Annabella Peretti, Business, Technology and Engineering: The German Way Summer 2024
Everyday life as a college student in Munich was very similar to that of an American student. We went to class starting at 9:00 every day and finished around 16-17:00. During lunch breaks, we would leave campus and walk to nearby shops to order food. After our last classes of the day, we would take public transportation either home or to more places around the city to explore! One difference I found is that people in Germany are much more active — people walk much more and use means of transportation other than a car.
The nightlife in Germany was no different than that of America. After work or school, people go to dinner later at night. When the weather was extremely nice, we noticed a lot of people exploring Marienplatz, going shopping, or going out for dinner at the various restaurants and outdoor Biergartdens in the city center. Public transportation stays available into the night, but will reduce significantly at much later hours, which is something people must consider.
On holidays, people tend to go outside and do athletic activities as well. During a bank holiday we had the first Thursday of the trip, we hiked a mountain in the Alps, and I was surprised to find out such a tasking activity was normal to them! This lifestyle difference permeates into the clothing as well, for most outfits (even workplace attire) consisted of comfortable, athletic sneakers. Germans also love to travel. Coming from the United States, where everything is relatively on a larger scale, I found it fascinating that people will come and go from other countries with little to no thought behind it! Just in our first week of being here, we had classmates speak about traveling to the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy!
Because we were only in Munich for two weeks, I did not have the opportunity to do extensive shopping, other than getting souvenirs for my family and friends. I was always told that things are much cheaper in Europe; however, it honestly was comparable to the States. I tried to save money as much as possible, and I found the best way was to carry cash rather than use a debit or credit card, as these will charge additional fees for being out of the country. The only caveat, however, is that the ATMs charge even higher fees for getting cash, so it is extremely important to transfer your money to Euros BEFORE leaving the country, and bring more than you budget for!
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