A temporary home: Erasmus and exchange in Mainz

Asahi Yoshimura from Japan and Dàvid Pentz from Hungary tell us about their experiences in Germany during their exchange and Erasmus semester. The 21-year-olds talk about their adventures, the bureaucratic processes and cultural differences.

Why did you choose Germany as your destination?

Dàvid: Germany is a huge country with many universities which is the reason why many students from many different parts of the world have their options here. It is located centrally in Europe which makes it easy to visit neighboring countries. In addition, we are able to live here without having to speak German because most Germans, especially in the big cities, speak English.

Asahi: I agree, and the cost of living is much lower in Germany than in English speaking countries, such as the USA or England.

What were your expectations coming to Germany?

Asahi: My biggest expectation was to communicate and interact with other international and German students. It is a bit hard to stay in contact with Germans which is why I prefer to stay in my international exchange bubble.

Dàvid: Everyone who has heard of Erasmus, immediately thinks of parties and a lot of socializing. But to be honest, I did not have a lot of contact with German students which I know is bad, but I simply did not have the opportunity. I found that they all speak English but prefer to interact with other German students in their language. I do not blame them because they know that I am only here for a couple of months. I do not think it is a big issue either, they are still very kind to me.

How did the bureaucratic processes go?

Dàvid: Despite the fact that the Erasmus program has existed for a couple years now, I have to criticize the University of Mainz because they delayed sending me important information. I received the enrollment documents two days before the deadline. Nonetheless, everything else went smoothly.

Asahi: I applied for the exchange year and everything went well. My only difficulty was to choose a university in Germany because there are so many. The apartment search was another struggle: I received a confirmation only two weeks before my flight.

Dàvid: The University told me to register on the Studierendenwerk website for a place to live. I got an email every week to ask if I am still interested. In the end, I also had to wait until the last two weeks for a confirmation of the apartment.

What would you bring home from Germany?

Dàvid: The modernity, everything is so modern here, for example the infrastructure.

Asahi: The German personality. Germans are much more direct than Japanese. In Japan, you always must think about what other people are thinking or commenting about you. You cannot always say what you want or think or feel. In Germany it is different, I want to take that directness home with me.

Have you noticed personal development during your stay?

Dàvid: I have never lived alone before. In Hungary, I live with my parents. So, that is a big difference for me. Now I know, I can organize my life by myself, live alone and cook. It is a great experience.

Asahi: I want to be more active in seminars. I have a very shy personality – I have thought about changing that for a while, but I even feel uncomfortable speaking English. Maybe that will change. I still have got some time left in my exchange year.

Would you recommend Mainz to other potential students?  

Dàvid: Definitely, I would recommend Mainz because it holds a lot of Erasmus events for international students. It never gets boring. Mainz is not a big city, so that is also a good aspect. I only need 10 minutes to commute from my apartment to the campus. And the courses are not bad at all. Only the beer is too expensive!

Asahi: It is not a big or small city. It is very comfortable living here and you only need 40 minutes to visit Frankfurt or go to the airport.

Editor's note: The entire article is also available in German.