This past summer, Urban Studies and German Studies major Kyle Nitsche took his academic journey overseas as a participant in CofC’s Summer Internship in Berlin program, which combines stay with a host family with intensive language training for the first month with an internship placement for the remainder of the summer. Combining his interests in city planning and the German language, Kyle expanded his academic and professional skills but also deepened his cultural understanding and independence. We sat down with him to hear more about his time abroad.

Why did you choose Germany for your study abroad internship?
I’ve always been interested in Germany, partly because I have extended family there and partly because I’m a German major. The idea of living and working in Germany while practicing my language skills really appealed to me.

How did you find and secure your internship?
AIFS, the internship provider for CofC’s Summer Internship Program to Berlin, connected me to two architecture firms where I split my time. One was a smaller, international office focused on residential projects, and the other specialized in urban design. The process involved a few steps like applications, interviews, and preparing my materials, but it was worth it.

What were your goals going into the experience?
My main goal was to speak as much German as possible and really immerse myself in daily life. I also wanted to explore as much as I could, especially since Urban Studies is about understanding how people and places interact.

How did you prepare before going abroad?
I worked on my resume with AIFS Abroad, took German 202, and tried to go in with an open mind. I knew it would be different, and I wanted to be ready to learn from everything.

What were your first impressions when you arrived in Germany?
I remember taking the S-Bahn to my host family’s house with all my luggage which was a bit overwhelming, but also exciting. That’s when it hit me: I’m really here.

Did you experience any culture shock?
Not too much, because I knew a lot about the cultural differences beforehand from my German courses. But I did have to adjust to how much people rely on public transit. It’s so organized and efficient compared to what I was used to.

Can you share a moment when you felt fully immersed in German culture?
Honestly, getting frustrated over train delays with other passengers made me feel like I belonged! Also, biking to work every morning and greeting my colleagues with “Morgen!” became part of my daily rhythm.

What were your main responsibilities at your internship?
At the smaller firm, I helped with client presentations, residential plans, and interior layouts. At the second, I worked on a 3D model for an urban design project that other employees used later.

How did the experience support your career goals?
I want to go into urban planning or consulting for city governments, so this experience really helped me understand how design and planning come together. It also pushed me to use professional German every day.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?
The jet lag was rough! I underestimated how mentally draining it would be. Talking with my mom and my host mom helped a lot. It reminded me to give myself time to adjust.

How did you grow personally and professionally?
Personally, I became more independent. I’m naturally a planner, but living abroad taught me to adapt and problem-solve. Professionally, I learned how to communicate clearly despite language barriers and make sure my work met both my standards and the company’s.

What advice would you give to students considering a study abroad internship in Germany?
Go for it! It’s what you make of it. You’ll have opportunities to grow in ways you don’t expect, whether it’s through language, work, or just everyday life.

Recent CofC Psychology and German Studies graduate Lia Hansen ’25 studied abroad in Munich and Salzburg in the spring semester of 2024 and then participated in CofC’s Psychology internship with the University of Bremen in beautiful northern Germany, where she pursued research in Psychology, completely in German! We caught up with her in the weeks before her graduation to ask her about the experience abroad and to share advice with students interested in following her footsteps.

What did you do during your research internship in Bremen in May and June of 2024?
I worked with a research team in Bremen focusing on the psychological impact of children who immigrated with their parents to Germany. A lot of it was seeing the stress and emotional impact of immigration. As part of the experience, I learned how to conduct tests, analyze the results, and run daily operations. The internship was very hands on, so I got to do a lot of the work instead of shadowing the staff in the lab. It was really cool because I had never done any a work in the psychology field before, so learning how psychological labs conduct tests was new but exciting. I think the advantage was figuring out what I really like doing and getting to experience it. Not many students get to do that until after graduation, so I got a head start.

Instead of just going to Bremen for two months, you preceded the internship with immersive study in Munich and then Salzburg for the spring semester of 2024. How did the four months of German help you once you got to Bremen?
Before I went to Germany, I spent a lot of time working on my vocabulary and grammar to be able to talk to people in Germany. Because I was in Munich and Salzburg before my internship began, I had the opportunity to really immerse in the language, pratice, and learn by doing (including making lots of mistakes!) That time helped me get over the fear of making mistakes, so I could just focus on communicating and growing! When it was time to start my internship, I felt confident in my skills. I was able to talk to my co-workers and the people directing my internship with ease. Although there were times when I was confused, I had the skills to explain what confused me, and we moved on. Overall, the spring semester in Munich and Salzburg really helped prepare me for the work environment in Bremen.

Other than the research skills you developed in Bremen, what else did you learn from working at a German research lab?
I think one of the biggest things was the ability to be direct. Germans, in my experience, find it easy to be direct and have open expectations with people. If they need you to do something, they will tell you directly. In the United States, we have a tendency to sugarcoat everything, even small things. So, being in a professional setting was different because everyone was so direct all the time, even when it seemed a bit demanding. It’s not really demanding, it’s a cultural thing. But I was able to fit in and be direct as well, which has really helped me to communicate effectively.
What would you advise to incoming Psychology majors interested in the Internship to Bremen and in combining Psychology and German?
I would say that it’s important to talk to the German Studies faculty about your options and how to study abroad. They are there to support you and help you succeed and are super supportive, so take advantage of it! If you do plan to do the Bremen internship, definitely take German and become as proficient as you can by the time you get there – they all speak English pretty well but being able to communicate in German gave me a tremendous advantage! Once your in the lab, be open to trying new things. Be polite with your peers abroad and try to learn as much as possible from the experience. You will gain so many skills professionally, culturally, and with your German. It is such an amazing opportunity to explore what you are passionate about, and I would encourage anyone with the opportunity to do it. The internship is so valuable and the experience I go from it has really shaped my future career.
Lia presented on the research she conducted in Bremen at the CofC Research Expo her senior year[/caption]

This summer, the CofC Cultural Vistas Summer internship to Germany has placed two Computer Science and German Studies double majors at fabulous internships in Germany! Jalena Austin ’24 is doing coding for the European Institute for Participatory Media in Berlin, while Dylan Mctigue ’25 was placed at the Baden Württemberg state office for sustainable mobility in Karlsruhe, where he is working with his team on rating the walkability and bikeability of micro-regions around the state.

International Studies and German Studies major Rhi Wilkinson has been participating in a year-long exchange with the University of Tübingen during her junior year at CofC. Now in her final months, we asked her to look back on the year thus far and share a bit about the experience. Read on below the picture for her summary!

“For my junior year, I chose to go abroad at the Universität Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg to reconnect with German culture and immerse myself in a way that would allow me to reach personal fluency goals with the German language. Upon arriving in September 2023, I had the opportunity to take part in a pre-semester German intensive language course, Deutsch Kompakt, where I met some of my closest friends and thoroughly improved my speaking, writing, and listening German skills. This course took place one month before the winter semester began in October, and thus we had ample time to become acquainted with the city and each other before adjusting to German university life. Once classes began, I realized very quickly that they were much different than the ones I had previously taken at CofC. For one, there was much less homework to do each week, and most classes only met once a week for group instruction. My classes were both in English and in German depending on the subject of the course; most international courses were taught in English and most everything else took place in German. Some of my favorite classes I took while at the Universität Tübingen included “Introductory seminar Das Monströse und das Andere in der mittelalterlichen Literatur Islands und Englands”, “The Beatles and America (post-1900)”, “Das politische Systems Deutschlands” and “Global Learning Abroad – Education in Exchange”. Whether intentionally in the syllabi or not, I thoroughly expanded my knowledge and perception of what it means to study and apply myself within German culture throughout all of my courses. What’s unique about my courses here was that at the end of the semester I could choose whether or not I wanted to sit for an exam or write a term paper to earn the right amount of ECTS. If I didn’t feel confident taking an exam or need the extra credit points for writing a term paper, I could simply opt out of either with no penalty to my grade or status as a student. Thus, I could also sit in on other courses (when there were enough open seats) that interested me even when they didn’t apply directly to my course of studies. I found this made my academic experience here at the university much more relaxed and allowed me to pursue anything that may have peaked my interest.”

“Outside of academics, the small town of Tübingen had much to offer. While most international students opt to room in the international student village at Waldhauser-Ost, I was lucky enough to live in the city center during my entire stay. Through my housing arrangement, I made good friends with my roommates and even took on a “Mini-Job” as a waitress at a local Swabish restaurant, Bären. My job was not time consuming at all, and I was able to work without a Visa since I was not making more than 500€ a month. This was another great opportunity to practice my German in a non-academic environment and make friends with my coworkers. Although Tübingen is quite a “hilly” city, I bought a bike for a reasonable price off Facebook marketplace which made getting around a bit easier. When the weather was nice, my friends and I enjoyed grabbing a döner and sitting along the Neckar river while watching people travel up and down the river in Stockerkahns, kayaks, or on paddleboards. While I was also afforded many travel opportunities around Europe during my year abroad, I found that it was most wonderful to get to know the city of Tübingen and the other students living there. Towards the end of my year abroad, I decided to stay mostly local and developed a true connection with Tübingen and the friends I made while here. I would recommend this experience to anyone, but also advise having an open mind before coming here. The environment and culture is much different than what I previously knew in the U.S., and took some time getting used to. However, if you really commit to the experience in its entirety, you will also leave Germany like I did, wishing it possible to stay a few more months.”

Congratulations to German Studies and Supply Chain Major Shane Love, a rising senior at CofC, who just began a six-month internship in Logistics at Mercedes-Benz Vans. The internship is an exciting next step in a journey Shane began in German 101 in the FYE learning community on German Business his freshman year and continued with annual visits to the German-American Business Summit and an internship in Berlin through CofC’s Cultural Vistas Internship program to Germany in summer 2023.

“Over my past three years at CofC the German program has provided me so much perspective in which direction I wanted my career to go!

Now, three years on from German 101, I’ve just completed my first week of a 6-onth internship at Mercedes-Benz Vans, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve enjoyed integrating myself into the logistics division, and the whole organization is so diverse, and incredibly welcoming. There is a lot to learn, but my very talented co-workers are always willing to take the time to help me understand. It is something special, being in an organization where the people care so deeply about our final product. It’s almost surreal, being so close to production, and seeing “the magic happen” firsthand. Plus, I understand and can communicate with my German coworkers in German, which happens a lot! ”

This spring, German Studies and Systems Engineering double major Jeffrey Werth is completing an immersive 7-month combined study and co-op experience in Munich, Germany! It began with a six-week intensive language course at the Goethe Institute in Munich and has now transitioned to a 5-month internship at BMW in Munich!

In the summer of 2023 after his sophomore year, Jeffrey interned in the Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas department at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, impressed his team with his growing German skills, seized the opportunity to participate in longer co-op experience in Munich at corporate headquarters in Munich this spring, and is now paving the way for a unique experiential study and internship semester abroad for future Engineering, Computer Science, and Business majors at CofC!

“I had a great experience at my 6-week Goethe Institute language course. It was a total immersion program that allowed my German proficiency to reach a sufficient level to start my Co-Op at BMW. Since starting at BMW all of my colleagues have pushed me to improve my German, and I am now able to use it every day!

My time at BMW is not only dramatically expanding my German skills, but also the engineering aspect of my education. Working within BMW’s strategic purchasing department has given me firsthand experience with how BMW develops its global supply chain. This has deepened my understanding of how systems engineering is applied to establish strong supply chains through careful design and decision making!”

While a group of our German Studies majors intern in Germany this summer, others are gaining valuable experience and using their German right here in South Carolina! Systems Engineering and German Studies double major Jeffrey Werth ’25 has been entering with the Purchasing Department of BMW in Spartanburg, SC, the largest BMW plant in the world!

“I have been working as a vehicle launch engineering intern helping to digitalize and automate data management processes involved with BMW’s vehicle launch process. This involves utilizing software development skills, supply chain management, and value stream mapping design. I have also made use of my German conversation skills with my many German coworkers.”

This summer, Computer Science and German Studies double major Andreas Dilling is interning at Bosch in Plochingen, Germany (near Stuttgart). Andreas has been working with the vehicle diagnostics software team, or “diax team,” where he has been pursuing a project to help the team specialize their vehicle diagnostics. He’s been having a wonderful experience and is learning a lot!

Urban Studies major and German Studies minor Claire Beck ’23 is interning this summer at the Nachbarschaft Community Center in Kreuzberg, Berlin. As part of her work for Nachbarschaft, Claire has been running the Kiez Cafe in a local park that offers, among other things, a clothing pantry for the homeless.

Her biggest project this summer has involved organizing meetings with the construction firm that is renovating public housing in the neighborhood. Claire has been working as an intermediary between the residents and the construction company to make sure that the residents have a voice in the process and to ensure it meets community needs. She is loving the internship and having a wonderful experience, as internship program director Stephen Della Lana learned on his site visit last week!