Mickey Adelman ’10 Writes from Germany
He shares his experiences about studying abroad in the Lafayette program affiliated with Jacobs University Bremen
Mickey Adelman ’10 (Clarks Summit, Pa.) is a Marquis Scholar majoring in civil engineering. He is currently studying abroad in Bremen, Germany, in a Lafayette program affiliated with Jacobs University Bremen (JUB). The trip is being led by Erol Ulucakli, associate professor of mechanical engineering. The following is a first-hand account of Adelman’s experiences so far this semester. He will send additional correspondence throughout the trip.Several of us learned an important lesson about Germany rather early on in this trip, after being greeted at the exit of a public restroom by someone asking for our € 0.75 contribution towards sustaining these fine facilities. That caught some of us a little off guard the first time and it really is the little things like that, the things you take for granted and would tend not to think about back home, that can surprise you the most when living in another country.
On the whole, however, I believe that public restroom fees have been a small price to pay, culturally speaking, for the experience that I am having so far as part of the Lafayette group at Jacobs University Bremen. Many of the other lessons about Germany — for instance, the quality of the local chocolate — have been considerably more enjoyable to learn. And though Western Europe is not so far removed from the U.S. in many ways, there are a number of differences in customs, mannerisms, worldview, and way of life, which I have not only gotten used to but have come to enjoy and appreciate — a trend that I imagine will continue throughout the semester.
Here at JUB, however, it is not just German culture that I am immersed in and learning more about. The school itself is truly an international environment, with the student body representing 91 different nations from all corners of the world. Just being on this campus is an exciting experience, and saying that I went to a celebration of the Chinese New Year with friends from Romania and India is something one does not get to say very often.
I am very grateful to the students and staff at Jacobs University, who made the transition for our group as easy as possible, and have been great so far in helping us get the most out of our time here. It’s hard to believe that more than a month has already gone by since my first dazed, jet-lag filled day here in Europe, but at the same time, we have already had many opportunities to see new places, explore new cultures, and meet new people from around the world.
All of us in the Lafayette group have already done a significant amount of traveling. One of the great things about Europe is how many different countries are accessible on just a weekend trip, and we have certainly made the most of this situation so far. Our group has been literally from the North Sea to the Alps Mountains and has gotten to experience the culture of places as diverse as Munich, Paris, and Oslo. I myself have added Köln, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Salzburg, and Vienna to the rapidly growing list of places I have been to in my life. Recently, our entire Lafayette group traveled together to Berlin, as part of our course in German politics and culture. There, among other things, we got the chance to meet two members of the German Parliament and discuss a number of interesting, globally-relevant topics.
Life at JUB has been busy as well, and the Lafayette group is represented in a wide variety of the courses offered here. One of my most worthwhile pursuits here at Jacobs has been environmental geosciences, a course in which I am learning about the interaction of Earth systems, the behavior and control of important pollutants, and other topics that will serve me well someday in the environmental field. I have also gotten experience working as a lab assistant in environmental research, and had even more new opportunities to get involved in student clubs and organizations.
I have been active in some service work in the local community, which has been another chance for me to use the German I learned at Lafayette and practice conversing with native speakers. I am also a part of activist groups working on interfaith and intercultural development, and even environmental stewardship and conservation, all things that fit right into my interests and allow me to work for worthy causes.
In short, I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be part of this Lafayette – JUB program, and it has so far proven to be an amazing and worthwhile experience.
