Semester 1 Report

So in my last blog  promised my regular reader that I was still alive and would post something more fun soon.    Well here it is dear reader.  It is action packed and features bullet points:  everyone's favourite form of punctuation.

So Semester 1 has come to an end, all my work is handed in (finally) and I’m chomping at the bit to get started with Semester 2’s fun and games.  By way of reflection on the last seven Months of learning (and stuff) here is an edited version of my Semester 1 report.  The plain text is what I submitted (reformatted into bullet points to make it more blog friendly); the italics are what I could have said:

• Since the beginning of September, when I arrived at the University of Konstanz my knowledge of both German and of living life as a student in Germany have improved immeasurably. 
• My ability to speak German whilst drunk has improved immeasurably. 
• My language skills began to improve noticeably from the outset with increased usage allowing me not only to practise and detect my own mistakes but also for those with whom I spoke to correct me and offer advice on more typical usage of idiom and other similar phrases.
• I began to work out what I should be saying when people say “eh?” and give me the ‘talking to stupid foreigner’ face.
• The September induction course was the beginning of this, allowing some revision of key areas in a more relaxed and informal setting allowing questions to be asked and particular difficulties to be addressed. 
• Sepetemberkurs was awesome.  The foreign people were nice and I managed to attempt correct the things I’ve been doing wrong for about 5 years. 
• Since then my two main learning environments have been in the academic sphere and in my free time. 
• Laxing and Leaning – that’s what German is for (And Drinking, but that doesn't begin with ‘L’). 
• In discussions in Seminars and when working with other students and speaking with lecturers I have been able to develop the more formal and academic aspect of my language.  This aspect of my written communication has also vastly improved thanks to the written pieces, handouts and Powerpoints needed for oral presentations required for the Modules.
• I have to speak real German for Uni, where people are less forgiving of you sounding like an idiot.  Its especially helpful to get real Germans to correct things for you. 
• Outside of academic life I speak often with friends from the lacrosse club, student accommodation as well as those involved with Erasmus (both German and visitors). 
• I speak German to most of the Lacrosse club, when I’m not being lazy, German to one other exchange student and my mentor and say “Servus” to the people in my building. 
• Academically, I have taken on 21 credits of Seminars in addition to my language classes.  These cover German colonial History (mistake), Comparative regional Integration (not mistake) and Theories of Democracy (Second year European Political Thought with added Alexis de Tocquville). 
• In these Seminars I have been able to not only develop my skills in German but also with regard to academic work. 
• Stupid bloody hausarbeits. 
• In my History Module in particular I have needed to develop a new set of analytical skills specific to this discipline, which, whilst challenging, has given me new tools to investigate literature and sources. 
• Like restraining the urge to personally harm every historian at the University.
• Comparative Regional Integration has allowed me not only to pursue an already established interest but also, through participating discussions and debates within the group, to develop an understanding of how others, Germans and other Europeans alike, view the progress of European and other integration. 
• They don’t believe the Daily Mail is real. 
• Theories of Democracy has allowed me to re-examine some work done last Year in Bath in European Political Thought and add a new dimension and other Philosophers to both expand and deepen my understanding of the background of different political philosophies and their continuing influence.
• See above.  Fun fact: bloke who taught this is mates with Ingolfur Blüdhorn, small world.
• In all of these Modules I have been required to give presentations alone and to write academic pieces of varying length; in particular the longer final research papers which require titles to be formulated provide good preparation for the final year dissertation in Bath.
• E.g mentally preparing myself for how much I will hate it. 
• Another learning point has been the academic culture, which varies greatly from that of the UK, and speaking to other exchange students, other countries as well.  The first noticeable difference was the formal feel to sessions, with students being addressed as Mr. X or Ms. Y in the Sie form.  Additionally the amount of group work is markedly lower, which is linked to smaller class sizes. 
• There is nowhere to hide!  And an added way of offending the person assessing you. 
• In day to day life the learning curve has also been significant with dealing with city and University bureaucracy featuring significantly. 
• Bloody banks.  At least I’m from the EU. 
• I have also learnt to adapt to the small details of life in southern Germany, form the well-known adherence to crossing lights and remembering to go shopping before Sunday to the ‘religion’ field being required on the Stadtsanmeldung form. 
• Walking crossing at a red light to try and find Flour on a Sunday?  Why aren't you in church?
• Greetings with handshakes have become common, even amongst those who are not German, as has the expectation of punctuality. 
• I’m looking at you Estonia (and you Ireland). 
• Those issues which have required more effort in solving, such as how to reach different places, where slightly unusual goods might be found or how to use the university printers have required further research, using german websites, directories, advice leaflets or friends. 
• Ewww, real life. 
• It has also been interesting to hear German’s views on issues such as the Euro crisis, Greek bailout and other similar events, including the US Presidential Election. 
• Insert what you’d expect here. 
• Many of these impressions and habits have been formed as a result of spending time with the Lacrosse team, membership of and participation in which has greatly assisted socialising, relaxing and even working in German.  Through the lacrosse club I have had the opportunity to travel as well as experience a more ‘local’ impression of Konstanz.  This is something I know those exchange students who have not involved themselves in something other than their studies or group of friends from home have not benefited from. 
• I have also gained:  Several hangovers, some interesting bruises, the ability to say I have driven a 9 seater bus at 100mph (ish) on the Autobahn and further proof of Rodders’ Law (a lacrosse team will seek out the nastiest bar wherever it is and make it its own)- you’re missing out other foreigners. 
• For the next Semester I plan to undertake further German classes to improve particular aspects of my language, including pronunciation and academic writing.  In addition I will seek out politics Modules which may be helpful next year in Bath with regard to deeper understanding and perhaps a dissertation topic. 
• And will NOT be choosing 3 Hausarbeits as assessment!  It might trigger an ‘incident’. 
• Personally, I want to increase the amount of German I speak outside of a University environment as well as travel more widely, in order to experience more of not only Germany but also Switzerland and Austria, taking advantage of Konstanz’s particularly useful location.   
• Be less foreign and go to other places to be less foreign.

That was what I thought in February and now as I get towards the beginning of Semester 2 (so yes my Semester 1 report really only covered half of Semester 1) it is still broadly true.  In fact I think my Semester 2 report will say something very similar, mainly because it was due on Easter Sunday, at which point Semester 2 hadn't started (and lectures don’t start until the 15^th) so we’ll see about that. 

What I’m certain about is that I'm looking forward to a Bodensee summer as much as David Milliband is looking forward to doing a job his brother isn't doing.