Jennifer in Hawaii

What was your main motivation to go abroad?

I knew even before I started my studies that I definitely wanted to do a semester abroad. At first, Hawaii was not on my list. But when I looked through all the partner universities again with a friend and we came across Hawaii, it was clear to both of us that we wanted to do it, despite the high costs. It has always been a dream destination for both of us! Another motivation was that the semester there is only four months long, so you are not away from home for so long.

What were your biggest concerns?

On the one hand, I was worried that Hawaii is really at the end of the world and you can't just quickly say you're visiting friends and family at home. But the joy in Hawaii was greater and I was also able to overcome this on site. There were always little moments when you felt homesick, but that passed. And on the other hand, it was the high costs that gave me a headache. But thanks to the financial support through BAföG and borrowing money, this was no longer a problem either.

Would you recommend a stay abroad? Why?

Yes, definitely! You simply learn to be more independent and approach strangers more easily. It also gave me a lot of time to look at my life from the outside, and I gained a lot of insights that were only possible because of the distance.

Were your expectations met?

Definitely! I had hoped to learn more English, but unfortunately I was in a semester where it felt like only people from Germany were in Hawaii. Many of them went back for the semester abroad because of COVID-19. But otherwise, all expectations were exceeded! Hawaii is so diverse and beautiful. Everyone should have seen it once.