First Impressions of Berlin

Today marks the first day of my fourth week studying abroad in Berlin, Germany. It has been an amazing experience so far, as I’ve explored so much of this historic city. What amazes me the most, however, is that I have yet to scratch the surface of what Berlin has to offer. Being such a large city, I could probably live here for over a year and still not have time to visit every worthwhile place.

The first difference that I noticed once arriving here is that most German Universities are commuter schools, so there are no dormitories on campus, and therefore less people on campus in general. I am mostly accustomed to this by now, but it was certainly weird getting used to commuting an hour to and from class everyday. While this may seem like a huge inconvenience in the United States, it actually is quite manageable here. This is due to their plentiful public transportation options, which in addition to their timeliness and reliability, are free for students. The U-Bahn (underground train), S-Bahn (above ground train), trams, and buses connect the city very well, and make it really easy to get anywhere for free.

I came here with a solid foundation of the German language, and I was excited to try it out in real life situations. I knew that my German was nowhere near perfect, but I thought I would be able to communicate at least somewhat effectively. I quickly came to realize that although I could speak some German, locals can easily distinguish that I am American, and therefore switch to English right away. Nearly everyone that I have communicated with, especially if they are younger, speaks near perfect English, and is happy to use it. Although this makes life easier, I still enjoy trying out my German “in the real world”. Luckily, most people I have encountered are happy to let me stumble through speaking in German if I just ask.