Going abroad

My semester abroad in Guadalajara was one of the best experiences of my life. I learnt a great deal, not only academically but, above all, on a personal level.

Mexico is a country brimming with colour, culture, hospitality and a zest for life. I’ve made friends for life and will definitely be going back.

I can wholeheartedly recommend a semester abroad in Guadalajara to every student. My most important piece of advice is: make the most of every opportunity – get to know people from all over the world, talk to the locals and travel as much as possible. It is precisely these experiences that make a semester abroad unforgettable. (Iasmina Novacovici, SoSe26)

Mexico: My most important piece of advice is: “Make the most of every opportunity!”

The semester abroad in Bangkok was an incredibly valuable experience. Bangkok is a fascinating place to study. The city is both modern and vibrant, yet at times it can also be overwhelming.

Another reason for choosing SWU was its central location; the university is situated right in the heart of the city.

As well as the academic aspects, I was able, above all, to gain a wealth of new personal experiences and develop as a person. I have particularly fond memories of the international friendships I made and the opportunity to live in another country for several months. The experiences you gain during a semester abroad are truly unique.

Even though there were a few minor organisational differences and challenges, I would definitely recommend spending a semester abroad in Bangkok. (Lisa Gössl, Summer Semester 26)

Thailand, Bangkok (SWU): Go for it!

I really enjoyed it and would recommend this experience to anyone, especially if you’re heading to Dublin. The city, my studies and the people made my time there unforgettable. If you get the chance, go there – you won’t regret it! (Nick Bongartz, TU Dublin, Winter Semester 24/25)

Ireland: If you get the chance, go there – you won’t regret it!

I can really recommend a semester abroad in Angers to absolutely anyone. The city is 100 per cent a student town; the city centre is full of bars that are always packed, no matter what time of day or night. There are always events taking place somewhere that you can go to. I would definitely choose Angers again if I had the chance. Concerns about the language are unfounded, as – particularly at the Faculty of Tourism – the majority of students can speak English and are happy to chat to you in English. I also met lots of French students who are learning German as a foreign language as part of their degree. (Hanna Schmoll, University of Angers, Winter Semester 24/25)

France: I’d definitely choose Angers again if I had the chance!

It was definitely the best experience I’ve had so far in my life, and I’d do everything exactly the same way again. Although the preparation involved a lot of effort and was sometimes a bit of a faff, I wouldn’t let that put me off too much and would still go ahead with the semester abroad. For me personally, it was the perfect mix of studying, Madrid and travelling around Spain. To sum up, I’m very grateful that I was able to have this experience (Anna Brinkmann, Madrid / URJC, Winter Semester 24/25)

Spain: It was definitely the best experience I’ve ever had in my life!

To sum up, I can say that my expectations were more than exceeded. It took longer than I’d expected to settle in, but once I finally felt at home, I didn’t want to leave. (Marina Kindlinger, JAMK, Winter Semester 24/25)

Finland: It more than lived up to my expectations!

"Just do it!" – That was the mindset I had right from the start when I decided to spend a semester abroad. I’d long seen it as a unique opportunity to get to know a new country, its people and their culture first-hand.

A semester abroad not only offers the chance to deepen one’s academic knowledge, but also to develop personally, forge friendships across continents and build bridges between different cultures.

I’d take the plunge again in a heartbeat. Just going for it, without any fear of spending half a year on my own in a foreign country at the end of the world, was the best decision I could have made.

Any initial uncertainty quickly fades once you realise that anything is possible and that your time there will be incredibly exciting and thrilling. I can only recommend taking this step and rising to the challenge.

My semester abroad in New Zealand was one of the most exciting and enriching experiences of my life.

Not only have I learnt a great deal academically, but I have also benefited enormously on a personal level – from the new friendships I have made to the unforgettable journeys that have taken me all over the country. The challenges I faced have also made me stronger and more self-confident.

Looking back, I can only recommend that everyone give this experience a go and not let any doubts put them off. Just go for it! (Dmytro Krupenkin, Dunedin / Otago University, Summer Semester 24)

New Zealand: Just do it!

All in all, I had a wonderful time in South Africa. The country and its neighbouring countries are absolutely breathtaking. Both the natural scenery and the culture are impressive and definitely worth a visit.

A semester abroad is the ideal opportunity for a longer stay overseas, and it’s relatively easy to make friends there.

You have lots of adventures and make new friends.

My personal highlights: a village trip, during which a Professor took us to her home village and we were able to experience the simple life of the Zulus in the countryside, and our road trips from Durban to Cape Town via the Garden Route and through Kruger National Park to Mozambique. (Patrick Schirmer, Durban University of Technology, Summer Semester 24)

South Africa: You’ll have lots of adventures and make new friends.

I really liked Kuala Lumpur. It’s a city with impressively tall buildings, a rich mix of cultures, a wide variety of cuisines and some truly unique sights.

A new and open-minded approach for me, which I’ve come to love very much

My semester abroad in Malaysia was a very special time in my life. I made lots of new friends, drew inspiration from a different culture and simply experienced an incredible number of wonderful moments during that time.

I’m really happy that I was able to take the opportunity to spend a semester abroad, and I’d recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat!

Getting to know another country by living there for a certain period of time, rather than just going on holiday, is a special experience. (Hanna Daxenberger, Taylors University, Kuala Lumpur, Summer Semester 24)

Malaysia: I’d recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat!

All in all, I’d do it all exactly the same way again! I’d recommend that all students take up the opportunity to spend a semester abroad, no matter which country – to go a bit further afield and live and study in a completely new environment.

What’s more, I’d definitely do it again for two semesters in a row, so I could make the most of the time to really immerse myself in the culture and feel like a local! (Olympia von Werthern, Cape Peninsula University, Summer Semester 24)

South Africa: A year abroad – rather than just a semester – is well worth it if you want to immerse yourself more deeply in the culture!

In recent years, Busan has become a growing hotspot for international tourism. The city impresses with its breathtaking coastal scenery, its urban charm and its vibrant cultural diversity. This combination makes Busan the ideal place for my semester abroad.

All in all, my time in Busan was an unforgettable experience, full of adventure, new friendships and delicious food. The city definitely has a special place in my heart!

I had high expectations for my semester abroad in Korea! I wanted to experience Korean culture first-hand, improve my language skills and gain valuable academic and personal experience. Looking back, I can say that all these expectations were exceeded. Not only did I learn more about the language and culture, but I also learnt a great deal about everyday life and the lives of the people there. It was also important to me to broaden my academic horizons, and I was able to achieve this goal too thanks to the challenging courses at Pusan National University. (Sarah Schall, PNU, Summer Semester 24)

South Korea: Not only were all expectations met, they were actually exceeded!

A semester abroad is always what you make of it! I can only recommend being open-minded and tolerant, not putting too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect, but simply embracing the experiences as they come.

Even though the organisational effort may seem very time-consuming and complicated at first, it is definitely worth it in the end.

By the time you arrive in Alicante, at the very latest, you’ll realise that it’s already been worth it.

I’m really glad I decided to spend a semester abroad, as it was a wonderful experience and an incredibly lovely and rewarding time.

A personal tip: Sometimes, when you’re there, it feels as though time is flying by far too quickly. I would therefore strongly recommend pausing every now and then and simply taking it all in! (Lotta Lichtenthäler, Alicante, Winter Semester 22/23)

Spain: By the time you arrive, at the very latest, you’ll realise it’s already been worth it!

Vancouver Island is considered one of the most beautiful and liveable places in Canada, and quite rightly so. It is stunning and has everything from mountains to primeval and rainforest to surfing beaches. Victoria is a lovely little town, and the suburbs of Colwood and Langford – where the RRU is located – have everything you could need.

In the end, my semester abroad turned out to be even better than I’d ever hoped. I was able to tick off loads of things from my ‘bucket list’, including a helicopter ride, the Northern Lights, dog sledding, driving a pick-up truck… and making friends for life.

My biggest challenge was meeting the deadlines without feeling as though I was missing out on something, which is why I ended up writing essays at the ice rink, snuggled up amongst the huskies, at the airport or on the ferry.

All in all, they were some of the best months of my life; I’ll look back on them forever and will tell everyone about them without even being asked. (Teresa Ludwig, Royal Roads University, Winter Semester 22/23)

Canada: Make the most of every minute and enjoy it

Oman is a beautiful, friendly and very welcoming country. There is plenty to discover and experience.

Sometimes our German habits are put to the test a little (for example, when it comes to punctuality), but you get used to that too.

Tips: Travel as much as you can! Get to know the locals! Never turn down a coffee – it might be taken as a kind of insult. Drink as much Karak Chai as you can get.

Sign up to the Federal Foreign Office’s crisis preparedness list. Not for security reasons, but because this means you’ll receive official invitations if the embassy organises an event. (Tobias Schmidbauer, GUTech, Winter Semester 22/23)

Oman: A unique experience

Before you visit Finland, you should be aware that it is a country known for its natural beauty. The towns here are generally quite small industrial towns. The natural scenery, on the other hand, is breathtaking, even in autumn and winter!

The Haaga-Helia student organisation organises or supports a number of trips. During my time abroad, these included a trip to the Lofoten Islands and a trip to Kilpisjärvi in Lapland:

Lapland felt like stepping into a ‘winter wonderland’.

The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago in Norway, renowned for their combination of rugged cliffs and fjords. This makes them a paradise, particularly for keen walkers. There are many picturesque fishing villages whose colourful little houses are perfect for photographs.

Two wonderful, unforgettable experiences.

I personally grew as a person during my semester abroad, becoming more self-confident and independent.

Because all the exchange students live together here, I never felt alone or lost at the start.

I’ve had the chance to meet some wonderful people from all over Europe and I’m already looking forward to visiting them all.

Finland, and Porvoo in particular, has become a second home to me. (Sophie Port, Haaga Helia, Winter Semester 22/23)

Finland: Unspoilt nature and a ‘winter wonderland’

I set off without any great expectations, but I was determined to experience summer in Italy. Many people think of Rimini as nothing more than a party destination – but the historic city centre showed me that the city has much more to offer. In my opinion, Rimini is just the place for a semester abroad because it has everything that makes a time abroad perfect. Personally, I was able to achieve all my goals: I improved my English and Italian language skills, made new friends and pushed myself beyond my limits.” (Katharina Schreiber, University of Bologna, Summer Semester 25)

Italy: Rimini really does have so much more to offer than ‘just’ a party holiday!

I’m absolutely delighted to have spent this semester in London. The University of Greenwich is incredibly impressive, has dedicated teaching staff and offers interesting lectures. And I enjoyed London even more than I’d expected. Life in Greenwich is very pleasant; it’s a lovely neighbourhood and quite central. It’s simply brilliant how much London has to offer. Contrary to expectations, the weather was also very good and sunny for the most part, and as early as April it felt like summer for a week or two. (Valeria Seeger, Summer Semester 25)

UK: London – Hardly needed an umbrella! (It wasn’t raining cats and dogs – as I’d feared!)

We can really highly recommend spending a semester abroad in Gran Canaria. It more than lived up to our expectations and we’d go back to study there in a heartbeat!

Gran Canaria is incredibly diverse, with beautiful beaches, impressive mountains, small villages and its largest city, Las Palmas. This means there’s always something new to discover. The island is also a great base for trips to the other Canary Islands. Especially with new friends from Erasmus, you can go on lots of weekend trips and explore plenty together. We’ve met lots of people from all over the world who have enriched this experience, and we’ll always look back fondly on our semester abroad. (Boje, Edelmann, Edelmann, ULPGC, Winter Semester 25/26)

Gran Canaria: We’ll always have fond memories of it!

I deliberately chose Alicante, a city by the sea that isn’t too big, which makes it easy to settle in quickly.

Developing a sense of home in a foreign city and another country, and feeling welcome and at home there, was an experience that had a profound impact on me.

Alicante has a special place in my heart, and I’m sure this won’t be my last visit there.

Looking back, I would highly recommend making the most of your semester abroad to travel to as many places as possible, budget permitting. Even though some of the trips were a bit more expensive, they were definitely worth it for me. It’s particularly handy that you’re already based in Spain, and travelling from Alicante is much easier and cheaper than, for example, from Germany. (Katharina Orth, WiSe25/26)

Spain: Travel as much as possible whilst you’re there!