Asha – Berlin School of Economics and Law
Semester 1, 2019
Bachelor of Fine Arts
For my 2019, semester 1 student exchange I studied in Berlin, Germany. The experience was better than I could have imagined and is something ill never forget. Berlin is a place I have desired to visit long before my tertiary education. However, despite my original intentions being to take a gap year or to visit following the end of my studies I was convinced to do a full semester of exchange by a friend who had done the same the previous year before.
Studies
As a student of film and marketing, Berlin hosted a wealth of options regarding schools that offered classes applicable to my studies. Considering I have already finished my major in film, TV and media production, I decided to enroll at the Berlin School of Economics and Law to further my entertainment marketing minor. The school itself was smaller than QUT, however I preferred this. English being a second language in Germany can make navigation intimidating and meeting new people even more so, so traveling to, from and within a smaller university was far easier than that of somewhere larger.
It also made it easier to meet people, the course hosted somewhere around 250 students from memory, each of which were interesting individuals from all over the world. Everyone was a little nervous, but also eager to make new friends and it wasn’t before long that I knew someone in all of my classes and had a core group of friends to spend time with outside of my studies.
The studies themselves were just as pleasant. All subjects were in English and were taught by engaging and thought-provoking professors and lecturers. Each class taught me something new about the industry I desired to end up in, as well as other things of interest. For something different I took up “history, politics and economics of the host country” as an elective and gained great insights into my host country from a multitude of perspectives.
Travel
In my spare time I was either exploring the city or beyond to surrounding countries within Europe. I traveled through much of central Europe, the UK, Ireland, southern Europe and the Mediterranean, all during weekends or on public holidays. Most of these travels were with friends, whilst some were alone and all experiences were fun, exciting and eye opening.
Berlin the city itself is one of my favorite places in the world, with an unchallenged level of art and culture on every street. There are galleries, live performances and festivals through the days and plenty of fun things to do at night. The city has arguably the best bar and club culture of any in the world, leaving something to do every night of the week. Cost of living in Berlin is also incredibly affordable, and the student accommodation organized by my host university was both convenient and affordable.
Berlin was an incredible city and I will be back. If I am ever asked, I would suggest staying there above anywhere else in Europe. However, if you are considering somewhere else, I still couldn’t recommend going on student exchange enough. It will change your life and you will never forget it.
