Germans are one of the most welcoming people I have ever met!

Joeri from the Netherlands, Winter semester 2018/2019

When I arrived in Remagen at the end of September 2018 I didn’t have a room, I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t really know what would happen next. Luckily, I had met some friends during the summer holiday who happened to live near Koblenz and I could stay with them as long as needed. After the first introduction week, I managed to find a room in the shopping street of Remagen and I could move in the next week already!

Most of the experiences from other exchange students I heard during the introduction week was how cold the Germans were. But I strongly disagree with that observation.

To me, the Germans are one of the most welcoming people I have ever met!

The teachers are very helpful and know you by name, the open-door policy really means “open door” and all the time necessary is taken to help you solve your problems.

In my WG I lived together with one German, a girl from Syria and a girl from Uganda. There was an immediate “click”. At home, I would practice my German and they their English while enjoying a meal and a beer together. Quite soon I joined the weekly volleyball training organized by the university (side note: I think it is amazing they do this! Not only for volleyball but for a lot of different sports), this really opened up my world in Remagen. In just a few weeks I had made about a dozen German friends and none of them where nearly as cold and closed people (including teachers) said they would be. Another event that broadened my horizon was going to one of the parties at Barracke (the student bar). What happened was that, initially, I went with friends but when all of them left I stayed. Next thing you know I am standing at a table half-drunk surrounded by Germans (yes, they can drink!) getting invited to multiple other parties in the coming weeks.

What I am trying to say is that for me the best thing I did was not sticking with the first few people I met during the introduction week for exchange students. Although, of course, I kept on having great experiences with them. But I took a leap of faith and made friends for life who I would have never met if had just stayed in that initial bubble. Just go out and have fun! The Germans are great people!