GERMANY JOURNEY OF LUONG NGUYEN HOANG ANH - EPISODE 1: EUROPE, GERMANY AND LEARNINGS ON THE JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION AND CULTURE EXCHANGE

Luong Nguyen Hoang Anh, a student of class 43K01.2, is one of the typical students of the faculty. She not only has outstanding academic achievements but also participates in many other extracurricular activities inside and outside the school. Therefore, in the second year of university, Hoang Anh received a scholarship to exchange at Westphalian University of Science and Applications in Germany. After finishing the course, Hoang Anh shared an essay about his life and study in Germany. Here, let's take a look.

"My name is Luong Nguyen Hoang Anh, class 43K01.2, a final year student of the Faculty of International Business. I am also an exchange alumnus under the Erasmus+ scholarship program of the European Union under the framework of the European Union. cooperation between University of Economics - University of Danang and Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (Germany) in the winter semester of the academic year 2018 - 2019. This article is my sharing as one of the Students of the Faculty of International Business in particular and the University of Economics in general are honored to receive a scholarship to study in Europe for one semester – a valuable opportunity not only to strengthen their academic background but also to give themselves the best opportunities. It also helps me to discover my inner potentials and better understand the future path I want to pursue.

Europe, Germany and profound lessons on the journey of cultural transfer and exchange

"I set foot in the capital Düsseldorf of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most important economic and industrial state in Western Germany before moving to the city of Gelsenkirchen - which I call 'home' in Europe for a summer day. Fall September 2018. Born and raised in Da Nang, this is my first time going to a place 1/3 away from my family around the world.The feeling of excitement “Europe is really under my feet” seems to me. overcame all the worries and jitters when I first set foot in a completely new land with a very different system of values ​​and beliefs. civility, frankness, generosity; a Europe united in diversity; profound lessons in discipline and respect for differences.

One of the things that impressed me the most before starting the official semester in October 2018 was the 5 weeks of learning and self-studying about how to survive in a culture as diverse as Europe and how German society operates according to that. separate rules. I learned basic German, German culture and European Union institutions at the receiving school along with classmates from many parts of the world. Thanks to this transition period, I soon learned how to overcome mistakes in the spirit of respecting cultural differences, learn to proactively ask for help, and learn how to help others. So, I'm lucky that I didn't have to go through the heavy culture shocks, but instead I learned to accept the unexpected more gently."

"More importantly, as Erasmus+ students, we are encouraged to 'continuously travel' for academic and cultural exchange, to learn from our mistakes and to grow (personally, Moving isn't just about traveling.) The first time I left my home town after two weeks in Germany, I used to fumble and get lost between the Essen and Gelsenkirchen lines in the night and really pull myself out. What is the way of "survival" in the vast Europe. The first step always requires a lot of courage, the more you go, the more mistakes you make, the more mistakes you make, the more solutions you learn. problem, and along the way, I can't count how many times I've experienced the feeling of "growing up overnight." First leaving home, then leaving my city, then it was going across the state, then all over Germany, finally all over Europe.If I didn't step out of my comfort zone, I would never know I could make it. c how far, how many places, how many people met, how many stories and how quickly he grew up. The more than 40 cities and 13 countries that I visited during my half year in Europe all left me with different valuable lessons about life. I'll probably never forget the moment of panic when I was stuck in Brussels on a cold night under security curfew, the days I roamed in a Paris with hidden seeds of anger and only made it to Germany safely. the day before the "Yellow Vests" protest. Perhaps I will not forget the time I visited the capital Rome, everywhere there was a warning to be careful of pickpockets or even had a money faucet attack on the streets of Vienna. The exchange gave me the opportunity to see a very different Europe from the books with the valuable lesson "Every country has its own problems" - a lesson that has accumulated more capital to live and expand. his vision."

The interesting and honest sharing above by Hoang Anh has helped us understand more about the culture and life in Germany, right? Next time, let's find out with Hoang Anh what is the experience of studying in Germany.