though I was in an academic schedule that is more similar to the schedule I encountered at UMass. I would recommend this course without a doubt to anyone coming to study abroad at the University of Tübingen.

This semester I am enrolled in more “normal” style courses which has been another adjustment as I no longer have the near daily regularity of the Aufbaukurs. This semester I have been trying to keep up my regular exposure with German which is more difficult without the constant grammar review of the Aufbaukurs. As long as I am regularly speaking with my roommates/German friends and reading in German, it’s not as difficult as it might be otherwise.

The workload of my classes this semester is not that much, but it is enough to keep me fairly busy. The difficulty level of my classes is very mangable and I’ve found them to be enjoyable. I still prefer the UMass system of having classes multiple times a week, but the German system isn’t too bad to adapt to, especially since I am more used to it.

My classes have been going well so far and I have been trying to power through as much work as possible because my family is coming to visit in July. This means spending long hours at the library, but I think it will be worth it in the end as I will be able to dedicate many days to visiting with my family.