We talked to 2022’s graduates Sarah (studies Aerospace in Munich) and Tassia (Physics student in Zurich) about their first year at university, what it was like to transition from school life at GESS to student life in a new city, country and continent and all the new things they had to learn how to tackle.
What do you like best about student life?
Sarah: I really enjoyed meeting new people with different experiences to the ones we know here in Singapore. It’s also nice to be back in Europe because it opens up a lot of opportunities that you don’t have here, like traveling.
I have to say that we are very busy studying, we don’t really have much time for much else, so I haven’t really experienced student life yet.
Tassia: Exactly, I also think the interaction with the different students from all over the world is great. Although it’s a German course, we also have quite an international student body. But I also met people from the German school in Tokyo, for example, who I already knew from debating. In general, it’s great to explore student life with all the different events that take place at the university, where you can learn a lot of new things and from many different areas. I found that very enriching last year.
What do you miss from your time at GESS?
Sarah: Free time… I miss having a structured daily schedule because you don’t have one at university and you have to organize everything yourself. I have the feeling that I’m never done with studying, with revision, with preparation. It was different at school, when the school day was over, you did your homework and then you could do other things and that’s just not the case now. I also miss having a real weekend at the weekend.
Tassia: Yes, I miss having free time too. There’s just so much you have to and should do at university. Especially revision. However, I also really like the fact that you can really dive deep into a subject. At GESS, as Sarah said, everything was very structured, so you can organize your learning more. I also really liked the community at GESS, where we have shared experiences and this feeling of community.
What particularly surprised you as a first semester student at the university?
Sarah: That student life is not what I had imagined. I thought I’d go there and then there’d be a bit of a party, but it starts immediately with a lot of content and then there’s the fact that it’s winter when you start and you have to get used to the fact that it’s dark at 4pm.
I think what surprised me the most was how anonymous it is, at least in my course. That’s something you have to get used to, because here at the school you know all the teachers at least a little bit. That sounds very negative. But it’s ok, I think there are people who cope better with it and there are people who don’t cope so well and they benefit from a smaller and more familial course.
Tassia: I was also surprised by the size of the university, sitting in a lecture hall with 400 people. At some point you know the faces and as soon as you enter the room and see the people, you know whether you’re in the right place.
And the structure of the course is completely different. We also have quasi-anonymous lectures, but you can go to the professor and ask questions, but basically the lecturer is not someone you get very close to, unless you work at the faculty later on. However, we do have tutorials where you work in smaller groups and get to know the people and higher semester students better and can build up your circle of acquaintances.
What did you take away from your time at GESS that is particularly helpful to you now at university?
Sarah: Many things. But above all soft skills that you pick up through general life in a community like the one at GESS. I mainly learned how to deal with other people and other cultures, because at university you also have to deal with lots of different personalities and cultures and we’ve learned that here at GESS.
Tassia: I agree with you and especially, how to build up a community and, despite all the different cultures, see what you have in common and appreciate what the others bring to the table.
Do you have any advice for this year’s graduating class?
Sarah: That you don’t commit yourself too much to one path, that you remain open to other things. That you just start something without too many preconceptions or without imagining too much and see how you like it. And if you then realize that it’s not for you, it’s okay to do something else. For example, I wanted to study in Munich for years when I was still at GESS and I always imagined it and then it turned out to be completely different to what I had imagined. You just can’t let that turn into something negative. I think that’s very important and that you also know that you have to relearn a lot of things during the transition from school to university and be open to it.
Tassia: Most importantly, keep this focus, have a rough idea for the future, but don’t immediately despair if something doesn’t work out or is difficult. You can work through everything on your own and always find someone at university who you can ask or who can help you, and friends in particular can be a great help.
