Guide on how to survive your year abroad placement

Guten Tag!

In this post I just want to give some of you tips and guidance on how to survive a year abroad placement, without having a complete breakdown. I will outline some of the most important things that you need to consider and do while you're here by linking it to some experiences that I've had to go through. Hopefully this will help you decide whether Potsdam is the place for you, or whether the year abroad option is the right one for you.

1 Language
Firstly, I would say that the most important thing about your year abroad placement is practising your language all the time, in any possible way you can. At first I was really scared to talk to native Germans, as I always feared that they would laugh at me if I made a mistake. And I have struggled with this problem for a long time. But I've realised that it's impossible to ever learn, unless you practise it. The one thing that I have avoided was, talking in front of large groups in for example: my seminars and lectures, but I'am willing to work on that in my second semester. And on top of that it feels so good, when you talk to someone and they can actually understand you. I don't know about the rest of you, but every time I've spoke to a German person that could understand me, I was so proud of myself in a way. It's like an achievement in a way, because that's the whole reason why I'm here in first place, to learn a new language. So I would definitely advise all of you planning to do year abroad, or those that are coming to Potsdam, to speak as much as you can. It will help you so much in the long term. And although yes it's hard to speak German, when you're in Berlin, as everyone or most people reply to you in English, you should still try. I did that a few weeks ago while I was in Berlin. A shop owner realised that I can speak fluently in English, so he just kept replying to me in English every time I said something, and I thought you know what, I'm here to learn. Not to speak in English, so I carried on speaking in German. It's like we was both practising our language skills and it was so fun. Potsdam is a bit different. If you're going to a shop, doctors or bank, they will speak to you in German, which is fine by me, but it can be so much harder, especially if their accent is a bit different, or if they speak really fast. But I would definitely say, do it as many times as you can!

2. Friends/ Socialising
Second most vital thing, would be making a lot of friends, and socialising. When I first came to Potsdam, I was really nervous that I wouldn't make any friends, or that I would be completely on my own at uni. But luckily, I have met some great people. And although most of them are English or speak in English, I've had some great times with all of them. It's important to always socialise as it makes your year abroad adventure so much different, than if you just came here without talking to any people. And yes it is hard at the start. You feel like you don't want to irritate people, especially when they already have their group of friends. But I honestly wouldn't worry. A lot of the Erasmus students, are in the same boat. They had to leave their friends and family back home, so it's hard for them to settle in as well. Therefore, if you feel like you don't want to do this because you're scared of being alone, or you want to go to the same place in Germany where your friends from back home are going, then I would honestly advise you not to, and to always look out for yourself, what you want to do and where you think would be the best place for you to go. I was the only person in my class that was moving to Eastern Germany. Everyone else wanted to go to the West, so in a way they are closer to UK. At first I was really concerned about moving to Potsdam. It seemed more ideal to be closer to the people that I know. However, looking back on this semester, I don't regret coming here one bit. It was the best decision even though I didn't know anyone, when I first moved to Potsdam. At the start of uni, we've had a freshers week just like back in UK, and every Thursday there was student nights out at Nil, where you can literally meet so many people. Surprisingly, most people that actually went there were Erasmus students. So honestly don't worry, you will meet great people, and have the time of your life. Make sure you're more open though, to actually meeting them and always involve yourself. Because it will be hard to go through this all by yourself, when you can share this experience with so many great people, that are also probably feeling homesick sometimes.
Another reason why it's so important to socialise in Potsdam, is for the pure fact that the international office and the professors will not help you and support you to the extent that you think they will. When I first came to Potsdam, on my first day we had to go to the Griebnitzsee campus, to collect our cards and meet our buddies. I believe, that was the only time I've seen someone actually going out of their way, to explain to us what on earth is going on, and what we are expected to do. I think I have mentioned in my other posts already, but just to remind, everything is so much different here, in terms of picking the right modules. On that day, they gave me my card, some paper work and a TAN list, which for about a week I had no clue what it was. They said we had to log into the PULS system, where we would be able to create our own timetable, but no one has actually said to me, that we needed this TAN list, to actually register into some of the lectures and seminars. It was all so confusing. So I wrote an email to the international office, which I never even got a reply from. I spoke to my tutor, and he was unable to explain to me what needed to be done. So it was all just crazy and messed up. I had no idea who I could go to, to ask for help. And up until this day, I'm not entirely sure how many credits I have done this semester, because no one was able to tell me exactly how many credits my modules are worth. Crazy! Luckily, I've seen my buddy on the campus one day and she explained to me exactly how I need to register for modules, so it all made sense to me after. Which is why I think, making friends and actually taking advantage of the fact that you have a buddy at university, is so important. The professors or the international office will not help you when it's urgent. Unless you knock on their door every single day. But even then, they will probably say 'you need to go and talk to a different department' like they've said to me a few times. Throughout the whole semester, I've had some other issues and questions, and if it wasn't for the fact that I had some friends, that I could talk to, then I would have struggled so bad. Because the actual uni will not help you out as much as the universities and tutors in UK do, they will just leave you to it, and let you get on with your studies, and with everything that needs to be sorted before that. So make sure you socialise and don't leave your timetable till last minute!!!!

3 Weather
The weather here in Potsdam, will definitely surprise you as it's so much different to the UK one. The main thing to remember is, that the summers are really really hot and the winters are really cold. I came to Potsdam with one winter coat, no scarf, no gloves and no hat. Which was definitely a stupid thing to do. I do admit that September was really hot in comparison to UK. It was so lovely to get out of UK that was already quite cold, to enjoy some beautiful weather for like a month or so. October wasn't so bad either, but you could no longer wear shorts or dresses. However, the winter here has been awful. It probably started off in November, and it's still so cold now. In fact it's actually snowing at the minute. There was so many points within those months, that I felt like I was going to freeze to death, especially when my lectures were finishing quite late and I had to wait for buses/ or trains. Therefore, don't forget to bring some warm clothes with you for your year abroad placement. Yes, Germany is really warm in the summer and you will get to experience some of that as well, BUT the winters are soo cold here, you can't even compare it to the winters in UK. So make sure you're all prepared for that!

4 Money/ Student Finance
In terms of money, your student finance and the Erasmus grant. You will get a bit more money this year, which will be very ideal to actually do more exciting things, like travelling to other cities/countries, treating yourself but always balance your expenses. I went a bit crazy at the start of my year abroad placement, as I've never seen so much money, and I believe anyone would be the same. But make sure you know exactly, what you can and can't afford. I'm grateful for the fact that I've seen so many places since September, been to some amazing parties and actually got to see more things in Poland. But I do think, I went a bit crazy with spending my money at the start, so now I limit myself more. I would recommend, that you should all maybe make a list at the start, with like how much money you would need to pay for rent and things like that, then maybe that would help you figure out what things you can afford to do, and which ones you can't. I've actually started doing that with food that I buy. I make a list of what I'm going to make for like a week, which helps me to save money on unnecessary food that will probably go out of date, before I eat any of it. Hope that helps :)

5 Accommodation
I would advise all of you to probably to start looking for accommodation, a couple of months before you leave, so it gives you that extra time to prepare for this properly. I've actually started looking way earlier than any other students, purely for the fact that I knew Lee was moving to Germany with me. It was impossible for me to stay with him at halls, so we had to look for other alternatives. After a few months of searching, we decided to go for Basecamp. It's a decent place, you have access to free gym, cinema room and there is a huge study room. There are also people at the reception most of the time, so it's good to have that when you're struggling with something. They also speak English. However, the rooms are not so big, especially when you're sharing it with someone and they actually just left concrete floors in every single room, so if don't mind that, then you should go for it. You can share the studio with a non student. That was the most important thing for me, and it was a lot cheaper than flats in Berlin. Some of you will probably find it easier to live in halls, mainly as it's affordable and really close to uni. There is a block of student halls right next to the Neues Palais and the Golm Campus, which is ideal for all of you that want to live close to uni and pay cheaper rent. I think you have to apply for them through Studentenwerk, which is a service provided by the university. They will most likely message you more details on how to apply through that, closer to your arrival. By living at halls you also get to meet quite a lot of people from uni, not just international students so it's also good for socialising and practising your language skills. If any of you want to live in Berlin, I personally wouldn't advise it as the accommodations are so much more expensive there, and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get to Potsdam from central Berlin, so it would be more convenient to actually live in Potsdam. However, you do get more choices in Berlin and it's more lively there. There is also the choice of looking for a flat, that you can share with other people, not through university, and you do get a bit more space than you would in halls, but I don't know much about this option. I'm not a big fan of sharing flats with people, so I never really looked into it. But if you don't mind it then there is a special website, where people advertise flats or look for international students that would want to move in with them. So there is quite a lot out there for you. Don't panic. You will not be homeless. Just make sure you do some research a few weeks before your departure :)

6 Travel/ Trips
Travelling to as many places as you can and visiting everything that Potsdam and Berlin has to offer, I would say is also important. Maybe not as important as getting everything sorted in your university, meeting the right kind of people, and finding a flat but it would be so good for your knowledge and awareness. Not only you have a chance to learn something new but you also have the ability to explore and discover new things.
In Berlin and Potsdam- If you don't know much about History, DDR and about former German royals, then these cities have so many great museums, castles, beautiful parks that will literally take your breath away and that are definitely worth visiting while you're here. There is also a concentration camp not far from Berlin, that I still haven't had the chance to see, but from what I've heard it's worth a visit.  You have to see all of it! I literally feel so lucky sometimes that I live in such a beautiful place. Can't wait to see what it will be like when it's warm again :). Same goes with Berlin, but it's just so much bigger and busier. Last week me and Lee was bored at home so we decided to drive to Wannsee, which is just on the outskirts of Berlin, closer to Potsdam and there is a beautiful lake there, with boats that you can hire when it's warmer. And this place was just so cute. We also finally got around to seeing Park Babelsberg properly, and the castle and so far this is probably our favourite place in Potsdam. I don't think this park gets as much credit as the Park Sansoucci one, but it is so nice! Nottingham doesn't have as much to offer, in terms of beautiful big parks, lakes and boats so if you're into nature, history and that kind of stuff, then Potsdam is the right place for you.
In addition to that the university card that you receive at the start of the semester, is basically also classed as your travel card. I did have to pay like 200 euros at the start of uni for it, but it was so worth it. I basically got a free travel for 6 months not only around Potsdam and Berlin, but also the whole Brandenburg county. So I took the advantage of having this card, while being off uni and did a bit of travelling around the county. Last Monday I went to a beautiful town called Lubbenau, which looked a bit like a small German- Venice. There was lots of small lakes everywhere with boats, which were not available at the moment due to the weather conditions, but in the summer they will probably be ongoing. I also went to Frankfurt Oder at the weekend, as it borders with a small Polish city- Slubice, so I had the chance to cross the border and see some lovely sights, by basically just using my student card. It was wicked! I don't know how it works in other parts of Germany, but in Potsdam everyone has to pay for this student card. It's so worth it though. I have so many other places I would love to see in Brandenburg, just didn't really have time to do it all this week. So I suppose that's the advantage of being in Potsdam uni as well :)

Wannsee

Pictures from last week- when my family from Poland has visited me in Potsdam.

Park Babelsberg

Lubbenau

Frankfurt Oder/ Slubice

7 And last one- Don't be afraid!
I know what is probably going through some of your heads. 'How on earth am I going to live in another country, so far from my friends and family. I'm going to be homesick all the time. What if I don't meet any nice people. How am I going to look after myself ' I know how terrifying this is. And I know, how scared you must be. But honestly, I can promise you now, it's not as bad as it seems. As long as you're open to new friendships, you are willing to speak the language and have everything sorted, you are going to have an amazing time. And you are not alone in this. The tutors from Trent are very helpful and are always there to support you when you're struggling with something. So don't worry. Before I came here, I was convinced this experience was going to be like my first year at Swansea University, which was an awful experience. But it was nothing like it this time. I feel more happy here and I know that what I'm doing at the moment will be so beneficial for my future and towards my goals. Even though I had to leave a beautiful flat in Nottingham and a job as well. So maybe that will be the case for you as well. You never know unless you try it :) 

Thank you for reading my post, MR x

Exams and a little trip to Brandenburg

Hello everyone!

Exams are finally over, and I'm now officially done with uni until the start of April!!

I still can't really get over the fact that my first semester is over and done with. It seems like only yesterday I have moved to Germany and started my first lecture (the one that actually made me cry) but what can I say, I'm not really complaining about the fact that I've got nearly 2 months off from uni. I've never had so much time off, except maybe summer school holidays. So, I'm looking forward to having a little break, and going back home for a bit :) and I've made it! I'm half way done and kind of proud of myself, for not having a little mental breakdown.

The exams here have been so stressful and confusing. I'm almost certain that I've failed most of them, despite the fact that I've been revising so much every day for like 3 weeks. You would be surprised. The worst exam that I've had this semester was definitely the linguistics exam. Oh my god, it was awful. I've spent hours revising, went to the exam and just felt like crying. Literally none of it made any sense to me. But I still tried. I suppose it's not really about the grade, it's the effort that counts. But still, the one thing that bothers me the most is the fact that someone is going to have to read this work and actually grade me. And I know I'm capable of doing well, the only problem was the language barrier, so that was really annoying. I think I'm just a bit embarrassed. On the other side, I think that the History exam and one of the Politics exam was quite decent. Not really expecting to get a top grade, but they were simple and straight forward. It was more about memorising stuff, rather than remembering how to draw diagrams. When I opened my paper for the History exam, I thought the questions were an absolute joke at first. One of the questions was, 'who was Winston Churchill' and the answers were underneath. You literally had to pick the right answer and connect them with the ones above. I was just so shocked that a university student would be asked such an easy question. After I've spent 5 days revising about more complicated stuff. I was just stunned. Couldn't believe it. But I can't really complain about having easy questions in the exam. It's better than trying to explain things/events/facts in another language, and at the same time lacking so much vocabulary.

The whole exam system here in Germany is so much different than in UK. Firstly, the one thing that really amazed me, was that in some exams we could have our bags& coats right next to us, even though the exam was taking place in the hall, with examiners in it. That would literally never happen in England. I mean the examiners were paying a lot of attention to the students, and they kept walking around checking if anyone was cheating, but it was still a bit strange. Being able to have your stuff right next to you or sitting next to someone. In that sense, I do think that exams are taken more seriously in England rather than here in Germany. They're more relaxed about the whole examination process, and in a way, they sort of trust their students a lot more, not to be cheating or doing anything wrong. If you were to finish the exam before, you didn't have to wait until the end (including the last half an hour of the exam). You could literally walk out whenever you wanted to. Most students didn't even put their hand up, they just gave their paper to the examiner and walked out. It was so weird. The same thing applied to when the student wanted to go to the toilet. The only exam which I believe was very similar to how exams are in UK, was the International Politics exam. Other than that, everything was just so simple and easy going. In England, there was so many times when I've seen students crying, getting emotional and upset that they're not fully prepared. Whereas the German student, in my eyes just didn't seem to care that much. I overheard some of the conversations before the exam, and so far, I believe that the attitude of German students is 'if I don't pass this exam, then I can always retake it on the second date'. (Most exams here have 2 dates-rather than just one like in UK). Obviously not everyone is the same, but my judgement is simply based on the conversations I overheard. To be fair though, there was a couple of students that actually were revising before the exam and kept looking through their notes. But I have not seen a single student crying. Which does make me think that it's less stressful here.

One thing that really annoyed me in one of the exams was the fact that the examiners just didn't seem to care enough to explain to the Erasmus students how the examination process applies to them. There was only one exam that I've had an issue with, which was the last Politics exam. Normally before you can enter the exam hall, you must show your student card to the examiner and they give you an answering book. I've not had any problems before that. My name was always on the list and the only thing that was expected of me was to sit down and wait for the questions. However, on my last exam the method of the examination was completely different. As I walked up to the examiner, she basically asked me if I was Erasmus, then said I need to wait until everyone else is registered. I was so confused by this point. After waiting and being ignored for ages, I asked the examiner again if I can sit the exam. He started going on about something and I had no clue what he was saying. In the end, I realised that I was able to sit the exam, but I had to answer the questions in a different way to the German students, which was so irritating that they couldn't explain it more clearly at the start. Half way through the exam I needed some paper, to answer the essay question and literally I've sat there for about 10 minutes with my hand up, waiting for them to give me some paper and none of the examiners even bothered to see what the issue was. I was so angry with the whole situation, because they clearly saw me waiting there, but didn't even bother as they knew I was an Erasmus student. That literally would never happen in England, and on top of that I've wasted time, waiting around for a piece of paper when I could of wrote more for this essay question. It's things that like that, I definitely won’t miss about Germany.

Overall, the exams are now done, and I suppose I never have to look back on it and all the mistakes that were made. Now that I've started my German intensive course, which by the way is so funny as I've actually got it with my previous teacher that I've mentioned about before (the one with the good German banter) I've started to actually look back and think about this whole semester in general, and I feel like I've improved so much and there is so many things that I'm going to miss. Like the A2 German class. Although it did feel like A2 was just too easy for me, it was so nice to refresh my mind and go through all the grammar, that I genuinely forgot about, as I didn't have to do it in my second year at university. I have enjoyed it so much.  In addition to that my teacher and his good sense of humour. Some students seem to be scared of him, as he seems to absolutely hate the lazy students that don't do any work at home, for some reason I just think he's hilarious. He is a proof that German people can have a laugh and aren't always so serious about everything.  Like for example last week he indicated that 'us English people must have a lot of money due to Brexit'. Some people get offended with his jokes, which I can understand sometimes. But I genuinely think he’s a nice teacher, with a really positive and a funny way of looking at life in general. So, it was definitely a lesson that will give me some funny memories to look back on. Don't think anything has ever made me laugh so much and learn at the same time. Other things that I loved about this semester, is all the friends that I've made and the people that have supported me so much! Like for example my History teacher, which I was scared of at first, because of that embarrassing first lesson, where he was asking Erasmus students to tell a bit about themselves, and I got so scared, I started mumbling something, that to be honest, I don't even know what I said. I'm certain it did not make any sense. He's always been very supportive and made me reconsider doing History next semester, as it was so interesting. So yeah these are probably the main things that I liked in my semester. I could probably go on for ages about everything that was so great this semester, but I don’t want to bore you, with all the exciting things that have been happening in my life recently. :)

The only lesson, I will a hundred percent not miss, is the 'Grammatische und Lexikalische Strukturen' linguistic module. That seminar was just like a blur to me. I've never done linguistics before, so it was really difficult, and although the teacher was lovely, and never really expected much of me, I don't think I'm ever going to try doing linguistics again. It was a nightmare. There are so many other things that I didn't enjoy or specifically liked in this semester, such as people pushing in the queues (which is a pretty normal thing around here, but so annoying), the food in the cafeteria, the lack of support from my tutor or the international office. I feel like in England, the teachers bombard you with emails, which after being here for one semester, I must say I will appreciate a lot more when I'm back home. I didn’t like the fact that they just want you to do everything independently, and there’s no one you could go to, to ask for help. Other than the students and the professors (which only speak in German), so it was hard, when sometimes I just had no clue what was going on or needed to know something specifically. Saying that though, some professors, did not even feel obligated to respond to some of my emails throughout the semester, so I wouldn’t even say they have been always there to help you in an emergency.  But overall this experience has been amazing, and I feel like I've grown so much as a person and gained so much in such a short amount of time. It hasn't always been great, and I have been feeling down sometimes, but the way I feel now, looking back on this semester, I feel like this was so far the best decision I have ever made- coming here. And I hope my second semester will be even better. Actually, looking forward to it now :)

The weathers been so strange the last few days. One minute it’s sunny, then the next minute it’s snowing. But even when there is a bit of sun shining, it is still so cold at the same time. I forgot what it’s like to live in such a cold environment. I hope that when I come back, it will start getting warmer again, as I’m so sick of winter!! Last week was my last night out in Nil (student club) until April, and this actually gets me so emotional, thinking about it. I've had so many fun nights there and can't wait to go back! <3 I also went for a meal with my friends to celebrate the end of exams, which hopefully we will have a chance to do again, before everyone goes back home. Today, me, Lou, Kayleigh and Helen went to Brandenburg for the day. And although it was so pretty and will look so lovely in the summer, especially the area that has the river next to it. It did in a way feel like the city in general is so abandoned. It's a Saturday today, and there were hardly any people out. I thought Potsdam was bad on Saturdays, but Brandenburg just felt like a big village with a shopping centre, a couple of corner shops  and no people. I'm glad I went though, because it was nice to get out the house and see something new and something so pretty... For the next few weeks before I go home, my plan is to see the little towns and villages in the Brandenburger county, as I've only just realised recently that my student card works within this whole county- not just Berlin and Potsdam, so for now my priority is to see as much as I can, before uni starts again :) And hopefully have even better memories/pictures to look back on! 

Thank you for reading my post, MR x

Hamburg

Hello everyone!

After waiting for almost 4 months for it, my trip to Hamburg is already in the past. I was really looking forward to this trip, as I've never been anywhere new for my birthday or celebrated it in such an adventurous way. But it's over and done! My first impressions of Hamburg was it looks a bit grey and like a bit of a dead place. But I was so wrong. My first impressions were simply based on the fact that I was in the car, absolutely starving and tired after a long 3 hour journey. And on top of that we actually went to Hamburg, on Monday morning. And Mondays are just never good!

After checking in and resting for a bit, we decided to explore the city and OMG it was so beautiful. The one thing that I must say surprised me about Hamburg, was definitely the fact that it has a square, unlike Berlin. A lot of people would say that Alexanderplatz is suppose to be the city square. But I strongly disagree. The square is suppose to be the main area/point of the city centre, where everything or most of the things that tourists would like to see are a short walking distance. Like for  example, if you want to go to a nice restaurant, or see castles/churches/bars/ shops anything you could possibly think of, it would be close.  But in Berlin everything is so spread out. I mean you could walk to some of the tourist attractions from Alexanderplatz like for example the DDR Museum. However, if you want to visit Reichstag, or Checkpoint Charlie or even the Berlin Wall you have to get so many trains/undergrounds. It's not a really good walking distance, unless you like walking for hours. So that was definitely one thing that surprised me about Hamburg. We was there for 3 days, and there was not a single day when we had to get a bus or train or anything. We just kept walking everywhere, as it was so close. Like I get that Berlin is so huge, I can't even compare that to Hamburg, but it was just such a nice break to be away from all the noise, all the hassle of getting public transport and getting lost every time you enter the wrong street, thinking it's a shortcut.

Another thing, I would say I enjoyed about Hamburg, was the buildings and how it just made me feel like I was in the German city version of 'Amsterdam'. Berlin is beautiful and full of emotional and incredible History, but it does feel like most of the parts are still being reconstructed /rebuilt post the Soviet era/their involvement in the Eastern Block. You can still see it in the East of Berlin or even in some places in Potsdam, hence why some streets, houses and buildings look completely different to the ones in West Germany. I could see a huge difference between Berlin and Hamburg, in terms of the buildings and architecture. Hamburg just seemed more modern. Like everything was in its place. But some parts of Berlin seem to look like they are still in the process of modernisation. I've never been to any other city in Germany, so it was nice to see the changes between them.
Another thing we have had the chance to see in Hamburg was 'Reeperbahn'. I'm not going to go into too much detail about that street, but the nicest way I can put it is basically it's a street which is identical to the 'Red Light District' in Amsterdam. Hence why I believe Hamburg has a lot of similarities with Amsterdam. Not just because of Reeperbahn, but just in general the city itself. There is quite a lot of canals pretty much everywhere you go, which is why it has reminded me so much of Amsterdam :) On Reeperbahn there was also a lot of bars/restaurants where you can smoke inside and every bar/club was on that street, which I do think is very convenient for when you want to have a night out. That's probably another thing that annoys me about Berlin. I've heard that it has some of the best techno clubs in the whole world, but they are spread out all the way from Kreuzberg to Warschauer Straße to the West. It takes too long to get from one to the other, on top of the fact that I live in Potsdam which is another half an hour/ 40 minutes away. Therefore I just gave up on the idea of ever going out properly in Berlin. Hamburg was so much more convenient with that.
On my birthday we went for some nice Mexican food there, for a few cocktails and to the shisha bar. It was definitely a good birthday, probably the best one I've had so far. :)

Uni's been going great this week, so good that every-time I hear the word 'Prüfung or Klausur' (exam) I feel like crying. Which by the way my first one starts on Friday the 2nd. I think I just gave up on the idea of doing well in everything, and passing all of it. I've just accepted my fate and the fact that I'm not going to do so well. But that hasn't stopped me from revising, and making a lot of revision notes. I think I'm just doing it for myself and to get my mind off all the things that are happening around me. My history teacher suggested last week that maybe I should do a speaking exam instead of the writing one, which in his words is the easier option but I don't think he realises that I would much rather embarrass myself by writing an exam, struggling with words which is most likely what will happen. Then face him and not having a clue how to say certain historical/formal words in German. In the end we came to the agreement that I can write the exam, but he gave me extra time and made me promise him that I won't write this exam in English or Polish instead of German. Haha

Today, I was just so fed up of staying in, revising, uni and everyone in general, that I've decided to go out and do some exploring. My plan was to see Vollkspark, as I've heard that it's wicked and it's one of the parks that I have not seen yet, so I got out of bed this morning, was actually really looking forward to it. Only to find out that it's a tropical hall, and you have to pay to get in there. I probably would have paid but didn't have any cash on me, and I went there on my own, so it seemed a bit pointless to pay for something only to see it for a couple of minutes. On top of that there was just lots of kids everywhere with their parents, so I decided to go somewhere else. It does look nice though. I'm probably going to go back at some point, but didn't really fancy going there on my own. I just assumed Vollkspark would be a public park that you can enter whenever you like. I'm glad I actually went there though, as I've actually had the chance to help someone out today. Before I got on the tram, a couple was stood near the stop looking absolutely confused and lost, and I've heard them speaking in English. It just reminded me of my first days in Potsdam, where I had no idea where the hell I was going and had to rely on Google Maps all the time. So I've decided to help them out and make it easier for them. They were looking for 'Hollandischer Square' which was a few stops away, if they got on the same tram as me. So we started talking as I offered to show them exactly where they need to get off, and they were telling me a bit about their lives how they originally come from America and now reside in London. I was telling them a bit about me and my crazy year abroad experience. And before they got off, she shook my hand, thanked me for the help and said it's incredible what I'm doing, how I'm trying to be trilingual. And that she hopes I will have a great future and lots of success at uni. And honest to God, that has actually made my day. I've been feeling so down lately, so it was nice to hear that. I started thinking about my life and what I'm doing now, and it actually is so great, having the opportunity to live in another country and I'm going to make the most out of this experience :) After giving up on Vollkspark, I got the train to Babelsberg and walked from Babelsberg Park along the path near the Tiefer See. I had no clue where that path was going to take me but I just went for it, as it was a really nice view, and ended up near the Potsdam main station. It was so nice to get some fresh air and do some exploring. I feel so much better now, like I'm prepared for the worst, which will be the next 2 weeks...

Thank you for reading my post, MR x